Open carry at second amendment rallies

[SecularMotion]

New gun group tempers its message

The rally was organized by the Coalition for Peace Action to support reasoned legislation requiring background checks for all gun purchasers. As happened with other such rallies in the area, gun advocates staged a counterprotest. Fortunately, the baseball games were canceled and the demonstrators and counterdemonstrators got the park all to themselves.

The former Gun Owners of Bucks County helped get the word out about the rally so the gun-control message would be neutralized or muted — if not overpowered. And while the group didn’t encourage members to carry weapons, they didn’t discourage it, either. So the ranks of the counterprotesters included folks with rifles slung over their shoulders and guys with pistols strapped to their hips.

Unfortunately for the gun advocates, their virulent counterdemonstration backing unfettered gun rights was more damaging than inspiring. They came off as a bit crazy, appearing to be what some might describe as a lunatic fringe incapable of compromise or even discussion.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/the_intelligencer_news/opinion/editorials/new-gun-group-tempers-its-message/article_60ae13f7-04ce-58c5-a011-7bfc94ae70b9.html

9 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Unlimited
	Helps their cause
	3 (33%)
	Hurts their cause
	6 (67%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[SecularMotion]

1. Kick

[CokeMachine]

30. What's your vote??

Another hit and run from you!!!!

[SecularMotion]

2. Kick for more votes

[HappyMe]

3. Hurt their cause.

Doesn't break my heart.

[rdharma]

4. I would like to see these morons continue shooting themselves in the foot.

But I fear that one of these "armed protests" is sure to go extremely bad!

[premium]

5. Hurts their cause.

I'm not a fan of open carry except in the back woods or on your own property.

[rdharma]

6. Is there a law against open carry on your own property?

If so, WHERE?

I don't want a bunch of paranoid yokels displaying their gatts in public forests!

Scared of lions, tigers, and bears? Stay in momma's basement!

[premium]

8. I'm the law on my own property,

and I don't carry, open or concealed.
I take that back, my wife is the law on our property.

[rdharma]

10. I only "open carry" when I need to scare kids off my lawn!

They need to be taught some respect, damnit!

[premium]

37. I wanted to add

that I can, if I wanted to, conceal carry in all 50 states because of my retired FLEO ID and Badge, but I choose not to.

[rdharma]

38. OH! I'm impressed!

Not!

Blow hard much?

[premium]

39. Nope, just stating a truth

which you seem to have trouble doing at times.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1172125963#post16

BTW, did you ever find those links?

[rdharma]

40. Just thought I'd flash my credentials to impress y'all!

[premium]

41. Still have problems telling the truth?

Go try to bait someone else, won't work with me.

[rdharma]

42. I see your need for approval....... here it is!

[Logical]

7. Open Carry is a stupid law. I am all in favor of CC but the open carry idiots are just showing off.

[oneshooter]

15. So you advocate for the murder of people peacefully protesting?

How very Bloomberg Progressive of you.

[friendly_iconoclast]

27. So what? You've still advocated murder: "Justification for the police to open fire."

And btw, Bucks County isn't exactly known for its resemblance to "Deliverance"; you must have
the Pine Barrens in mind...

[CokeMachine]

31. You aren't even half funny.

If they don't agree with you -- KILL THEM OFF. IMHO you are disgusting.

[The Straight Story]

11. I dunno, I have open carried before

But I was an armed guard at the time (would run to the store for some Mt. Dew, etc).

I don't currently own a gun (and have only ever owned one for work purposes) and don't think I would open carry for more practical reasons, but I don't have a problem with those that do.

Reason being is that if you are going to use your gun for a crime you will ignore conceal carry anyway and keep it hidden. I would rather know who was carrying when out in public (by seeing it, not knowing their personal info) than not. But I will also note that those with a valid CCW are not the ones who worry me since they cared enough to take the course and get licensed for it, they obviously don't want to put that in jeopardy.

[petronius]

12. I would say it neither helps nor hurts when the pro-2A/pro-OC aspect is the

primary purpose of the rally (i.e., when 2A advocates are staging a rally on their own). But it has potential to swing toward 'hurt' if anyone misbehaves or acts contentiously, so it's the sort of thing that needs to be considered and managed carefully and judiciously.

But I'd say it only hurts when the rally is a counter-demonstration (as in your story) or a glom-on to an unrelated event - in those cases it's difficult to see it as anything other than threatening and/or in-your-face...

[rdharma]

13. "Open Carry" also comes in handy when I want to intimidate people......

.....who don't seem to "belong" in the area"! Wink, wink .... yawwwwwl know who I mean!

[Recursion]

18. OTOH the media was pretty unanimous in not showing the skin of that tea bagger with the AR15

who any to those rallies.

[rdharma]

19. Huh?

[Recursion]

21. African American teabagger showed up at a lot of rallies with a slung AR15

Media coverage pretty much universally showed his sleeve but not his hand or face.

[rdharma]

24. That's singular, eh? nt

Last edited Tue Jul 2, 2013, 11:51 PM - Edit history (1)

[BainsBane]

14. Here they canceled an event

where gun activists were going to bring their guns to a street festival. The head of the group said they were canceling it because of "intimidation" and specifically referred to someone who said he would bring a bullhorn. Ah, the intimidation of free speech turned out to be too much for the gun nuts to bear.

[Recursion]

17. I think a lot of them literally have no idea how disturbing some find it

Because, until I moved out of the town I grew up in and to a city, it would never have occurred to me that people out caring guns would be weird. They see gun control advocacy as a kind of Puritanism and mostly do it to prove they can.

[rdharma]

20. Huh?........ Again!

[Recursion]

22. Sorry, Android keyboard. "to prove they can"

Also, "guns" not "funds". I hate this tablet.

[rdharma]

26. OK! nt

[99Forever]

25. Could we get a translator here please?

Not sure what language it is, but it sounds like Palineze.

[Robb]

23. I think they should open carry all the time.

And they should bring their Confederate flags and nazi regalia as well, if they have them, and start fights with cops of they feel like it. They don't look crazy, they look like good patriots, REAL Americans!

Hell, the Gungeoneers offer their "help" on gun control all the time. I'm happy to return the favor.

[friendly_iconoclast]

28. One can open carry in deepest blue Vermont, so your stereotype fails...

[rdharma]

29. And they are considered deviant a-holes! nt

[friendly_iconoclast]

32. I rather doubt you're familiar with Vermont

I'd say it's more likely another example of Colonism:

"Sergeant Colon had had a broad education. He’d been to the School of My Dad Always Said, the College of It Stands to Reason, and was now a postgraduate student at the University of What Some Bloke In the Pub Told Me."
- Terry Pratchett, Jingo

[rdharma]

34. Is Sergeant Colon related to Private Sphincter? nt

[CokeMachine]

33. Will you ever answer to this or at least delete it??

If that's as honest as you can get as a host of a protected group, I don't think you have any credibility on this issue.

Note to Jurors: Read the edits!! They were made after the OP was Jury proof. Again please read the edits in the link below.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022928786

[rdharma]

35. Have some popcorn......

[CokeMachine]

36. Oh look, it you again!!

No thanks on the popcorn!

[rdharma]

43. You don't like pop corn?

[CokeMachine]

44. Love it but Dr. says no.

Have had too many surgeries to even chance it.

Have a good long weekend!!