to be really irritated with comments like this

[Leati]

The other day I started a thread about gun policy in the US. I am from the US but agree with alot of you ladies about the US gun policy being to relaxes. One of the ladies suggested that we should change the law. I tried to explain that the law was protected by the United States constitution and therefor it was not very easy to change. Then someone who had not been part of conversation up until that point get on and starts writing outragously insulting comments


Copied from comments of previous

Of course the Americans want guns. They are a huge country with lots of space, animals, wilderness much much less sophisticated and indeed behind the times than the UK and most of Europe with their history of cow boys and some very simple people living there. Obviously they therefore hang on to their guns. Our police can police the 60m people here in the UK without guns on the whole and as there are few guns to be had we have fewer deaths and murders. This is one reason most of us choose to stay in the UK rather than move to the US.



and then the user writes this

Americans are often simple people a bit behind Europe, of course they are. You'll catch up eventually but you even have the death penalty. You and China... we despair over here and so many believing the planet is 6000 years old only. It's a kind of simpleness which in some ways is quite sweet but you've a long way to go to be in the same advanced mindset of most Europeans.


I just have to ask...where does she come up with this crap

[ChipButty]

I wonder if this person has ever been to the States. I am English but I don't really know enough about the gun laws to make an informed statement. Unfortunately, many people make sweeping statements without ever really understanding what they are talking about. That's life, I'm afraid.

[Leati]

I finally asked the person if they really beleived all this stuff she was saying. She never answered me.

[Leati]

Here I am going to post the other thread and you can read it.

[McDreamy]

[Leati]

What gets me the most is I don't know if this person really believes the stuff she is spouting or if she is intentionally trying to upset me.

[Leati]

Its not the gun law part that made me mad, just to clarify. It is the part where she say, "Americans are often simple people a bit behind Europe, of course they are. You'll catch up eventually but you even have the death penalty. You and China... we despair over here and so many believing the planet is 6000 years old only. It's a kind of simpleness which in some ways is quite sweet but you've a long way to go to be in the same advanced mindset of most Europeans."

[JemimaPip]

Hi Leati, I don't know whether the poster in question really holds this position or not either, and if she wasn't willing/able to respond to your questions we may never know. If she believes it then it's a somewhat shallow analysis (so much for the advanced european mindset eh?) and if it was intended to be provocative then my advice is don't take it personally. The views held reveal much more about the other poster than they do about you!

[Leati]

Well thank you

It nice to know that not everyone believes this goofiness.

[WikiesWizardWheezes]

Leati - couldn't see thread but sounds like someone was intentially trying to wind you up. There are a few of them on here. Ignore gracefully and move away.

......and think nasty thoughts about what you would do if the convo had been in real life (then again, they wouldn't have had the bollocks to say it without anonymity)

[JemimaPip]

Just checked the orignal thread and see that it's Xenia who has made the comments! Well, AFAIK Xenia is no fool, and she isn't given to deliberately upsetting people, but she does have some strong and rather fixed views. Reminds me of something I heard the other day about why opinions are like a**holes - everybody's got one!

[GrimoireThief]

Leati, I though Xenia's posts were a little odd. To be honest they didn't quite read to me like her.

[Leati]

You are too funny.

[Leati]

Ooh, well I have only been on this site a couple of weeks but I was astonished by the comments. Do you think someone else would use her name?

[GrimoireThief]

I don't know. Maybe she was just having a bad day but she's usually far more intelligent than that, albeit well known for holding views that some others may find controversial.

Those comments were just a bit stupid. I would have expected better from her - a more coherently constructed argument anyway if she did feel that way.

Ignore and move on is definitely the best policy though

[Leati]

I am going to take that advice. I guess to tell you the truth, I just wanted to make sure that these weren't commonly believed myths.

[LoveAngel]

What a load of claptrap that person was speaking.
More than 'a bit stupid' - RACIST (with regards to the Chinese) and offensive re: Americans.

This 'We Eurpoeans, we're so cultured and civilised compared to everyone else' stance is pathetic and misguided.

Leati - ignore these comments, the poster is obviously an ignoramous.

[BandofMuggles]

I have found that though Xenia seems intelligent, she does have strong views, doesn't care if anyone disagrees and will voice her views quite insistently, rather like you do Leati.
I don't mean this in any way nastily, or meanly, but opinions are opinons, she is as unlikely to change hers as you are.
Sometimes you will have to ignore posts that you don't like unless of course you don't mind entering into an argument about it

[GryffindorInARiffindor]

I'm sorry you have been upset leati - I do struggle with the whole death penalty thing but that is another debate for another thread.

You said you have only been here a few weeks, it can get heated and opinionated here, but that is what makes it such an addictive site and a breath of fresh air compared to other parenting forums.

Anyhow, Welcome

[Leati]

I agree that I do have strong opinions, but I also try not to insult individuals or thier entire country. Instead I try to share my views on the subject. Oddly, in this specific case I think if she had read my entire post, she would see that for the most part I think our gun policies are reckless.

[GryffindorInARiffindor]

well you, fancy seeing you here

I'll mail you

[lizziemun]

Leati

if you do a search on Xenia name you will see that her post seem to upset a lot of people.

She has very fixed veiws on life and doen't necessary understand other people points of veiw.

I find the best way to deal with her post is to ignore.

[Leati]

I actually do not support the death penalty.

[BandofMuggles]

There is alot to be said for talking calmly and sharing opinions.
Unfortunately, and I'm not saying she was doing this, but sometimes people post things just for a rise, or to see if they can start an argument, or just to be awkward.
You'll soon be able to decide/recognise who is doing this, probably not why though.

I must say I found quite a lot of Americans to be quite condescending towards English people, esp during conversations about the WAR for example, the comments about how I would be speaking German if it weren't for them were especially wearing after a couple of years, but there were also lots of people there I LOVED.
Generalisations are never true for everyone.

[Leati]

BandofMuggles
I have to agree that stereotyping is never a good way to look at a situation. And I can see how those comments would be insulting to you.

[TransfiguratingLily]

I often disagree with xenia but I like her. Because of her strong views she usually gets everyone stirred up and inspires other people to express their views. She perks up a thread and I don't think she means any harm.