And to all of you who are saying, “Shucks, boys will be boys…” Who needs an assault rifle at a public event? You are defending the indefensible! Seriously, who the fuck are you kidding?

This is the best idea I have heard yet! During the Bush years, “FREE SPEECH” zones were created many areas, without notice - firearms should definitely by outlawed at political events!!! And bringing them should be a felony! Are we waiting for a tragedy in order to do this?

“...Better, though, is simply making public political events firearm-free zones, just like schools and stadiums. That way forward honors our democratic ideals by declaring that politics may be war, but in America it is “war without bloodshed”—and without the threat of bloodshed…”

If somebody had appeared at an Obama event packing 10-15 ft of rope, what would the PC response have been then?

Yahoos are still yahoos, whether they come bearing firearms or rope.

The Gun Toting Fanatcs are making the Left’s case for Gun Control.
they are scaring the hell out of the moderates, ‘Burber’s’, Middle Mgt, Gym members,soccor Moms. Middle America has tolerated the gun enthusiatist, but now they are gunning people down at various public venues.
Don’t these NRA’er realize they are being mentally linked with the likes of the Holocaust White supremeist,the Dr Tiller Assasin, the murderous viglianti home invaders, like the ‘Minutemen’ and the ‘salvation’ sacrificers, like the mom who shot her son in the head at a shooting range to spare his soul?
Moderates are starting to see the only flaws in the “mirror image” puzzle picture is a camo ball cap instead of a Turban, A Bible instead of the Koran, an ameircan made vs a Russian made high powered rifle and the shade of the skin.
If the NRA and truely responsible gun owners want to avoid terrifying the moderates into serious gun controls, they had better cull some of it’s members.
The NRA likes to portray itself as some prestigous entity, but when you have no standards to adhere to, wheres the exclusivity of membership? Anyone been kicked out of the NRA? Did McVeigh die with his card in his pocket? Does Scott Roeder have it among his personal effects in lock up? How about the guy who killed the Three cops in PA?
The NRA is looking more like a organization which harbors and aids criminals and Terrorist, instead of sportsmen.Why be concerned about the unlicensed when the ‘responsible’ owners are the ones shooting the country up and spilling mass amounts of american blood?
If strict Gun laws are enacted, it won’t be because of the Left, or even the moderates who help us pass the legislation- it will be the sole responsiblity of the NRA and ‘2nd Amdendmenters’ who continue to protect these sociopaths in their ranks.

ardee:
‘The appearance of weapons at political rallies is as much street theater as are any of the stunts of an organisation I much admire, Code Pink.

The brouhaha over such attempts to gain wide public forum for their ideas, ideas I find impractical, if not false, to say the least, seems more than a bit knee jerk to me. For the right this seems a win win situation. On the one hand they get the public forum they seek and ,on the other, they bring out the worst in the left, the aforementioned knee jerking that puts progressives against the majority opinion on guns and opens them to ridicule.’

I find the anti-gun nuttery of the Left, if it is the Left, difficult to understand.  It’s highly selective—they don’t think it’s at all intimidating for officials of the government to go about brandishing weapons, for example.  But I’ve said this before, so I guess I’m wasting my breath.  Now three of Truthdig’s columnists are on about this non-issue at once, and none of them take any cognizance of any opinion that differs from theirs, however supported by evidence or reason.  “They have forgotten nothing and learned nothing.”  The beat goes on….

The appearance of weapons at political rallies is as much street theater as are any of the stunts of an organisation I much admire, Code Pink.

The brouhaha over such attempts to gain wide public forum for their ideas, ideas I find impractical, if not false, to say the least, seems more than a bit knee jerk to me. For the right this seems a win win situation. On the one hand they get the public forum they seek and ,on the other, they bring out the worst in the left, the aforementioned knee jerking that puts progressives against the majority opinion on guns and opens them to ridicule.

Quote: “The First Amendment ethos guarantees people—whatever their politics—a fundamental right to participate in their democracy without concern for physical retribution. It is the primary amendment because America was first and foremost created not as a gun-owners’ haven, but as a place to shelter citizens from oppression.”

Political freedom is the overriding issue which SHOULD BE without equal in a democracy.

Yet, from personal experience I can tell you this is not the case, at least not where I live, in America today.  I have been physically threatened, physically intimidated, harrassed, followed and watched incessantly for well over a year.  Not because I broke any LAW, but because I spoke out POLITICALLY.  My children have also been targeted, in the most despicable of ways.  This for me exeplifies the gravity of the current situation.

The tactics used by these types are extremely ruthless, underhanded and out and out illegal.  These same are well connected, nation-wide and may include your local police chief.  They are a MENACE and an imminent threat to the system we call American Representative Democracy.

Is it that those who speak out politically are to be prisoners in their own homes?  One “false step” no matter how contrived is what they await….. “falsity” to be the overriding operating premise.

How does one escape nationwide vigilanty illegalities, where should one go….. where is the “safe haven”?

Records are “lost”, files become “missplaced”, perfectly fine vehicles have “uncommon” problems, neighbors “wonder”, physicans give “strange” looks.

Now…., I’ve been on this planet awhile and these things do not happen, and when they “suddenly” do happen…......  I wish I had the words, but either way…. it isn’t nice, legal nor valid.

Soldier on.

I agree that the display of guns at political meetings are being used as a means of intimidation.  This intimidation violates the First Amendment of the Constitution. 

Free speech cannot occur if one group is intimidated by the possible use of deadly force.  Just as it is against the law to yell “Fire” in a theatre, it is wrong to brandish semi-automatic rifles at political meetings.

This desire to display the firearms is infantile and is typical of the delusional militia groups that have been so destructive over the years. These militias defend their carry permits by claiming a mature superiority over the rest of us.

The question of gun carry permits always circles around the maturity of the gun owner.  The carry permit assumes maturity and stability as a prerequisite for that permit. 

However, the people who show up at these meetings carrying assault rifles don’t look mature or stable.  They look like low-life hillbillies or swamp-rats. When they are interviewed, they can barely answer questions and are obviously uneducated.  And these are the so-called “responsible” gun owners.  I wouldn’t trust them to walk the dog, let alone carry a gun.

So the gun lobby and the militias would have us believe that we are somehow safer with these armed “louts” and mental midgets around us, somehow “guarding our freedoms” from “Big Brother”. 
These goons look like they should be guarding the “moonshine still” from the revenue agents or fighting with the McCoys in the hills.

If the NRA was smart, they would implore their members to not take their guns to political meetings because many Americans highly resent intimidation and that resentment will mean much more stringent gun controls in the future.  The Republicans are playing a very dangerous game.  By not distancing themselves from these gun-nuts, they run the risk of being associated with them.  That association may play to their advantage in the old confederacy, but it won’t work very well in the rest of the country.

On the other hand, if I wear my “Macchiavelli” hat, I will tell the Republicans to “keep up the good work” and encourage the gun-nuts to bring all their shiny guns to every political meeting and town forum and intimidate away.  This plays into the Democrats message like almost nothing else does.