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In a previous post, Nick talked about the “enthusiasm” gap between gun rights advocates and civilian disarmament proponents. Gun guys are fighting for their rights with passion, determination and, not unimportantly, strength of numbers. Professional gun grabbers may match the pro-2A side in terms of passion and determination, but they have nowhere near the number of committed supporters. Despite the slaughter in Newtown, a sycophantic press and Double Barrel Joe Biden’s pronouncement that “America is with us!” the disarmament industry is hurting for homies. No wonder “One Million Moms For Gun Control” changed their name to “Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense In America.” Also no surprise: the President’s Boyz are using old-fashioned Chicago-style arm twisting to create the appearance of popular support . . .

Governor Cuomo and our legislature passed the “NY SAFE ACT.” It will reduce gun violence in our state. Predictably, it is under attack by the National Rifle Association and allied groups. :::We are joining with the SEIU 1199 to lobby in Albany. This free bus trip will last from 8:00 to 4:30 with breakfast and lunch included. Meet up at 250 S Clinton St. Park in the M Lot at the corner of W Fayette and S Clinton Sts. (Parking in that lot may be validated. No sure yet.) Show your determination to keep our excellent new law!:::You must call this number to get a seat on the free bus. 315-424-1743 Ext 110 Ask for Nekeia:::Also sign up here.

That’s straight from the horse’s mouth (being charitable) my.barackobama.com: there is such thing as a free lunch! And a free bus ride! From . . . WV, KY and OH.

According to their website, “SEIU District 1199 represents more than 30,000 health care and social service workers across West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. The Union is a part of the Service Employees International Union, whose 2 million members make it the largest union in the country, as well as the largest health care union in the nation.”

When I said “arm twisting” above I meant it. How many of these bussed-in supposedly pro-SAFE Act supporters will show-up for the counter-demonstration against the Unite for Our Rights Day in Albany NY (February 28th) because they give a you-know-what about gun control? How many will be there because they were told to harass, intimidate pro-gun folks or (yes) bust heads?

I reckon this means the pro-gun side is gaining momentum. We shall see.

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44 COMMENTS

  1. In the end the victories in court will be the most important ones; that being said it’s good to see we outnumber them.

    Now, we just need larger numbers at pro-gun rallies.

    • “In the end the victories in court will be the most important ones;”

      I disagree. a reasonable read of the pending MD bill is that it poses a catch-22: one needs a license to “rent or lease” a handgun. A license requires a safety course. But, a pretty reasonable interpretation of this is that it would cover the gun provided (which s provided for a fee) during the safety course one needs to get a license. So to get a license I need a safety course, but to take a safety course I need a license.

      A suitably zealous O’Malley administration could use this to ban handguns and regulated firearms until the courts rule…. which could be years away.

      better to fight on all fronts at once before the law is even passed.

      • Show up at the rally, get your hand stamped/pick up a ticket for a raffle prizes drawing at the neighboring gun show, Magpul magazines, AR15 or any other gun ban target inanimate object would do nicely!

    • I know of 12 people (A boss and 11 of his workers) who are taking the OBAMA-DRAMA-BUS and when they get to Albany they are going to Support the NRA & the 2 nd Amendment. …LOL why not…Free ride, free food from DRAMA- OBAMA, (Goodness the President is good at bribing, and Dumb too 🙂 …… His plan will backfire..LMAO

  2. The Labor Movement should never forget the steps taken by Big Business and ggovernment to crush the movement in its infancy–threats, beatings, lock puts–and gun violence. The powers that be do not want the proletariat armed–and the unions should be backing us, not the gun banners.

    • The unions support the left-wing, since Obama supports the unions.

      The left-wing supports disarmament.

      Therefore, the unions support disarmament.

      • The GOP attacks labor rights in every election. When its a choice between which rights are going to be attacked, we start making decisions based on which seem least vulnerable.

        FWIW, our economic stability is just as important to maintaining our freedom as our right to keep and bear arms. It takes a lot of money to stay in the modern media game, and that is the only way to counter the money being spent in anti-union campaigns.

        Besides, back in November we knew that the first AWB was a failure, that guns were more popular than they had been in decades, and that there was virtually no difference between Obama and Romney on guns.

        However, not all union members are blind followers. If the far-right of the GOP would stop attacking union rights we would be more receptive to Republican candidates. Or if a viable pro-rights 3rd party were to gain enough national attention and votes to challenge the Democrat/Republican party, then many union members (at least in the construction trades) would gladly take vote for it.

        Right now, the Dems and GOP are virtually one party that gives two opposing messages for the purpose of attracting voters, but consistently follows the same agenda in national politics regardless of who is in office.

        • Unions are a byproduct of a long gone era, and save for certain particular industries, is not needed anymore in this day and age. If you continue to vote for Democrats because you feel Republicans aren’t pro-union enough (don’t know what that means exactly) than you need to get your prioritize in order. The Union leadership is by and large in the pocket of the neo-liberal Dems, although I do agree that most union members may not be so. However, whether it is because of apathy, or just toeing to the line, many members will vote according to their union rep/bosses. As for no difference with Obama and Romney on guns, I find that extremely hard to believe. Yes he had a spotty record with 2A in MA, but I doubt very much so he would be demagoguing the issue on the State of the Union.

    • Some of us lost family members to Union Busting. We don’t forget.

      Not all Unions or Union Members are Leftists. Just like LE, The ranks are pro Gun

  3. busing them from KY, WV and OH? they can find non gun owners in those states, really? These people will be ashamed to go back to their states.

    • From the SEIU facebook page from a “Bill F.”

      “As a Teamster here in Albany, I assure you that you your Union are NOT welcome and you WILL be told that when you show up. If you are compensated by the Governor to effect his political views against OUR Constitution, you will be met with utter distaste. And check your bylaws. You’re probably not supposed to receive pay for political activities.”

      • The history of labor organization is long and bloody. Just like Jews and blacks, Union members (some of whom are Jews and blacks btw) should remember their history and not surrender any of their rights.

  4. SEIU 1199 represents most of the eastern part of the country. They have a very large representation in NY: http://www.1199seiu.org/nycli
    Alas, my wife is an unwilling member. The union opt out fee is exactly the same as union dues, so she pays for membership in the vain hope that they will one day do something good for her other than screw her out of all the best jobs. We joke that SEIU stands for Scum, Evildoers, Infidels United. It is no secret that SEIU is a big player in the far left lobbying world: http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=d000000077

    • As a union member (construction), I can say that there is not a lot of tolerance left for the shenanigans of the SEIU on the West coast either. When a dispute over minor contractual details involving administrative workers turns into a picket line at a construction site in a different city where none of their nurses or other members are employed, you know that there are problems.

      FWIW, one of the benefits of Project Labor Agreements in construction is that the construction tradesmen working under PLAs usually have a no-work-stoppage agreement. There are a lot of hospitals being built or renovated right now, and if there were not such an agreement our paychecks would be held hostage as a bargaining chip by the SEIU, even at new construction jobsites where no SEIU members are employed yet.

  5. When folks say they are single issue voters on guns only, I have to laugh. The left has a very broad agenda. Across nearly all issues they choose the statist, authoritarian position. They intertwine these all. The single issue folks are just bound to lose.

    • No, we state quite clearly that without the 2A all the others just dont matter as what will the govt. do when you say no, you cant and your disarmed, they will just run your arse over and say it in your blood, yes we will!

      • The 2nd amendment means that no matter how much the government screws us, as long as it’s strong and well protected and defended, we can always start over from scratch.

        Hopefully if a civil war starts it will be long after I’m dead of old age though…

  6. Boy they are getting crucified on their facebook page, LOL and clicking on more than a few that are pissed off profiles, they are real union members, ROTFLMFAO, ROTFLMAO, ROTFLMFAO….

    • We have a right to organize as labor, just as we have a right to keep and bear arms.

      But just as when the NRA gets involved in non-firearms politics it turns the 2A into a target in broader political battles, so too are unions weakened when their memberships become involved into non-work-related issues.

  7. is this like when vans were driving around Philly picking up Obama voters? not sure what went on in the vans. Maybe a couple of hits of that boy boy namsayin?

    oh, the kindness of their hearts.

    • It’s a misrepresentation of the “support” for Cuomo’s asinine NY SAFE Act bill, which involves bussing people from out of state and giving them a free lunch. Dare I say, this is not nearly the first time that people have been bussed around for political reasons, which is why there is absolutely zero logical reason why voters should not show ID.

      • Thanks, I get it now. Anyway, you brought up another point: the same group of people that want the public to register their weapons on the one hand, say that it’s ok not to have an ID to vote.

  8. Pro-gun union member, checking in.

    I am dismayed to see another union getting involved, again, in tangential politics. Labor organization is a right, and a tool, that can be used to improve safety and economic stability. But, when unions become a source of warm bodies for non-employment-related issues it makes our right to organize a target in other political battles.

  9. You know, I’d truly love to be there in Albany for 2/28 but it’s a work day and 170 miles from my house.

    “How many will be there because they were told to harass, intimidate pro-gun folks or (yes) bust heads?” If the SEIU would like to come to Boston to “bust heads”, I’d be more than happy to provide them with more violence than they can well enjoy; of course, I would never be so foolish as to instigate such violence myself. As I exercise my civil right to free expression and they were to attempt to inhibit that right by use of force, they may well find themselves making a grave mistake. I would merely be defending my civil rights and personal sovereignty should the SEIU find offense with a sole Citizen standing up for their personal beliefs.

  10. I as an IBEW member don’t see good things for the Democrats in the next elections. I voted for Obama both times (and Bush-2 both times before just for the record) not thinking he would take on gun rights. I now have buyer’s remorse (and yes, you have the right to say “I told you so!”). I have pretty much decided to use the NRA voters’ guide to make my choices for the fore seeable future in all election choices. Especially those in the state elections. They seem to be the one who do the most damage to these rights. One in my position has to make a choice between worker rights or gun rights. I can get a job anywhere with my skills. But once the rights of law abiding citizens to own the fire arms of their choice are gone. They do not come back easily. I will not make the same mistake twice.

    I never cared much for the SEIU. They at times act like bullies. They are sometime called “The purple people eaters” because of their organizing tactics. But sometimes it is nice to have that on your side when you need to get something done. I was once told by another member that “unions don’t break legs any more….They don’t do it any less ether.” It’s too bad they are on the wrong side of this issue for me.

  11. Wouldn’t it be funny if a bunch of trees fell over and some large vehicles collided at the exits of M Lot just as the bus was going to leave?

    Wouldn’t it be funny if a bunch of AI were to respond to this and turn sides once delivered to Albany?

    Kind of dreaming, but …..

    • Please, they have already made enough Final Destination movies with characters I could care less about being violently killed.

      /sarc

  12. There is a reason they are using union members from out of state to support their rally, the Governor used the same types of strong-arm tactics against the unions here in NY and they really don’t like him for it. I know this as I am the son of a State Employee who saw his benefits curtailed by this administration.

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