Just a thought

Yesterday a loyal reader alerted me to a post wherein a curmudgeonly sort seemed irritated that people had the gall to like a TV show about magical cartoon ponies. (No, I'm not going to give a link back, because I don't believe in giving free press to haters.)   The comments were about what you'd expect, with both ends of the spectrum covered, from "Fans of MLP are a scourge upon humanity" to "Had this been me growing up, my Dad wold have kicked my ass for it and I'd have thanked him."

No doubt some of you are thinking my objection to this are a defense of my fandom, and I will grant that you are partially correct. However, let's unpack this for discussion because there's more to this going on. 

1. "Adult fans of the show need to have their asses kicked."

So you're advocating, even in jest, the abuse of people who like something you do not like because you think is effeminate?  Why don't you just be forthright with your bigotry and say "I hates me some fags, and I sure do like stompin' on 'em. They need toughenin' up. Smear that queer!"  Because then at least you'd be honest about your motivations. 

So that attitude of yours?  YOU are why I carry a gun. Think about that. 

2. "You're all stupid and immature for liking this."

Let me just pull out a few more phrases and let me see if any of them sound familiar to you. 

• The more you talk about My Little Pony, the smaller I think your penis is. 
• I’m not interested in My Little Pony I was blessed with a big dick. But I understand the impotent pantywaists who need them to play with.
• Is there a way to substitute a different compensation item instead of My Little Pony for insecure young and middle-aged men?

Seem familiar?  These phrases were taken from the first two "Markley's Law" pages of Joe Huffman's blog. I just substituted "My Little Pony" for "guns".  And yet, I've heard arguments against MLP that are nearly clones of these. 

My point here is that the moment any of us label a hobby as immature/faggy/in need of a good asskicking, we are doing exactly what the Brady Bunch and Joyce Foundation and CGSV do to gun owners. They call us immature and prone to violence and dumb rednecks and, if you’re male, desperately trying to compensate for a tiny penis. Gunnies who hate people who like MLP... call us immature and faggots and prone to pedophilia and, if you're male, desperately trying to compensate for not having a vagina.

Can you folks not see that you are doing to other people exactly the same crap as the antis are doing to us? You’re better than that. Stop it.

In conclusion:

Important Public Service Announcement

Listen up, this is important. 

I just had to un-friend and un-follow someone because he would not bashing one of my interests, so let me be as explicit as possible:

It's perfectly okay if you don't like a thing that I like, such as ponies or shooting or goth or role-playing games. That's a matter of taste, and everyone's taste is different.

It is categorically NOT okay to insult and belittle PEOPLE for liking a thing which you don't like. That's an unwarranted personal attack.

There's a huge, huge difference between "I think this thing is stupid" and "I think you are stupid for liking this thing." Not only is the latter rude and intolerant, it's also incredibly hypocritical if you have any interests outside of the mainstream, such as, oh I don't know, IDPA/IPSC competition shooting.

I mean, if you object to the supposition that owning guns and liking to shoot them means you are a violent and deranged individual who is just itching for a chance to murder someone, then what are you doing by suggesting that an adult who enjoys a wholesome show about magical cartoon ponies is creepy and immature? Aren't you just spreading the knee-jerk hate? Aren't gunnies supposed to be inclusive and welcoming?

In conclusion:  Don't be a dick about the things you don't like.