I saw another thread about a pede managing to red fill his friend and I was going to respond with a sort-of rant about how I tried to do the same recently but was accused of being "obsessed" with guns. But as I started typing it out I realized it should be its own thread (sorry it's long folks!).

I don't think really like bitching about this kinda crap, but something about it felt off and I kinda wanted to get it off my chest. To be fair, I wouldn't consider him a total liberal, but based on my other conversations with him it seems like a lot of people around him are shitlibs (he does live in LA County). At least he said, "You know, you're the first one to say something like that" when I argued that, regardless of whether or not HCQ worked, the fact that it was politicized the way it has been was ridiculous. He also said that the Democrat Party basically brainwashes people in college into SJW ideology.

Friend: I don't get why people need guns.

Me: I saw the riots and want to protect myself.

Him: But the riots only affected cities far away.

Me: I lived literally a county over from where a mob of people were attacking drivers and one of them had to drive through them.

Him: Yeah but were YOU actually in fear?

Me: Yes, because I've driven off that exact same freeway exit multiple times before. Wasn't your town literally trashed by rioters? I saw the videos. Looked like they looted everything.

Him: Yeah but I wasn't there when it happened. I only knew about it from the news.

Him: Look at all the people on the beach right here. A guy with an AR could take out everybody here. Look, people in Europe don't have the need for guns because they have strong police.

Me: Look, I understand that. I don't agree with it, but I can see how if you have strong police then you wouldn't really feel strongly for guns. But look at what politicians are doing. They're talking about defunding the police and doing it. Crime is skyrocketing everywhere they are doing that.

Him: I haven't seen the stats, but why are you so obsessed with guns? Have you ever felt personally in danger? Why do we need guns for something that's not gonna affect you.

Me: Are you afraid of a fire burning down your apartment? Then why do you have smoke detectors and fire extinguishers?

Him: That's different. You can't take a life with a fire extinguisher.

Me: Okay, but if you're gonna come at it from that angle, why do you care about taking guns aways? I mean, if you look at the statistics, you're more likely to die from lots of other shit before you get killed by a gun. Gun homicides have been decreasing for awhile now.

Him: Why are you so obsessed with guns?

I didn't know how to reply to that in the moment. But I realized it was a dumb ad hominem attack and it kinda annoyed me that he didn't seem to be arguing in good faith even though we're pretty honest about everything else.