Surely there's some middle ground between "do nothing" and "agree with us completely or you don't care about the dead kids."
It's not hyperbole, here are just some quotes from this comment section alone:
1. "It really is appalling the way the right-wing acts as though citing examples of CHILDREN GUNNED DOWN as an argument for gun control is somehow tacky and exploitative. Just because you don't give a shit about the dead children beyond how they affect your political agenda doesn't mean that's true of everyone else. "
2. "There is something deeply satisfying about Rush and his likes finding themselves on the recieving end of a "think of the children!" for once, particularly when it is an actually valid argument. [/huge, Cheshire Cat-like grin]
As for those complaining that the move is an appeal to emotion: yeah, in a way, so what? There still is a very valid concern behind it, and since logic alone has so far failed to defeat the gun lobby, I can live with turning one of the conservatards' favorite tricks against them. Plus, it's not like the White House orchestrated the whole thing, they simply gave the kids an opportunity to voice their concerns to the nation."
So...yeah.
Argue for gun control all you like, but shouting down everything with "you don't care about the children!!!" gives one the impression that there is less concern about reasoned debate and more about just shutting everyone up and pushing through an agenda.
Yeah, yeah, I know, "the gun lobby hasn't listened to reason," well is that really the case? What if they're right and all the gun control people are wrong? Just because you believe something strongly and it tugs on your heartstrings doesn't mean it's right. Isn't that why this site begins in the first place?