How to properly bitch about "no guns" signs, part deux...

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bogie

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How to express a politically correct opinion about "no guns" signs, part deux...

Expressing a politically correct opinion here doesn't count, unless you ask other people to express a politically correct opinion with you.

They should all express a politically correct opinion by bothering the company that posted the sign, not by irritating the folks who hang out here. We know the signs are insulting. Just say "Hey, sent a nastygram to this company, suggest you do the same," and not "Can you BELIEVE what this person did?" and then leave a link... Bor-ring...

Express a politically correct opinion using coherent language, not ghetto/txtspeak, but don't whip out everything your 9th grade English teacher beat into your thick skull. Odds are it won't impress, and it REALLY won't impress after you screw it up. After all, your poor teacher is probably STILL suffering from that nervous breakdown.

When expressing a politically correct opinion, do so politely. Do not call the person an idiot. Make them call THEMSELVES an idiot. This takes style, grace, and a certain amount of tact, but it can be done, and is highly effective.

If someone else here has located someone who needs to be expressed a politically correct opinion to, telling the rest of us that we shouldn't express a politically correct opinion to them "because it's their right to put up an insulting "no guns" sign" is grounds for treason in some countries. We reserve the right to drag your sorry expressing hindquarters to said country, try you, and then punish you in accordance with their laws. And lemme tell you, if you're sitting in a dorm somewhere, counting your pocket change from yet another seditious post on "that gun forum," their laws are pretty damn draconian when compared to such mild things as "waterboarding."

Not expressing a politically correct opinion to the management of the joint doesn't work. They are not psychic. Expressing a politically correct opinion to the help may make it upstream, but they're probably already so used to people griping about low quality of service that they can't tell the difference.

Expressing a politically correct opinion via form letters does not work. It's better that you hack something together that is semi-literate than send them something that says "Dear (insert name of offending expressee), I'm never gonna buy anything at your place again, because you need to read the following three paragraphs, which you've already seen 8 times today." Yeah, they'll get the email, but we'll also come across as (1) lazy; and (2) stupid expressers...

Be creative with expressing. It can be an art form.

Expressing a politically correct opinion is best done in groups. That means you, me, and 30,000 other gunnies from the interwebz. Heck - if all you "hard core" folks dedicated 5 minutes per day to targeted expressing of a politically correct opinion, Obama would be voting Republican.

Sigh... FCC v. Pacifica still lives...
 
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I like it.

Its all about being professional when your complaining. The minute you start using put-downs or swears is the minute that you lose your audience. if you want a company or business to take your complaint seriously act professional and use your head, think first before you speak ;)
 
Would you mind editing your post so every other word isn't Bitch? THR is supposed to be a family-friendly site. While I don't mind the occasional bit of swearing (ok, who am I kidding - I swear like a sailor) we need to be mindful of others who don't want to be (or shouldn't be) exposed to it here.
 
It is politically correct these days, but its frequency here is a bit much. Just put a % or a * for the IT.
 
Something else you can do, is to get some "No Guns, No Money" to cards to give to the store manager, as well as send in to the owner. (The link goes to a state specific card, but they are out there in one form or another for most states.)
 
If you have a prob with a store, don't go there. Its that simple. Don't whine about my rights this and my rights that. It makes you look bad. The line "concealed means concealed" really irritates me, it also gives "ammo" to those that want to ban CCW. What it really means is " I don't care about you, I'm going to do what I want rather you like it or not"
 
Its all about being professional when your complaining.
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Yeah, I found it interesting that Bogie complains about people not complaining about the cause he is championing and is violating his own suggestions. How ironic. It is hard to put any credibility into a person's words when he doesn't practice what he preaches and flaunts such transgressions so openly.

Wow Bogie, I haven't seen a post with that many cuss words that hasn't been locked down or edited by moderators. Wow.

If someone else here has located someone who needs to be bitched at, telling the rest of us that we shouldn't bitch at them "because it's their right to put up an insulting "no guns" sign" is grounds for treason in some countries. We reserve the right to drag your sorry ass to said country, try you, and then punish you in accordance with their laws. And lemme tell you, if you're sitting in a dorm somewhere, counting your pocket change from yet another seditious post on "that gun forum," their laws are pretty damn draconian when compared to such mild things as "waterboarding."/QUOTE]

Okay, this was just garbage. Funny how you are fighting for one set of rights while trying to put down another. That is mighty hypocritical. The threat is a nice touch.

All in all, you didn't impress us with your cussing. You were not polite. You were not creative. You did not do it as part of a group.
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Well, bogie's message is ill-delivered, but the points are all valid.

1. Use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation (including paragraph formatting).
2. Do not use excessive abbreviations, acronyms, etc...
3. Be polite and professional.
4. Use language that would not offend someone's grandmother.
5. Do your legwork and get the message to management, not the counter flunkie.
6. Avoid emotional rhetoric. Use logic.
7. Present your logic in a clearly understandable format.

Where I disagree with Bogie, is that I *do* believe in property rights. At least I think I disagree. It was kind of hard to glean his position due to a failure to effectively employ #7 above. However, just because I believe it should be a person or business' right to control what happens on their own property, doesn't mean that it's wrong to attempt to convince them that their choices are wrong, immoral, and dangerous.

ETA: I think Bogie's excessive use of the word "bitch" was intended to be tongue in cheek humor. I chuckled at it.
 
he's using bitch as a verb not an adjective. Words have different meanings for example go to a dog show you'll hear it all day long
 
Aside from choices of language, there are well made points. The primary one in my opinion being; do not gripe at the clerks. They will NOT communicate it up the chain in anything other than a derogatory, dismissive way. I have used the cards we give out around here to new CCH students. These say, in a nutshell, "no guns, no shopping" and give some interesting points on CCH permit holders.

I have gotten results everywhere from blank stares to being taken aside by the owner and told, "You come back next week and that sign'll be gone". It was and he still gets my money. The strength of the dollar is something people understand. You just need to deploy it with a little grace and style and by speaking to the right person.

I liked the ideas in Bogie's post. Perhaps he offended some, but I don't think, from his post, that he is being offensive to those he is trying to convince outside of this forum.
 
Where ever I see signs like those I ask if the manager is there. If he is I simply tell him that I don't shop where I cannot defend myself. Most will say--I didn't even know the sign was there or I have been meaning to take it down. I have never had one to act anyway but curteous. wc
 
Oh no! He used the word bitch! Quick, everyone get your panties in a ruffle, prepare the bug-out-bags, check the stockpiles, it's the end of the world as we know it!

Good post bogie. A lot of good points. I hope people actually read it instead of squealing about the hardly offensive language. I can hear worse on cable TV.

Dope
 
Well Dope, maybe you and Bogie missed it, Rule #3, that is...
3.) As a family-friendly board, we ask that you keep your language clean. If you wouldn't say it in front of your dear old Grandma, you probably don't want to say it here.
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If we wanted profanity, we would be on AR15.com and such such boards that are not family oriented.
 
Bitch, gripe, carp, complain, ignore, object, resist, fight, defy, protest, picket, challenge, sue, strive against, oppose, revolt. ALL WORDS--words with meaning albeit.

Bogie chose bitch. I took no offense since (as someone mentioned) there is worse on cable and even public TV offers worse nowadays. But that kind of argument is a slippery slope of accepting declining standards as new benchmarks as we slip into a dark morass of depravity one step at a time. Still, the word stands as a verb (as someone pointed out) and means to complain harshly without much of the negative connotation contained in the noun form.

Don't shoot down the messenger for his choice of ammunition. We are all shooting at the same target, right? Some of you shoot your handloads (personally written letters.) Others shoot the factory loads (form letters.) The main thing is to shoot and hit your target. This takes practice. Go practice. Senators and representatives are an easy target to begin with.
 
While I don't mind the occasional bit of swearing (ok, who am I kidding - I swear like a sailor) we need to be mindful of others who don't want to be (or shouldn't be) exposed to it here.
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Having been a Salor in the Navy myself, I, personally, am offended that there wasn't more swearing in the OP, but, to each his own.:neener::D


Seriously though, he makes a good point that when you choose to express your displeasure over "no guns" signs, you need to do it calmly and coherently. Coming off like a moron of nutjob isnt going to be very persuasive. Also, you do need to be adressing the right people. The 19 year old guy at the register in Home Depot does not set corporate policy.Not in his job decription for $7 an hour. Also, for $7 and hour, he likely could care less what coporate policy is, nor does he likely know the policy, since for $7 an hour, he isnt going to read the employee handbook. Contact managers, district managers, corporate offices, etc, depending on the nature of the store and/or policy. They make the decisions, and get paid WAY over $7 an hour.Hassle them, not the store clerks.
 
We had a Limo arrive, with a well dressed couple to hand deliver to the owner of a nice restaurant, our displeasure with his views on no guns on his property with the legal sign on his door.

This owner was also supporting financially, involved in anti gun legislative activities and being public about it.

Expensive stationary, and envelope.
Beautiful penmanship , written with a fountain pen.

Copies of receipts and total of meals over a six month time period, which added up to be quite a large amount.
A party of fourteen, with drinks, and Dom Perignon add up to nice tab, for just one evening for instance.

A particular waitress was asked for, upon making reservations.
She was that quality waitress every nice resturant wants to have as an employee.
She has clientèle, she bring in to the business.

With a $200 tip, for a meal she did not serve, she was handed a very nice note like the owner was.

She had a job at another fine establishment, all she had to do was give two weeks notice.
She was pro gun, and this owner became a avid supporter of anti -gun in a short time period.

She gave notice, and her clientèle followed her to her new place of employment.

Her clientèle knew why she gave notice, and supported her.
The word was spread amongst like kind.
Fence sitters and even some anti -gun clientèle became pro gun.

One couple dropped $20,000 cash on the table, former fence sitters.
"Here is the cash, now how do we best spend this to assist RKBA?"



That anti-gun establishment is now out of business.
It continued for some time, even gained some business due to the fact the owner was anti-gun, involved with gun control and had the legal signs.

As a lady mentor once said, that worked in a office coffee shop as a teenager, putting up with some clients as she did -

Kill 'em with niceness.

We knocked 'em dead with class and manners.
 
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