“The bedrock belief of the modern pro-gun movement is insurrectionism—the perverted notion that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to shoot and kill elected officials, law enforcement officers, and military service members when one personally senses ‘tyranny.’ And pro-gun activists are never shy about indicating they are prepared to use violence to get their way if the policy and lawmaking process moves in a direction they don’t like.” So, according to the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence’s article PRO-GUN ACTIVISTS FANTASIZE ABOUT ASSASSINATING PRESIDENT OBAMA IN DALLAS, gun rights advocates are proto-terrorists at best, terrorists-in-waiting at worst. To back up this assertion, the unnamed author at CSGV scraped comments from Gun Rights Across America Texas’ Facebook page . . .
Their plans for President Obama were . . . unsettling. Making reference to an Overpasses for Obama’s Impeachment protest planned in conjunction with the President’s visit (the founder of Overpasses is James Neighbors), a thread at the page called for supporters to give President Obama a “Texas size welcome” when he arrived in Dallas.
Commenters on the thread made it clear what they envisioned. “Take him via Dealey Plaza,” suggested Rosemary Barajas Carr of Daingerfield, Texas, referring to the site at which President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963.
“Can he have a parade just like jfk?” asked pro-gun activist Jennifer Prater
“Drive him past the old book depository,” saidDerek G. Roesler of The Woodlands, Texas.
“I wonder if he will get the same Texas welcome as JFK..,” speculated Blake Meche of Corpus Christi, Texas.
“Eggs anyone or better yet bacon since he’s Muslim,” said pro-gunner Matthew Boles.
The folks at the Texas Gun Rights Facebook page had no intention of being outdone, however. They, too, posted information about the Overpasses protest and received some colorful commentary in return.
“take bacon with you,” said pro-gun activist Terry Wydick.
“Maybe another president will be sworn in on Air Force One as in the past,” dreamed Russell Boyd of Houston, Texas. “Everyone say’s that history repeat’s it’s self.”
“21 gun salute maybe ?” mused Bee Jay Aron of Hurst, Texas.
You and I know none of these pro-gun commentators were serious about harming the president of the United States, thereby fomenting insurrection. We also know that the First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects their right to make these comments, despite various laws aimed at curtailing that speech in the name of public safety (e.g. Missouri’s Chapter 574 Offenses Against Public Order Section 574.115).
BUT…GRAA-Texas doesn’t have to publish them. In fact, they posted this warning on the site, after the pro-assassination musings hit their servers.
This brings us back to an issue with which TTAG’s editorial team has wrestled: do we remove comments that lower the tone of the “discussion” over gun rights? You may recall we put that question to you, our readers, after some of our regulars posted personally insulting remarks about gun control advocates—which were picked up by the CSGV as proof that pro-gunners are well-armed Neanderthals. After contemplating your views, we decided to allow some “horseplay.” Up to a point.
The Gun Rights Across America Texas contretemps clearly indicates that the CSGV has fully embraced this “cut the assholes from the herd and make them representative of the gun rights movement” strategy. I’m not saying that pro-gun flamers are assholes, but that’s how it looks from the outside. More to the point, the out-of-context smear technique is an effective ploy that plays to preexisting prejudices. If not in the mainstream, then certainly amongst the liberal elite.
Who cares about them? Good point. But not as good a point as my own person preference to take the high road. Ish. In other words, I’m walking it back. You can make fun of gun control advocates, but no flaming. No sexual innuendos (Dirk). Nothing rude or personal. Take their argument to pieces, not their dress sense, body type or way of speaking. Here’s another reason why we’re clamping down on locker room rants:
This video shows a random Evie Hudak supporter threatening to kill Coloradans gathering signatures to force her recall. The drive-by threat got big hits; the gun blogosphere is doing its level best to make sure that it’s seen by The People of the Gun. I’m thinking, big friggin’ deal. Bicycle man isn’t a non-attorney spokesman for Hudak’s camp. He’s no more representative of his peeps than any of the Obama-averse commentators at GRAA-T’s Facebook page. Hopefully less.
Why play that game? I think it makes us look petty. Besides, we should keep our powder dry for when we really need it, in that “I’m not an insurrectionist but I’m not a pussy either” kinda way.
I apologize in advance to those of you who enjoyed playing the dozens here on TTAG. But I want this website to be a place where the uneducated can learn the importance of their natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms. At the same time, I don’t want to give ammunition to those who would disarm Americans and, thus, destroy our freedoms.