Protestors carry firearms near Presidential speech

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by Kevin

I'm not sure who this "they" you are referring to is. It sounds like some caricature of a stereotype though.

Do you mean to say that if you don't support this coming "change," that you "cling" to things like guns, religion, xenophobia, or that you must necessarily cling to all three?

You have to realize that the only reason people like this are in the news at all is because someone is trying to paint anyone who disagrees with whatever Obama and the Democrats are selling as a loony and/or a domestic terrorist wannabe.

Don't buy too much into the hype. We right-wingers are generally pretty normal people who don't need guns, religion and xenophobia to comfort us in our belief systems. That said, I do tend to be quite fond of guns and religion and I'm not sure how I feel about free trade. Strangely, most pro-union Dems have misgivings about free trade, but I doubt they're religious or own guns or any of those scary things.

I won't buy it...until the shooting starts.

And google the 2nd quote.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

I won't buy it...until the shooting starts.

And google the 2nd quote.

Maybe I wasn't being clear enough in what I was saying. My fault.

What you are seeing is more likely than not a purposeful paying of attention to some protesters and not others in an effort to essentially slander/libel everyone who doesn't agree with whatever it is the President is pushing. That's all this is.

These crazy people have always been around. These sorts showing up at political events isn't exactly new. What is new is that they are getting some serious news coverage.

In other words, this is a non-event. Then again, I have a different perspective on guns than most of y'all who live in urban centers on the coasts. Around here, just about every other person carries a concealed weapon and it's perfectly legal. It is absolutely not uncommon to be out in public while in possession of a firearm. And the folks who carry firearms are just about never (if ever) implicated in doing anything wrong. I do have friends whose lives and property have been saved just because of the fact that they had their guns at the right times and places. I understand that most of y'all on the East Coast aren't even allowed to possess firearms in public. Maybe there's a cultural disconnect?

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Maybe I wasn't being clear enough in what I was saying. My fault.

What you are seeing is more likely than not a purposeful paying of attention to some protesters and not others in an effort to essentially slander/libel everyone who doesn't agree with whatever it is the President is pushing. That's all this is.

These crazy people have always been around. These sorts showing up at political events isn't exactly new. What is new is that they are getting some serious news coverage.

In other words, this is a non-event.

mmmkay...we will see.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

mmmkay...we will see.

Look over the last 2 decades.

During the Reagan years, you never heard about these guys. Bush I -- same story.

Then Clinton comes along and suddenly... they exist... almost out of nowhere.

Bush II comes along, they disappear. POOF.

Then Obama comes along? ...The SPLC reports that militias are on the rise again, in other news, someone was seen with a gun and a sign 5 miles away from where the President was speaking.

-- there is a pattern here, I promise.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Look over the last 2 decades.

During the Reagan years, you never heard about these guys. Bush I -- same story.

Then Clinton comes along and suddenly... they exist... almost out of nowhere.

Bush II comes along, they disappear. POOF.

Then Obama comes along? ...The SPLC reports that militias are on the rise again, in other news, someone was seen with a gun and a sign 5 miles away from where the President was speaking.

-- there is a pattern here, I promise.

Not diagreeing with you, amazed as you are that this makes news! But sense a little more is at work...tis all.


Ditto to what KSig said.

What's the correlation between changing health care and people all of a sudden fearing losing their rights to carry guns...especially when gun usage causes many to need health care in the first place....LOL

or, maybe the media is bored and trying to scare the bejeezis out of us.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

or, maybe the media is bored and trying to scare the bejeezis out of us.

This.

[DaemonSeid]

But, if someone does get shot, I am allowed to say 'I tole ya".

Right?

[deepimpact2]

Originally Posted by Kevin

What you are seeing is more likely than not a purposeful paying of attention to some protesters and not others in an effort to essentially slander/libel everyone who doesn't agree with whatever it is the President is pushing. That's all this is.

These crazy people have always been around. These sorts showing up at political events isn't exactly new. What is new is that they are getting some serious news coverage.

I wholeheartedly disagree. With both statements.

I am baffled as to how they were able to do it. I never heard of anything happening like that when Bush was in office. I never would have been able to fathom that someone would be able to have a gun that close to the President. Obama has some of the most stringent secret service security in the history of this country.

If people are concerned about it or disturbed by it, it has nothing to do with whether they like guns or are in a part of the country that isn't as welcoming to concealed or visible guns being carried. It probably has to do with the fact that they were doing this within a certain distance of a sitting President.

[Psi U MC Vito]

Originally Posted by deepimpact2

I wholeheartedly disagree. With both statements.

I am baffled as to how they were able to do it. I never heard of anything happening like that when Bush was in office. I never would have been able to fathom that someone would be able to have a gun that close to the President. Obama has some of the most stringent secret service security in the history of this country.

If people are concerned about it or disturbed by it, it has nothing to do with whether they like guns or are in a part of the country that isn't as welcoming to concealed or visible guns being carried. It probably has to do with the fact that they were doing this within a certain distance of a sitting President.

I'm not comfortable with it, but if they had permits, it was completely legal. And as your argument with Bush, he was a hard core GOP member who support the right to bear arms. I think people are getting kind of ridiculous though as there is a limit to what Obama can do with gun control without a constitution amendment which frankly I don't think has a snowball's chance.

[deepimpact2]

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

I'm not comfortable with it, but if they had permits, it was completely legal. And as your argument with Bush, he was a hard core GOP member who support the right to bear arms. I think people are getting kind of ridiculous though as there is a limit to what Obama can do with gun control without a constitution amendment which frankly I don't think has a snowball's chance.

It's not about whether it's legal to do it. I don't think anyone is questioning the general legality of carrying firearms. I am puzzled that the secret service allowed them in the vicinity like that. I also think Mystic Cat said it best. That kind of weapon is not something typically seen while walking down the street.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by deepimpact2

I am puzzled that the secret service allowed them in the vicinity like that.

Apparently, it was not close enough to where the president was to fall under the secret service's jurisdiction.

[deepimpact2]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Apparently, it was not close enough to where the president was to fall under the secret service's jurisdiction.

That would have to be pretty far away because they have a wide "bubble" of protection.


I must have missed it, but how far away were they?


ETA: I read the article again, but I still did not see where they mentioned the distance.

I'm just going to continue praying for Obama's safety. Based on that article, it doesn't sound like THEY were too concerned about his safety. Ridiculous. Seems very lax to me.