The Division Bell

[SevenSixTwo]

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?s ... 5241694117

"Here is my last word on the subject of semi-automatic, high mag capacity weapons ...all things considered, I now come down against this type of gun" ~ Mike Yardley

Mike of http://positiveshooting.com/ is of course talking about guns in the US (or at least I hope he is...).

[Sim G]

I've met Yardley a couple o' three times and I've always found him to be a pompous prat full of his own self importance. That does not mean his factual work on guns and shooting is not valuable, far from it, but that should not be an indicator that "his personal opinion" should be given credence.

Likewise, as now a journalist in a very narrow field and as one who is presented as an "expert" he should be aware of what his comments can bring about. And if you look at what can constitute a "high capacity, semi automatic weapon", it gives the anti's fantastic material to bolster and promote their "cause".

Yardley makes reference to Guns & Ammo magazine from 50 years ago or so and how "shocked" he was at the coverage of "black rifles" and self defence. He really needs to look at some old issues as a common thread runs through both then and now. Then it was about self defence and hunting with military weapons - the surplus of WWII....

And sticking with G&A as Yardley uses it to draw comparisons. Only a few short months ago, a G&A staff writer, a gun journalist and author of some 50 years, a man respected in the industry has been sacked by the magazine and several sponsors. His "reading public", fans if you like, have vilified and abondoned him. Why? Because Dick Metcalfe chose to hand the anti's a similar argument from an "expert" of similar standing.

I don't "do" Facebook so I probably have no vehicle in which to respond. Nor do I think Yardley will ever read what I have to say regarding his "opinion". But, I will try, from now on, to boycot everything that Yardley is asscociated with and if possible, tell people why I'm boycotting it.

Yardley needs to become more aware of his responsibilities and how his "expert" opinion can be used. Personally, I don't trust the man anymore...

[Demonic69]

They love to stand on the shoulders of Sandy Hook don't they?
How many 9/11s does it take before planes are banned?
Maybe if they thought about restricting idiots' and nutcases' access to guns, instead of just trying to ban them entirely, they'd actually get somewhere.
You'd expect these so called "experts"to understand that an outright ban is against most American principles.

[saddler]

To me he's always come across as the prototypical public school educated t*@t that acts as if he's better than everyone around him...it's a wonder he's not in charge of the NRA as he's spouting the same uninformed bigoted s*** as the NRA came up with at the time of the SLR ban in the UK

[Sim G]

Yardley may be banging on about the US, not that it has anything to do with him, but he is a British "expert" who will be referenced in regards to the British "argument".

In my own club, we recently acquired a Ruger SR22 and a couple of 25 round mags for the recently formed Mini-Rifle section of the club. The Chairman of the club, a staunch small-bore target shooter, stated that the "type of rifle just bought and those that use them give shooting a bad name..." He can now add Yardley to enforce his position of already trying to disband MR!

[Gaz]

Bloody hell. If it's not the antis, now it's the ones who are meant to be on our side!

I sort of liked Yardley, being a fan of his Facebook page until he started wibbling on about everything except shotguns and single shot 22s being evil. At least I now know the sort of rubbish people spouted in 1997 and 1988.

[dave_303]

Yardley lost me when he used the word clip to reference magazines.

I've never met the guy, however, I did use to follow his facebook page, he used to put up the odd decent thing. I soon got bored of it, as much as I enjoy the aesthetics of some shotguns, to me most S/S or O/U shotguns are just 2 tubes with some wood, I personally take little interest.

I have, however, been following this debate on his page for a couple of days now, and I got to say at first I thought he was trying to stir up debate and allow other to become more sound on their own argument, as I often do myself as devil's advocate in a closed group can be great. This is just him being a self righteous idiot and I am amazed at how ignorant this makes him seem on the subject of firearms.

[Sim G]

Bloody hell. If it's not the antis, now it's the ones who are meant to be on our side!

I sort of liked Yardley, being a fan of his Facebook page until he started wibbling on about everything except shotguns and single shot 22s being evil. At least I now know the sort of rubbish people spouted in 1997 and 1988.

You would not believe the "support" offered by some sections of the sport towards those that were being denied....

Can you link this thread for Yardley via Facebook? He needs to see what others except his cronies are posting.

And I'm just about to throw this hand-grenade on to a 50000 member, US forum!

[Sim G]

Yardley lost me when he used the word clip to reference magazines.

Not the only aspect for me, Dave. Apart from the amaturish reference of a so called "expert", Yardley is also a psychologist, allegedly. That said, he is trying to make the argument that one type of gun is "bad" and another "good". They are inaminate objects!

Next step will be that some like "black rifles" because they weren't breast fed enough or have small penis'

Feck me, he's rattled my cage today....

[dromia]

Another gutless b@stard to whose ego dictates that he must be an accepted part of the establishment rather than risk his own pathetic self perceived reputation on behalf the constituency that got him to where he is today.

Typical missing the point, discipline driven divisiveness.

Until shooters in the UK come behind the issue of gun ownership and licensing the individual rather than the guns we are all living on borrowed time as shooters and gun owners.

Constitutionally, legally and culturally the US situation is far different from where we are here in the UK and I for one certainly don't have the arrogance and knowledge to think that I could hold a meaningful view on US gun ownership and neither should yardley.

Never really liked the man himself firstly as a journalist he has to be lacking in every value important to being human and secondly writing for gun mart is prostitution pure and simple, be interesting to see what the Shooters Rights Association makes of this.