Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Guns and Political Rallies
William Kostric, the man brandishing a pistol outside Obama's town hall meeting last week in Portsmouth, N.H. also carried a sign that read "It's time to water the tree of liberty!", referencing Thomas Jefferson's quote: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
Consider we have progressed, as a nation, in the last 8 years. Can you imagine, shortly after September 11 carrying a firearm to ANY political rally, much less one anywhere near the president? Don’t think for a moment that you wouldn’t have been shipped off to Guantanamo in a heartbeat.
Why has this man not been arrested and charged with threatening the life of the president (18 USC Sec.871)? I realize he wasn’t technically breaking any local firearm laws, but we all know that’s bullshit. Gun-rights advocates everywhere are praising this man as a true patriot exercising his 2nd Amendment rights, yet if Bush was still the president they’d be calling this guy a terrorist. The slogan he was displaying was nothing less than thinly-veiled provocation of armed insurrection.
Would this man have received the same courtesy from police if he was of Middle-Eastern descent? A muslim?
Argue all you want to me about his constitutional rights, but my point is this: when you bring a gun to a political rally you are sending a very clear message indeed.
This has also created a disturbing trend, as now more people are bringing firearms to public events with the president, like the wingnut in Arizona carrying a goddamn assault rifle among a crowd of protesters. Reportedly there were over a dozen people in that crowd carrying firearms. Does anyone realize how pants-on-head INSANE this is? What do you think is going to happen when tensions escalate and one person decides to actually use his weapon, or a car backfires? Picture it. You’re in a crowd of angry protesters, all armed. Suddenly there's a loud bang. Everyone scatters, everyone pulls their pistols and starts aiming them in all directions. You don't think anyone will get hurt or worse? A safer nation indeed.
And all this because Obama wants everyone to have equal access to health care. Oh, what an evil concept! What tyranny! Where were these "patriots" when Bush was authorizing warrantless wiretapping and suspending habeas corpus? Fight the power, brothers.
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2 comments:
Will was on private property, obeyed all instructions given to him by the local police and Secret Service, and had no intent on endangering anyone's life. He carries a firearm everyday, as do I.
You can walk into courthouses in New Hampshire with a gun.
Video of Will complying with cops... and then an Obama supporter gets in his face and spits on one of his friends:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sCqC6cdxgU&feature=channel_page
Video of NH Courthouse gun-carry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlHzs82hMjs&feature=channel_page
I understand that there is a vocal minority in America that is offended merely at the sight of guns and will over-react upon seeing anyone carrying one, despite the 2nd Amendment AND state carry laws.
MSNBC is playing on this and is stretching the incident to fit into their vast right-wing conspiracy worldview. I hate to say it, but Matthews has become what O'Reilly was during Bush.
Anyhoo, considering Will wasn't threatening the President would be a major reason for not arresting him on the grounds of "threatening the president".
As for where was Will during the Bush years: you might notice that Will is a member of the Free State Project and a Libertarian.
Will was just as vigorously protesting Bush and civil liberties violations as he is now during the Obama administration.
I wouldn't try to paint Will with the far-right brush. He's truly believes in Liberty and will go out of his way to participate in politics whenever he can. Will is a very well spoken man and pretty cool guy all around.
Sincerely,
Matthew Jeffers
devildogmre@gmail.com
Oh and by the way, I think your art is awesome!
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