“On Memorial Day this week, a former Marine in Texas named James got a couple calls from friends who’d spotted an unusual gathering in downtown Fort Worth,” motherjones.com reports. “Roughly a dozen people, mostly men, were hanging out in the middle of the city’s cultural district, armed with semi-automatic rifles. James quickly knew what his friends were describing, having recently encountered an open-carry demonstration himself in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. An independent TV commercial producer who sometimes films live events, James headed downtown with his camera to get some footage.” Considering the Marine’s penchant for potty-mouth verbal aggression, what followed was destined to be “fun” for all concerned . . .
Members of the groups Open Carry Texas and Open Carry Tarrant County, asked him which news network he was with. When he said he wasn’t, things began turning frosty. They pressed him about what he thought of their demonstration, and he replied with an unvarnished opinion that included profanities, language he told me he regrets having used . . .
Suddenly he was surrounded by about a half-dozen armed men. They started badgering him with questions and accusing him of being anti-American. “I said, ‘Are you kidding me? I served in the military.’ They were trying to intimidate me, and when I didn’t cower that upset them,” he said. But he was starting to feel nervous and decided to disengage and walk away.
In a video obtained by Mother Jones that was posted online later that day by one of the activists, the group can be seen pursuing and harassing James through downtown Fort Worth. “I’m following this guy around,” declares one of them, setting off after him with his weapon slung across his back. He and others stay right behind James for several city blocks, following him through traffic and taunting him along the way. James grows more agitated and tells them off, calling them assholes and bullies.
“We’re being polite, you’re calling people names,” one of the gun activists pursuing him says.
“You’re not being polite out here with assault rifles the weekend after people lost their children,” James retorts, before again trying to walk away.
The harassment continues down the street. “Are you gonna cry?” one says. “Sounds like you’re about to cry.” Another says: “What’s wrong with that guy—is he a liberal?
“Yeah,” the other replies.
“Big time?”
“Yeah.”
As I’ve said before, take the high road people. Anything less is ammunition for the antis.