Bob Stone has written a great post, What's with all the guns??, regarding ethics and those who are carrying semi-automatic guns at presidential events. On his blog I asked a simple question that I would like to also ask here: If there was a group of law-abiding black men from Detroit in a suburban city who carried visible semi-automatic weapons in a public square because they had the right to do so when President Bush was in office, how would this have been viewed by law enforcement and by those in the crowd?
Might these black men have been arrested on the spot? Might they have dispersed the crowd automatically? (No pun intended.) The visibility of these semi-automatic weapons and all others is just so incredibly frightening no matter who's carrying them or who's in office. We're not even allowed to shout fire in a crowded theater, right? Perhaps we need some kind of law that would prohibit such guns within a certain proximity of presidential events.
20 comments:
One of the men with an assault weapon at a recent rally was black. He appeared to be a Ron Paul supporter. Nothing happened to him.
I've wondered what would have happened to people with guns at a Bush town meeting. They used to arrest people at Bush town meetings for simply wearing t-shirts that expressed opinions that disagreed with Bush.
I did not know this. So the wild, wild west is making a comeback. This is so dangerous that until something bad happens I'm afraid that nothing will be done to nip this craziness "right" at the bud. Now re. your question - had a group of law-abiding black men carried semiautomatics in a public square anywhere in the 50 states - at a presidential event, no less - it wouldn't have gotten that far. I still believe we're living in a world where 'rights' are relative and racism is the extra ounce that unbalances the scales. For one to brandish a gun so overtly and without consequence, I'm afraid to say you have to be of a certain color.
I saw this article online and the accompanying photos. I have to admit, it scared me. I believe in one's right to bear arms, but these people were marching in front of a Presidential speaking engagement and it was frightening. To me, it just encouraged the crazies out there. There are more sane ways to get your point across, in my opinion. Thanks for always keeping us informed, Judith! Hugs & Blessings!!
Yeah, I saw that idiot, Zorro. His mother needs to slap his face. LOL! Perhaps blacks have ascended beyond the racial barrier. Ya think? I don't think so, although we are getting there, thank God.
Personally, I would love to see that guy in particular tote those semi-automatic weapons in some backward all-white town or even at a rally in suburban Detroit. I do think there is a difference between one lone black guy and more than one like those at these rallies toting such weapons.
I don't believe you, Zorro, that people were arrested for wearing t-shirts that expressed a different opinion from President Bush? Surely you're making that up.
Yes, Rebecca. We have some real wingnuts out there. I agree wholeheartedly with you regards to your color assessment. We have been conditioned to think that certain people are more violent than others. The very strange thing about this assessment is that the most violent among us historically have not been people of color where viloence was wreaked upon the whole of the continent. That sun that never sat on the British Empire was a mighty violent one. I believe that beyond how we are conditioned culturally, which can't be lessened, people have the same nature. It is what we do with this nature that matters most. But not accepting reality and instead embracing falsehoods and stereotypes does no one any good. Thanks for your comment, Rebecca, my sister, my friend.
Marion - Considering our history of presidential violence and the death of many righteous fighters including Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy, Meger Evers, etc. it just seems incredibly irresponsible and provactive. In front of a presidential event is not meant to make a point about Second Amendment rights. These people are simply wingnuts. I don't care what color they are. Blessings and love also to you, dear sister friend.
People were absolutley arrested at bush town hall meetings for wearing Kerry t-shirts under coats and then opening up thier jacket once they were inside the town hall.
It might have only been at campaign events, but they were arrested none the less.
WOW! And we can carry loaded automatic fire arms at a presidential event? WOW!
How Bush handled hecklers
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/19/opinion/19dowd.html?scp=2&sq=kerry%20t-shirt%20arrested&st=cse
Wow, Zorro! Whew!
This is why I feel we need to be very careful when we critisize Obama. He must succeed. He is a good man and an intelligent man, but he is facing an opposition that is borderline evil. I hate using that word because Bush used it all the time, but there is such a thing as evil in the hearts of men - and it is irrational - irrationality is what Obama is actually up against - These are scary times - I think (this is just my opinion) we need to give Obama the benefit of the doubt -
Zorro - These are indeed incredible times and I think what adds to the hysteria is the economy. Some 1.5 million people fell below the poverty level last year. This breaks my heart. People are stressed and this is what concerns me with regards to President Obama's safety. He is undoubtedly very intelligent and thoughtful. He also appears genuinely be a good man.
Ah Judith
Quite a post!
Frankly, I am having difficulty picturing this rally event. I truly hope I do not witness something similiar !
As an aside, as of today, I still believe in the right to bear arms. If these incidents escalate I may rethink that position. I do appreciate the fact that these folks in all cases may be law abiding.
My concern. If this sort of event becomes routine...what will be the next rung on the ladder? I sometimes have had waking nightmares about guns in the streets of America and in the hands of children and adults who are still children. The question is complex on many levels
Love to you dear friend
Linda
Hi Linda - It's good to see you, my sister friend. The Apostle Paul says "All things are lawful unto me, but not all things are expedient." It is not expedient to bare arms at presidential events. I am also empathetic to guns in the hands of children in the street. Much love to you.
I don't get the impression that the people in these town meetings screaming about the government are impacted by the economy. They all sound like Rush Limbaugh and he sure is not finantially strapped. I think these people are racists who happen to be white. I think these people believe that racism is the natural state of humanity. Since they believe this, they figure that Obama must also be racist - and since all these 'screamers' are white, they feel like they are in a bad position in a country with a black president. This is what they mean when they say things like 'the country is being taken away from them'.
Zorro - You assessment is interesting. I do think, however, that the pervasive feeling is just simply one of uneasiness. To some the country is changing too fast with regards to race relations and the rights of women. I never saw such uproar about the deficit over the last eight years. Yet, this people are screaming as if the deficit had not increased during the Bush administration more than any administration heretofore. I also think that sometimes we are unaware of what is ailing us. Fear has a way of disturbing us and we react unwittingly without rationality. But there are, of course, those who stoke such outrage and should be held accountable, whether, pundit, politician or comedian.
Here's an Opinion piece by Joe Klein. He points out that what is going on with the Republicans is something new.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1917525-2,00.html
Ah, Zorro, thank you so very much for this article. AMEN! I especially appreciated outing the hypocrisy of those who wanted to dictate to the Schiavo family about what should be done in that situation who thenn screamed for government intervention. These are the same ones who are now screaming that the government should take their hands off of their Medicare.
This is simply the worst kind of hypocrisy. It is incredibly insidious and debilitating if not exposed. It is terribly ideological. But the ideology is deeply flawed and dangerous. I also so appreciate the distinction between the political prosaic writing of those like Kristol and the pragmatic decisions needed to reform health care. To date, Klein points out, there is no Republican health care alternative. Shame on them! The whole lot of them who are more interested in themselves than in the We the People.
This statement is so very true:
"The neofascist Father Coughlin had a huge radio audience in the 1930s, but he didn't have the power to control and silence the elected leaders of the party that Limbaugh — who, if not the party's leader, is certainly the most powerful Republican extant — does now. Until recently, the Republican Party contained a strong moderate wing. It was a Republican, the lawyer Joseph Welch, who delivered the coup de grâce to Senator McCarthy when he said, 'Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?' Where is the Republican who would dare say that to Rush Limbaugh, who has compared the President of the United States to Adolf Hitler?"
I also appreciate the fact that Klein does not seek to shut out or minimize the conservative voice. It's appreciated. What he seeks to do is to make known the ills of the noise, including Rush Limbaugh, and expose the hypocrisy of many. He does a great job.
Thanks again, Zorro. The article is much appreciated and should be widely read.
History is either unknown or ignored much of the time. For example, the fact that Government investment in microchip technology allowed the prices to drop so they could be put into consumer items is just ignored by people who do no want to believe that a certain amount of socialism might be vital to economic growth. And the history Klein talks about is also either ignored or unknown. Most people seem to have forgotten how Bush treated protesters.
I agree, Zorro, that the government has a social responsibility. What are Medicare and Medicaid? What is the Veterans Administration? What is the Post Office? What is the Space Program? What is the Defense Department? These things are all for the benefit of society--which is the root of all things social. Of course, there is always the matter of how these things are accomplished. It is also a fallacy to think that we have a purely capitalist system if indeed this means the non-intervention of government. History proves this to be a false. In fact, big business and government are longtime bedfellows. The continual question is for the benefit of whom at any particular time.
Post a Comment