Originally Posted by
SirCowdog
You're missing the point. This isn't a question of lore or theme and what it allows. It's one of class identity and gameplay.
By the time whatever person at Blizzard decided to convert hunters into a melee spec, players had already heavily invested in the existing gameplay and class style that hunter represented. That's why I used the example of mage, and how jarring it would be for one of those specs to suddenly be converted into a melee spec. But it could be any class. Imagine paladins suddenly lost the ability to tank, and get turned into a ranged spec that only throw hammers. Or take subtlety rogues and turn them into healers that only throw "healing smoke bombs" or something equally stupid and meme-worthy.
The point being that no one besides a handful of players, who didn't understand the class in the first place, wanted "melee hunters". The game didn't need another melee spec. The spec still doesn't fit the game or the theme of the class very well.
Just telling people to stop crying shows a blatant disregard for the completely legitimate complaint about this change. Don't approach this discussion with such a lack of understanding or willingness to consider things. There's too much hate in the gaming and wow community as it is.