Contributors to this thread:
Bowsite used to excite and interest me. I could hop on my old PC, dial up online and see what was going on in the archery world. Well, maybe it wasn’t that long ago, but you get the idea.
What I do know is that it wasn’t that long ago when almost every post was relevant to the sport.
Now I feel like I have to sort through posts about all the crap I am trying to get away from. Just to find something I want to read.
I know the country is a mess and I don’t want to discuss more about that topic. What I want to figure out is if maybe Pat can offer a way to sort all the political bu?lsjt out so we can get back to the real Bowsite and If others agree with that idea?
Am I the only one who is getting sick of seeing Bowsite turn into a political forum?
I’m all for standing up for our freedoms, but I just miss the way I remember it.
I am in my last year before retiring from teaching for 32 years at a community college. To me the political threads are necessary. In 30 plus years I have witnessed college culture go from professionally respectful to an attempt to silence and cancel all dissenting voices against liberal orthodoxy.
I am convinced that the loony left wants to eliminate all hunting. Like it or not, we have to do better to protect what we love, IMO. If folks don’t want the politics, just sift thru the threads. I hope the antis see there are many of us remaining that will not go away silently.
I recognize some of my threads on occasion might be annoying. But guys, the changes I have seen in 30 years are not subtle, the social engineering lunacy these folks advocate includes no guns and no hunting. If some annoying threads help us remember how important our votes are, so be it.
I understand many will disagree, so my apologies in advance for my part.
Not to be a smart ass or anything like that, but there are 17 other forums on here besides this one. The I'm with HFW on this one, I think there needs to be a forum like this one to vent amongst like-minded people. Some of the stuff gets a bit crazy at times. I hardly post at all anymore, but I read a few of the threads to see what folks are talking about.
I've been on here since this was a BB on Prodigy. My first post ever was on what is now called the Leatherwall. That has been a few years. Seems to be something for everyone on this site. Pick and choose what you like to read/respond to, ignore the rest.
"What I want to figure out is if maybe Pat can offer a way to sort all the political bu?lsjt out.."
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Unfortunately, 'clicks' pay the rent. The more clicks on a topic, or the more replies etc. the more advertising revenue the site gets. When you see a thread about a new release get 8 replies, but a political topic gets 700, 'follow the money'. Yeah, the pile-ons get tiresome, but unless the politics-haters are all willing to pony up a dollar a week, it will continue.
Frank, well said. Unfortunately, we live in a world where hunting, along with Liberty, is threatened and I feel like most of the issues are tied in in one way or another. The leftist are serious about their agenda and to think they are not a threat is naive IMO. I can see where the OP is coming from but I think most of the political topics are informative inspite of the negatives.
Hunting is not a federal right, it is a privilege. Privileges can be revoked at any time. Yes, some states have a "right to hunt" law but that is a feel good law and not really factual. Hunters were duped by local and state politicians, which is easy. One can only hunt if others, including the federal government, say there is a season for you to hunt. You DO NOT have a right to hunt unless others, including voters, determine there are seasons you can hunt. Get this reality through your heads and hunting becomes very political.
everything, especially hunting, has a political component. if you are a hunter and you ignore that you are doing so at your own peril...and eventual demise.
Hunting is as natural as sex. Granted, we need common sense regulations to helpkeep the game population healthy. The government claims to grant us a lot of things that are really Good given rights...or should be. The Right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. ,The government can pass seat belt laws, ect, but does that mean they should? I pay for the vehicle, the tag n and whatever taxes go ong with it.. We are way beyond basic common sense laws in today's world.
I like it, good way to find out what else is going on that I might not be aware of. Good way to connected with like minded people. Good way to stay in the know.
Lol, I'm one of the KS guys who wishes things could go back the way they were. One thing I've learned from BS is to "get over it, they ain't going back".
Sort through the threads or find other avenues. I'm member to 4 other hunting forums that have virtually 0 political threads. In fact BS is the only forum I frequent for politics instead of hunting.
As I recall, people pissed and moaned about certain topics on the community forum as well.
I see your point tho… it pisses me off to see a Subway in a gas station. Sandwiches have absolutely nothing to do with petroleum distribution. Just sayin…
I’m with ya MQQSE. It’s like sitting around the campfire at hunting camp. The last thing I want to talk about is politics. I miss the old Bowsite too, but like someone said, it ain’t going back.
We have 17 different campfires here. Click and join in on any conversation you enjoy. One of them might be ugly politics... but even that can be relevant to hunting (land access, gas prices, gun control, covid travel mandates, etc.)
I’m guilty of participating in many political threads. That said, I’ve grown to realize they are nothing more than a bunch of guys preaching to the choir. I know some people need confirmation of their biases, but in reality these political threads aren’t changing anyone’s opinions. They are mostly just circle jerks, with a few regular dissenters who receive the bulk of the wrath from the rest of the crowd. So the threads aren’t really accomplishing anything other than clicks for Pat’s website.
I wish some of the political junkies would channel their time and efforts towards people with a different mindset than their own. That’s truly the only way to make a difference.
I plan to practice what I preach. This will be my last political post on Bowsite. I may occasionally participate in a few hunting related threads, but that’s it.
Get outdoors and enjoy the blessings our creator gave to us boys. Always look for the bright side of life. Be positive and accepting of those who differ from you, because without diversity this would be a boring world.
Im out
Matt
Missouri, that might be the reality government is trying to portray. But, no one is going to beg for the right to kill food. No one.
POLITICS, END OF VACCINE MANDATES, ROAD TO OMAHA…
It only takes a little grey matter to know what a topic is about without opening it. I could tell you what each of these threads was about just by reading the title. I agree it would be nice to have their own category but if I don’t want to read them, I don’t open them.
It's not hard to ignore topics
LINK, it would be nice if it were that simple. Problem is, it seems that even threads that are actually about hunting eventually turn into a political shit show.
Go to the leatherwall. Yes, it is stick bow hunting but still bow hunting. No politics over there.
Well, if you want topics about bowhunting to stay on bowhunting and you want them to be constructive, then whenever someone posts about what type of mechanical broadhead to use, don't post up "ain't no way in hell I'll ever use a mechanical, COC for me only". Because, nobody really cares about your disdain for a mechanical on a mechanical thread.
A post about [bow]hunting laced with opinionated emotion is really not that different than political post or thread...
I really appreciate GG's post above, and think Ill take his example as advice and try to go the same route.
That said, the Community Forum was good for this stuff. The main page stayed hunting oriented and the CF ranged from how to make your own bacon to how to pride in a fun vacation with the family to political rambles/debates. It probably got to hot at times the 3-4 years prior to it getting axed... But perhaps that would be good - some form of CF again?
Unfortunately, There is politics in everything…even bowhunting.
It's trying to metastasize into the Leatherwall too.
What 4nolz said above. Ignor them if you don’t like them. And quit whining.
Awwww the Bowsite echo chamber, where we can all scratch our itches and not change a damn thing. Nirvana.
In 2030 when the elites go to ban hunting THEN we will all be talking politics.
I always wonder about the folks who talk about people that have different beliefs and have different life styles. What happens when your Grandson says he's gay, or you daughter is a die hard Democrat. Do you still feel the same about them or is that different. I come from a large family and there is about one of everything. Transgender, Gay, abortions and single moms, drug and alcoholism, yep we got most of that covered. Got to say I still love them all. Don't trust them all but still pray for them.
Will tell, I think that's part of the divisive and unfortunate example set by our leaders today. Used to be able to disagree with someone but still be friends on other fronts. Currently the example is that if you don't see eye-to-eye with someone on something you should to hate them. It's exemplified daily in Washington and in the media's opinion shows. So much hate for those who disagree.
Will Tell - fist bump. Amen to that, man!
I can love someone but totally disagree with them. The problem with Marxist left in this country is the fact that they want to deny the natural order that God created. Hunting can't be taken for granted anymore. We've forgotten that the founders did not grant us anything...they simply acknowledged out God given rights we already have..or if you're an atheist, you would say rights you already have because of your humanity. A big deciding factor for the future of hunting will depend on a percentage those that actually hunt but out of ignorance support those that are opposed to hunting. If you don't think there are those that would strip away your liberty you are naive. We are already half way there as far as our overall Liberty goes..thanks to both Dems n NeoCons.
I hunt with trad gear, don't view western hunting as an extreme sport, don't use scents, don't use mechanicals, don't wear Kuiu or Sitka, don't shoot $30 broadheads and don't have a food plot.
There are plenty of threads that I skip. It's pretty easy.
"Be positive and accepting of those who differ from you, because without diversity this would be a boring world."
Define healthy diversity. At what point does "diversity" lead to moral decay of a country?
“ What happens when your Grandson says he's gay, or you daughter is a die hard Democrat. ”
I would tell them why they are an idiot and love them either way.
So 'Libertarianism' is closer to fascism than Conservatism? Who TF drew that silly thing?
PS An ACCURATE spectrum would scale on respect for INDIVIDUAL vs 'Social' rights regardless of current labels.
i went into the auto parts store the other day and they were selling bags of licorice up by the cash register. i dont like licorice and they sure as hell shouldnt be selling candy in an auto parts store. i told the manager that it offended me and if he didnt cut it out, i would never come back. he said its been nice knowing you.
You all are constantly "fighting" over symptoms, not the problem. The "us" vs "them" is a symptom of the root cause of just about all current problems; pollution/climate change, freedom to do whatever the hell you want infringing on whatever the hell someone else wants to do, wild places to hunt without crowds, being able to hunt at all eventually, except maybe in established, likely private, hunting preserves. You name it, it all comes down to too many people on the planet. And that's only going to get worse. It's already demonstrably worse during my lifetime.
Dano - communism IS socialism - at gunpoint.
I am with Dana on this one. Do not see how Libertarianism is right of conservatism.
I picked up the card in my trail camera on Saturday. I had three doe with fawn videos and two buck videos. I also had a coyote. Not political but it made me happy for the nature around me. If you want political I will add I am working with a group of folks who do not hunt to preserve a piece of town owned land. This preservation includes logging and hunting .
Some people call themselves Libertarian and they're really Anarchist. Not all Libertarians agree on every issue just like Republicans n Democrats. Example: I believe abortion is murder because the Bible says murder is a sin. But, I would never use that argument in a court of law to end abortion...I would argue the fact murder is the taking of someone's life, regardless if the person is unborn, born, straight, heterosexual, bisexual, black, white , ect. I think each individual has the "right" to live how they choose whether I agree with them or not...until that individual threatens my safety, my families safety or the general public's safety.
We all have a free will to choose what we want to believe or support. But, that doesn't change the fact that if we choose to reject God's truth there will be consequences. God doesn't force himself on anyone nor should we force our beliefs on anyone. Most people realize basic laws are needed in a society, such as laws against murder, rape, pedophilia, theft,ect. These laws benefit everyone regardless of race or religion. I have a problem with laws that go beyond the basics. Game n Fish laws are necessary, basic traffic laws, yelling fire in a theater as a joke is over stepping your freedom of speech,ect. Lot of folks like myself just think the government should get out of the private sector and let the free market sort it out. Government only makes matters worse. The Civil Rights Act went to far, so now I am discriminated against as a result. What should have happen is simply enforce everyone's constitutional rights but no...the government went too far and ended up doing the very thing it proclaimed to be eliminating.
Will Tell, I could care less if a person is gay, trans, or gay married don’t matter to me but what I do have a problem with is the fact they are teaching this to young kids. I don’t even have kids and to see a kid friendly drag queen show going on or to hear that NY spent $207,000 on bringing drag queens to school is absolutely disgusting. Sounds crazy huh? Well look it up it happened. Nobody here has issues with Democrats but the wackos of today are so far left of a Democrat they need a new party name.
"...Democrats but the wackos of today are so far left of a Democrat they need a new party name."
But you don't recognize that the Republican Party - all of it - is so full of far right whackos that it is already a new party, just with the same name?
Ziek if you think upholding the Constitution is far right then I don’t know what to say. At least their “radical” ideas have not destroyed the economy. Wait and see what a disaster the green energy is going to cause.
How dare the far right wing group the Proud Boys interrupt Drag queen story time for children at a library.
It has been decades in the making, and intentional, for Progressives to take over our education system. It is critical that we support the parents finally fighting back. These folks are truly American heroes!
My wife taught public school for 9 yrs. There are a lot of good teachers and some not so good. Even good teachers face obstacles layed out by the leftist controlling things. Their hands are tied with PC BS. Not to mention the universities are mostly Marxist strongholds so that's what they are being pounded with during their college yrs getting their degree.
“You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!”
Sure I have opinions/viewpoints. But Bowsite used to be an escape. Living vicariously through other bowhunters experiences. (Even contributing a few of my own ). I looked at CF once in a blue moon. (And it wasn’t for me) When it went away, the big game forums morphed into dumpster fires. I miss the stories and support folks used to give people who wanted to learn . I spend a fraction of the time I used to. And when I do visit, I question my use of time.
“Hunting is as natural as sex”
I don’t think I’m gonna use this line on my wife !
I can hear her response now, “Really?!”
Lol..you got a point Greg
Damn some of you are talking like because of a few political threads all the hunting stories are gone. I have read threads this past hunting season that have been going on for years. Also, we are in June so their isn’t much besides what sight do you use or what arrows should I buy.
I like to read these threads just to keep up with what's going on out there. I live in a small town in Northeast PA and if it wasn;t for these threads I would have never known there was such a thing as "DRAG QUEEN STORY HOUR"............................................(you just CAN'T make this @#$% up! ;-)
Without politics bowsite would be a ghost town and no clicks means no new farms for Pat. :)
great post hackbow. some people seem to think if they dont want to talk about something, nobody should talk about it.
Here is a political post brought to us courtesy of Re-Flex circa 1983:
"The politics of dancing
The politics of, ooh, feeling good
The politics of moving, aha
If this message's understood"
I'm a metal guy myself but this one will get stuck in your coconut.
No matter what people complain, it's what they do 8>)
"That’s code for collectivism… " .
Finally! The right label. It isn't 'fascism' or 'communism' or 'socialism' or 'statism' or 'totalitarianism' - underneath the labels they ALL put 'the collective' ahead of *the individual*. .
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It doesn't matter if your rights are taken away by the church, the state, the commune, the clan, the tribe, the monarchy or whatever you call it. ONLY INDIVIDUALS have rights. The only legitimate government is one that protects the rights of the individual.
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"In order to secure these rights, governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
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In almost 250 years nobody has said it better than Jefferson.
DanaC, "In almost 250 years nobody has said it better than Jefferson."
And Jefferson clearly stated our rights come from God. You know, that person you don't believe in?
He used the term 'their Creator' which could equally refer to nature/evolution. Jefferson's 'religious beliefs' are pretty well documented.
PS He was *human* too ;-)
if you don't want to read a thread with politics then just pass on it, simple. As far as the Idaho guys being arrested, since when is it illegal to car pool to a event and protest? I remember a lot of summer of love idiots wearing shin guards and helmets and I don't believe any where arrested. I guess illegal acts are determined on your political views. Liberals get agree pass on arson, robbery , assault etc... Republicans get arrested for walking on capital grounds, car pooling to a parade, etc... Funny how that works,isn't it.
"ONLY INDIVIDUALS have rights."
Except if you're a woman.
DanaC, 'their Creator' Yeah and that's because Jefferson regularly attended church in Federal buildings, as President. He believed God exists, you don't, vast difference. Morality without an absolute is hopelessness. Where did I come from, why am I here and where am I going.
Ziek, what about the rights of the unborn? I assume you're talking about abortion. Life starts at conception. When sperm and egg meet. No life has ever occurred with out this crucial step.
Not all the founders were Christians..lot them were. Some were Deist,ect. One thing the majority of them agreed on is the fact that our rights don't come from the government. Too bad all of them didn't see the light when it came to slavery but at least slavery is a thing of the past...well, in a reacial sense it is. The new plantation is the Federal Government..and we're all on it.
"Life starts at conception."
By who's definition? Even if that were true, that life has NO superior right over the body of another person. By definition it is also a parasitic organism until it is born.
"No life has ever occurred with out this crucial step."
Wrong again. Look up parthenogenesis.
And I guess then you also don't believe in the Bible.
"Even if that were true, that life has NO superior right over the body of another person."
Does it work the other way? If it's a human life, abortion certainly is one human having superior rights over the one that gets killed.
" abortion certainly is one human having superior rights over the one that gets killed. "
The alternative to that is making the pregnant woman the _slave_ of the fetus.
So let me get this strait.
Abortion is ok when the baby is not wanted.
If we change that to a baby is wanted and the pregnant woman is murdered then it’s a double homicide.
Slave to the fetus? 9 months of pregnancy due to pregnancy from a purposeful choice is equal or worse than being killed?
The right of one person vs the rights of another is pretty clear, and unambiguous.
If I need a kidney to save my life, I can't demand one from someone else. Someone can't even be compelled to give something as simple as life-saving blood for someone else. Even after death, your life saving organs can't be used unless you have expressly agreed to that. Seems pretty clear. A person's body is sacrosanct even at the peril of someone else.
Still waiting for a compelling, universally accepted definition of when a human life begins.
There isn't a universally accepted definition. If there was, abortion wouldn't be a big issue.
If it's conception, very few would support abortion. If it's just a parasite, not many could justify not allowing abortion.
Ziek, I was referring to mortal humans. Again, human life starts at conception of sperm and egg. With out that crucial step human life doesn't begin.
Ziek, parthenogenisis isn't possible with human beings. As I stated before mortal human life can't begin without conception of sperm and egg. Prove to me that it can. You can't, no matter how you and DanaC want to define the beginning of life.
" A person's body is sacrosanct even at the peril of someone else."
That's the pro-life argument as well.
Glunt, we caught how you tried to equate 'fetus' with 'person' there. Nice try, but you don't get to present your conclusions as supporting arguments.
Anyone that denies an unborn child is not a person is not looking at real science. We are way beyond that argument now. Science just proves God is right to begin with. I agree, a woman has a right to her own body..but the problem is the child has its own unique DNA, so that makes it a person. Like one atheist Libertarian said once.." my argument that the unborn child has a right to life is not based on religion, but the fact that we know the unborn child has its own DNA which makes it a person.
When I held my 5 month old child in my hands for the last time I can tell you it wasn't a parasite or glob of tissue. Even way earlier than 5 months you can see it's a child. " The right to Life, Liberty, and happiness". Pretty simple really. The truth is this is probably the major cancer eating away at America today, the fact that we don't view life as sacred anymore. All life. This debate sounds familiar to the arguments between the abolitionist and the pro slavery crowd...the abolitionist had it right all along because they understood that all humans, all life, all races are created equal.
Dana
I was commenting on Zieks post where he discussed:
"The right of one person vs the rights of another is pretty clear..."
It’s interesting to watch Godless people argue why they feel the way they do. Telling indeed.
Any man or woman who justifies killing a baby, from the second it’s conceived, as a right because it’s not a human, is the definition of evil. That’s reasoning from a position of malice. Not common sense. It ain’t like an apple comes out. It’s a human being. And, it’s human the minute it’s conceived. That’s common sense. No arguing needed.
"Still waiting for a compelling, universally accepted definition of when a human life begins."
the only real compelling definition is at conception because that is when the zygote has its own unique dna making it a unique human being. you will never have a universally accepted definition because there will always be a segment of the population that thinks everything beyond conception should be protected and a certain segment of the population that wants to be able to rid themselves of an unwanted baby all the way up to and even after birth.
"...God is right to begin with."
And you know that how?
6 to 7 weeks when an ultrasound can pick up a heart beat...of course that's just with the technology we have today..so far.
Any culture that starts deciding who is worthy to live and who's not is headed down a terrible path. History tells us that, how quickly we forget.
DanaC,
"ONLY INDIVIDUALS have rights." Says who, YOU? You are only a little god DanaC. "Nice try, but you don't get to present your conclusions as supporting arguments."
Abortion should be MANDATORY for Democrats. Solve a lot of problems that way!
Well...maybe not ALL the problems. They'll still have the slaughtered infants registered to vote.
Bill, are you at all familiar with the work of Ayn Rand?
the science is pretty simple. a unique new human is created when unique new dna is created. that is at conception. viability can be debated but not the fact that an abortion at any stage beyond conception is the elimination of that unique being.
DanaC, because Alice O'Connor, a Russian philosopher, says that an embryo has no rights makes it an absolute? I take that with the same weight that you take the teachings of Paul, Mathew, Luke, Mark, John, etc. and Jesus Christ himself.
MQQSE, I think your questions have been answered. Politics, abortion, religion. The new Bowsite.
"The alternative to that is making the pregnant woman the _slave_ of the fetus."
only if you admit that the fetus is separate human being. otherwise how can you be enslaved by a body part or a mass of cells. if you acknowledge that the fetus is a separate human being, you must also recognize that human beings rights.
Hold on there Ricky, you are making too much sense about this subject...don't you know it how "you feel" about that matters, not science or morals.
