Dorney Park pulls bullets with names on them from merchandise offering

Thank God. Dorney has been a hotbed of violence since they started selling these. I've lost count of the times I've seen factions of guests hurling personalized bullets at each other.

I don't think this is about the second amendment or being PC or anything. What's going on in schools now in terms of "preparedness" is a little out of control. My kid is convinced and worried that someone is going to shoot him at school or somewhere else, more than he worries about a tornado hit. Granted, his ASD brain is probably wired a little differently, but the exposure to the threat of violence, real or perceived, is a little much for a 9-year-old.

That said, it does seem a little tone deaf to have kids names on bullets.

Well, they're adult names too... no one said you had to buy it for your kid.

I think it's a dumb souvenir for an amusement park unless it's at Knott's or on Frontier Trail or something like that where it makes sense thematically. I don't recall Dorney having any sort of Wild West theme.

That being said, "imagine if a shooting survivor would see this" is a crap reason. If you survived 9/11 and you see a kid wearing an airplane t-shirt you should be able to separate those two things.

I get the whole climate around school shootings. My kids have the same fears in their schools, even here in rural West By God Virginia where it's common to hear gunshots any time of day or night. We see the news, and their classmates and teachers talk about it. They do drills. I hate that it's a thing.

But I also agree that it's not about the second amendment. I think it's a fairly recent societal obsession (mostly in this country) with getting offended, or finding "insensitivity" about everything. In a nutshell, PC culture. I've always thought there's an unnecessary stigma and fear of guns that people pucker their rear ends over. I can relate because I used to do it. Even looking at a gun would make me uneasy...until I started getting interested in guns (in my 40s), and seeing that, when one is in my hand, it isn't going to shoot anyone because I'm a pretty well adjusted, non-violent human being, and I have learned how to use them safely.

I'm also with you that it's pretty silly to sell bullets with kids' names on them. But here's an idea: if you don't want one, don't buy one. If they don't sell, they'll eventually get pulled from the shelves.

Side note: one of the coolest things I had as a kid was an old oxidized Civil War bullet my folks bought me from some gift shop, probably in the Shenandoah somewhere. Granted, it's got historical significance and isn't just some new, unused rifle cartridge with no story...hence the silly part.

I kind of agree with your generalizations in principle, I just don't think they apply here. That's just my opinion though, so there's no "winning" the argument.

Bullets and guns so exist primarily to kill things though. I get why they're depicted in fiction and art. It has always seemed weird to me though, as a race that can get people off of the planet and instantly communicate to anyone around the world, that we still value and find it necessary to have weapons everywhere. I know in many ways that's an American phenomenon, but it seems we should have evolved more than that.

Because human nature. There will always be people with bad intentions. Eradicate all the weapons on Earth and that will never change. If someone wants to inflict harm on someone else, they will fabricate something that will give them an unfair advantage.

I think it's a fairly recent social obsession (mostly in this country) with people overreacting to other people's unease with guns or to find people "overreacting" to everything. I always thought there was an unnecessary fetish in this country over guns. In a nutshell, "conservative" culture. I can relate because I used to have a gun fetish too. I used to love playing with guns and shooting targets in the woods until I realized that other's people's feelings did not affect me or my beliefs. And, that it was important for me to understand and empathize with other people and to realize that their feelings did not victimize me. But, here's an idea, if a corporation decides to pull a product from its shelves because it believed it was a "good" idea, then we should applaud them, not create reasons for why they are "wrong."

I used to love playing with guns and shooting targets in the woods until I realized that other's people's feelings did not affect me or my beliefs.

Legit LOL. If you're going to twist my words to illustrate the other side of the argument, you might want to actually have some correlation so it makes at least a little bit of logical sense.

Also, "conservative" is not the opposite of "politically correct." For that matter, neither is it exclusively synonymous with liking guns.

Vater said:

Legit LOL. If you're going to twist my words to illustrate the other side of the argument, you might want to actually have some correlation so it makes at least a little bit of logical sense.

Also, "conservative" is not the opposite of "politically correct." For that matter, neither is it exclusively synonymous with liking guns.

I'll grant you the first part and admit that my response was not symmetrical but "politically correct" is universally used (at least in this country) as a derogatory proxy for "liberal" or "democrat" or "progressive" etc. (also, I was happy to read that you accepted my riposte with good humor and grace. Well done).

Vater said:

Because human nature. There will always be people with bad intentions. Eradicate all the weapons on Earth and that will never change.

I philosophically reject this notion. It's a cop out. People choose to be dicks. We don't need to make that choice.

Fair enough, but choice or not, we have the entire history of the world to look at to support the theory that there will always be dicks.

We also used to fling poo at each other and burn people for witchcraft, so I'm not sure that human history is a perfect record for predicting the future. If anything, it serves as a lesson of what not to do.

It’s not just human history, but the future as well... Even on Nimbus III, The Planet of Galactic Peace where weapons are banned, residents still will find a way to create crude weapons.

(curious how many will get the reference)

This is way off topic for Coasterbuzz. Let's keep it politically correct. There's too much hate in our country as a whole that I don't want to come on my favorite coaster sites and see discussions and people being corrected. Adult discussion is one thing, but this is a family site.

The other side of this discussion is that my wife and I never had guns in our house. Now with all the home invasions in our area and the slow response from our local police forces us to buy weapons. Too many crazy people out there to not.

Jeff your son's fear is real. You have to evaluate every situation and evaluate the escape routes. Living in Orlando you should know that by now, and they are just trying to prepare your son for that.

I'm analytical by trade and can't shut my brain off from thinking like a front line manager. Politically correct has to be because the left or right can't agree anymore. Strange times in our country, and when I go out I feel like the minority.

Dorney pulling the bullets were smart and leave it at that. People have a right to their opinion and shouldn't be shamed for it. It's the principle our country is founded on. Like it or not.

First off, the conversation will go where it goes. The above is respectful. It's ok if other disagree.

Second, I don't even know what "you live in Orlando" is supposed to mean.

Agree to disagree. Why don't you get Orlando? Night club shooting all over the news. People can't help but be prepared.

ShaneDenmark: I'd answer, but I'm busy talking to Spock's half brother.

It doesn't matter where you live. These gun tragedies are affecting everyone. Colorado, Orlando, Ft Lauderdale, Parkland, Virginia Beach, Newtown, Blacksburg, etc. My kids had at least 2 "Code Red" drills per month this school year. It is disruptive, it is nerve racking and, unfortunately, it is completely necessary. All of our classrooms and parks have "Stop the Bleed" kits and trained staff...because we now must be prepared First Responders.

As for the "merchandise"? You've got to be kidding me. What the hell were they thinking given today's environment? If you think the park should be allowed to sell anything...how about condom's with names on them? If you don't like them...don't buy them, right? Maybe Elitch Garden's should have some Marijuana on the shelf. It's legal out there, after all.

Maybe, just maybe, a little common sense could prevail once in a while.

Coasterfantom2 said:

Why don't you get Orlando? Night club shooting all over the news. People can't help but be prepared.

So because we live in Orlando you think we all walk around wearing body armor?