Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Obama's Here! Grab Yer Guns, Boys!!!
Posted by Bruce VanWyngarden on Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 1:12 PM
From the Phoenix Business Journal:
There were men carrying guns outside the Phoenix Convention Center Monday morning during President Barack Obama’s visit, but no arrests were made, according to Phoenix Police.
The Phoenix Police originally said three persons were spotted with guns in downtown Phoenix near Obama's appearance and later upped that count to 12. Police officials, who were expecting some armed demonstrators, said one man was carrying an assault rifle.
It is not illegal to carry guns openly in Arizona, but police kept close tabs on the men, said spokesman Andy Hill.
Where did these guys think there were? In a Tennessee bar? That's a joke, folks. But seriously, WTF would anyone think it appropriate or necessary to carry a gun while standing outside a venue where the president was speaking? I would truly welcome an explanation from someone who knows the answer.
I have a theory, but it's just conjecture: Gun permit-carriers are visibly carrying in hopes that someone in authority will try to disarm them. That way, they can promulgate the fantasy that "Obama is going to take our guns away." Just a guess. Either that, or it's meant as a statement of bad-assedness, as in, "I am so tough, I ain't skeered to carry a gun anywhere, even to a presidential appearance."
I dunno. I actually can't conceive of any real reason to pack heat near a presidential appearance. During Bush presidential appearances, some protesters were hustled off for wearing "offensive" T-shirts. Or they were herded into "protest zones", usually some distance from where the president actually spoke. In Memphis, for instance, demonstrators were even kept off the streets the presidential limousine used and forced to "demonstrate" several blocks away from the route. Ah, the heady days of "freedom" we enjoyed under the open and sensitive Bushies. Now Obama's peeps are letting armed — and no doubt antagonistic — protesters hang out without apparent weapons restrictions. Either Obama's braver than Bush, or he's being very foolhardy. Or both. How did we get to a place where people feel the need to bring an assault rifle into a crowd, any crowd? How sick are we that we even allow it to happen — anywhere? Don't tell me it's for "protection." A rifle? In a crowd? For protection? Give me a break. I fear for this country. I truly do. The nuts are in charge of the asylum.
Comments (32)
Showing 1-25 of 32
Actually the armed people in Arizona were in the "protest zone". Secret Service will not allow armed people within shooting distance of the President. Surely You wouldn't be so dense to actually believe they would. Right?
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I'm fairly certain that bullets can't go through the walls of convention centers:
"His speech, in the convention center in downtown Phoenix, was respectfully received by the veterans, who frequently interrupted him with polite applause.
Outside the Phoenix Convention Center, protesters held signs against Obama's health care proposals while others are calling for a withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
One protester who didn't want to give his name was walking around with a rifle in full view."
http://www.abc15.com/content/news/phoenixm…
Why do people bring posters? Why do people chain themselves to trees or lay in the street for protest events? Why do they burn the American Flag? You've got ask this general question: Why do people act irrational at any protest event; Democrat or Republican?
It's all to raise awareness for whatever they believe in. He wasn't breaking the law. And was not inciting a riot or promoting violence. Just exibiting a constitutional right in a blatant way.
Honestly Flyer, the only armed people you have to worry about in bars here are the MPD. The news media will harp and complain, as they should, when their own rights are trampled on, but rights for the rest of us? Well we must just be a bunch of crazies for demanding our rights.
Please explain, LibertyTiger, how your rights have been trampled on. Did someone take away your guns?
And wicketr, would exhibiting a constitutional right in a blatant way be like yelling "fire" in a crowded theater? I can see how someone might think so.
Bruce, the right to bear arms is protected by the 2nd Amendment. I read the article from the poster above. Seems like Obama is against pork in the budget all of a sudden. pork=jobs Mr President, you taught me that.
Zip, right, I get the 2nd Amendment. I suppose I also have a right to carry a switchblade or a 5 iron or an ironing board to a protest. My question is, WHY? What point is being made? Other than, "look, I've got a gun."
I would think yelling fire would be synonymous to someone going around with a gun pointed at people so as to be prepared. "Just in case".
However, in this case he had the gun on a sling over his shoulder. It would be more synonymous with someone taking a fire extinguisher to a theatre.
Parading around w/a firearm that you have no intention of using seems a bit reckless to me. Unless, of course, you are carrying around said firearm in the hopes that someone will give you an excuse to use it.....
Bruce, the well dressed black man carrying the weapons made it very clear why he was doing so. And I'm sure you heard the footage of him saying so in a very calm manner.
No permit is needed to carry openly in Arizona, and no authorities were going to be provoked into your imaginary Hollywood showdown.
Now the real question is, what exactly about the notion of a black man with a firearm, is causing you to foam at the mouth so?
Bruce, I am guessing the audience at, say, Andrew Jackson's campaign appearances had quite a few guns among them.
Seems like a perfectly legitimate way to express your opinions on the second amendment. The left is no friend of a conservative view of the 2nd. If the left were anti-golf then I can see you carrying a 5 iron. Makes more sense than a poorly written poster board "you can have my 5 iron when you pry it out of my semi calloused hands". Glad to see the guy had sleeves, shoes and teeth.
Actually, CNN's Rick Sanchez is reporting it was a publicity stunt organized in advance by a local radio host, who knew the guy from the Ron Paul campaign. The cops were notified in advance that he would be there, and the interview was staged..
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/…
it really riles 'em up when we exercise our rights boys.......someone please kindly show me in the Bill of Rights where I'm required to provide a reason or an explanation for exercising my rights. Bruce.....why do you guys write articles that you know are going to rile up the right....it's like yelling fire in a theatre.....isn't it??? The folks in Arizona don't need a reason to carry......they can just do it....the boy prez be damned!!!! TaDa!!
re Bruce: "So why bring guns to protest a presidential speech"...duh!! Have you seen how well armed the SS is? Seems silly and outright dangerous to bring a knife to a gunfight.
@B Everytime the government steals money from my paycheck they trample on my rights. Everytime i get harassed by a cop for not wearing my seatbelt they trample on my rights. Everytime they ask for my ID, they trample on my rights. Everytime I have to take off work to appear for one of their bureaucracies, they trample on my rights. Please don't confuse me for some mind-numbed republican sycophant. I have principles. I believe the left and the right are equally to blame. I want the democrats AND republicans out of my wallet and out of my life.
Every time I have to take off work to go to wait for the cable guy or the air conditioning repairman (he'll be there between 12-5!), every time I have to pay to have my air fixed or my car repaired, every time the company steals money from my paycheck to pay for health insurance, they trample on my rights!
Anyway, the point of bringing a gun to a protest is to intimidate people. For the same reason the police dress like the Ninja University Football Team whenever they decide to bust down somebody's door or pepperspray a bunch of peaceful protestors. Goes without saying that the Bush administration wouldn't have tolerated this behavior, no matter what the state laws were.
I'm glad to see Obama isn't taking the bait. Right now these fools look exactly like the fools they are. Let one be forcefully disarmed and you make a martyr of him, and there's nothing they would like more than to become a martyr so they can get their 72 doe-eyed virgins, a loofah, and an invite to the Bill O'Really show. What is more, the extrapresidential powers they enthusiastically supported for Bush are now being used to tap their phones, read their email, and comb through their financial records. Sucks, don't it, boys? Hope your closets are skeleton free.
"Anyway, the point of bringing a gun to a protest is to intimidate people."
Which is exactly why Huey Newton and Bobby Seales did it 45 years ago, and why the black man named Chris did it in Arizona.
Now Jeff, what exactly is your point in calling them 'boys'?
Jeff, your mention of the right wingers being so eager to give Bushboy, the original boy prez, all those powers is exactly right. Hey wingnuts, it sucks now that they're going to be used AGAINST you, doesn't it? If they were leagl then, they're legal now, right? And don't whine about it, because we tried to warn you neanderthals....
Jeff OTM. This bullsh*t would've NEVER flown during W's term (oh noes! the protestors, they have anti-Bush T-SHIRTS! get rid of them ASAP!), and Obama's doing the right thing by ignoring it. Another prime example of IOKIYAR.
Anyway, all this does is scares off moderates. Can't win presedential elections witout moderates. Later, GOP.
The "point of bringing a gun....." is irrelevant. The Bill of Rights does not require an explanation as to "why" a right is exercised. Now please explain the point of Black Panther thugs with clubs standing in front of a Philadelphia polling station? Intimidation perhaps??? I didn't hear much bitching from the left when that happened...unless you count cheering as bitching. TaDa!!
You didn't hear much bitching because it was an isolated incident that didn't get promoted to the nth degree by cable news. Nobody at CNBC called the Black Panthers and said, hey, can we get some shots of you guys with your clubs?
The point of bringing a gun is no more irrelevant than the point of burning a flag.
Auto, wherever did you get that Great Old Ones Party icon?
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