People are carrying Guns and some are carrying signs to these town hall meetings, and it is clear to me that the sole purpose of doing so is to have a chilling effect on public speech that is not in aggreement with their own political positions.
To put it bluntly: There are wing nuts who do not want healthcare reform, and they wish to imply a direct and imminent threat of gun violence towards people who would speak up for Healthcare Reform, and that includes but is not limited to: our President, and Democratic Leaders.
This sickens me as an American. Something similar happens in Middle Eastern territories. I won't call them countries because they are bisected by the holdings of armed war lords and drug dealers.
Whereing locals brandishing fire arms hold public rallies while armed, supporting the Theocratic Candidate of their choice. They shoot in the air, do a lot of scary chanting about death to this or that. Meanwhile the rest of the neighborhood or town, blandly ignores the goings on, out of fear. After all, if they speak up, they could be shot, or their house or car could be bombed, or hostages taken in the dead of night, only to be returned piece by piece.
I am all for the Second Amendment Rights.
I am grateful when my armed neighbors are present during natural disasters.
I am grateful for them when we had 911.
I know I can count on them should there be crime in the streets.
But bringing loaded weapons to a public rally that is already contentious and heated? What purpose does that serve other than to intimidate?
I will not be held hostage by bullies with guns. This should not be allowed under these circumstances. When people show up armed with AR15s at political rally's it is like 8th grade boys showing up at the third grade recess stating to the smaller kids: "Don't piss me off, or you will get a piece of this."
Wow. What a patriotic act. When you are done then you can go shoot fish in a barrell.I hear that is challenging too.
posted by WhisperingEagle
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posted by OrangePOP33
I don't have a problem with hunting as long as the law is adhered to and its in season, and it is not done so in a cruel manner. Population control is important in some of our shrinking wildlife refuges.
I will reiterate. The only reason one openly carries a gun to a political rally is to intimidate the opposing group with the implication of gun violence. That pisses me off. If this keeps happening, I will lobby my congressional representatives so that we can pass some stringent laws to prohibit this idiotic behavior since it is clear that these brainless wonders are not smart enough to use common sense and avoid this idiocy themselves.
The word is Freedom
NOT
FreeDumb.
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posted by johnH56
But I must agree that in these times, going armed to a public meeting sends the wrong kind of message. And for the records, I put away the guns long ago- no longer on the farm
I was trained before the age of 6 to understand that a gun is a serious thing. You never carry one unless you are trained, prepared and willing to use it. Shooting is a responsibility. You can't take a bullet back Doesn't matter if it is a squirrel, a tin can or something human.
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posted by SherriAnne
I believe in the Second Amendment- but I feel strongly that the intent of the founding fathers was for us to protect our personal dwellings from invasion by armed marauders- not to prance the streets brandishing AK-47's.
Guns are now fashion accessories. How many young people define themselves by their weapons? Come, work in ER on some Friday and Saturday nights- it's not so 'cool'.
How can you say you want conversation, you welcome discourse, you seek exchanges of information and ideas- when the weapon you flaunt speaks to the exact opposite of your words? After all, actions still do speak louder, do they not?
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posted by OrangePOP33
I know there are some numbnut crazies out there that romanticize that, so lets revisit that moment.
19 children dead in a daycare located in that OKC Fed Building. Wow, That is heroic and romantic for sure. I bet you get a lot of trim, bragging that you want to blow up people getting physicals to join the military, little kids in onsite daycares, and other Americans of every stripe taking care of official bussiness.
Go home and stroke your big sexy gun and pretend you feel you got testosterone, because unless you get perscribed a patch, there is no way you are going to experience that feeling directly.
I have nothing good or civilized to say about such cowards. They are beligerent Gun Owners and nothing more.
They don't have a spine and have fooled themselves into thinking that a loaded weapon gives them a transplant. Well it doesnt. It just makes you a bully.
When our guns {mine included} are taken away, I will blame assholes like the ones in this video for ruining the Second Amendment for us all, because they are stupid, foolish, idiotic buttholes who have proven without a doubt that they cannot be trusted with the responsibilities of freedom.
They don't know what real trouble is. And all their misery is self inflicted.
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posted by rsb1953
I never got around to firing a single shot. While he was talking, he picked up an automatic pistol, and waived it as he was talking, including pointing it at me. Then he picked up a second, and did the same thing.
I was raised around hunters, and they were extremely serious about gun safety. First rule of gun safety: Whether you think, or "know" that a gun is unloaded, NEVER point it at anyone you don't intend to shoot.
I remembered that there was somewhere else I needed to be, and I left. I will never go back.
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