Oly rally: Smaller but energetic crowd at Capitol

44Brent · Jan 22, 2015

Did Mike in Connecticut have a negative experience with a bow-tie-wearing-clown as a child? Bow ties seem to have a mystical power to set him off, as do red capes with bulls.

I hope that Mr. Gottlieb brings a big bag of bow-ties to pass out the next time he appears in Olympia. I would like to wear a bow-tie to my next Olympia visit, seeing how the media perceives the wearers as "reasonable", while the folks wearing gas masks are rightfully viewed as nut cases.

Instead of "I love guns and coffee", the new motto should be "I love guns and bow ties".

Hawaiian · Jan 22, 2015

The more I think about the individuals at this rally with one wearing a cowboy trench coat and the other with a gas mask like they just stepped out of a Mad Max movie, standing around cycling the action of their firearms, the more I question if these were not actors planted by the anti's. The OC crowd has never been this extreme before that I can remember. Does anyone know these individuals? Can anyone confirm they are actually OC activists and not plants by the anti's?

timac · Jan 23, 2015

Mr Johnson is spot on, many gun owners here and across America are willing to compromise, for what? What have we received in return, more and more infringements for our lack of backbone?
Wake up! You're in denial if you think we'll maintain our freedoms through compromise. Our forefathers didn't compromise neither should we, not one more step back.

On Basic Human Rights – Accidental Youtube Star Billy Johnson – Interview SHOT 2015
by S.H. Blannelberry on January 22, 2015

National Rifle Association News Commentator Billy Johnson is an interesting dude. He's a news junkie, a political wonk and an absolute purest when it comes to all his Constitutionally-protected rights — not just the Second Amendment.

In many ways, he reminds me of myself. Yeah, that sounds a bit egotistical given that this is his interview, but it's true. I share a lot of Billy's libertarian (we-need-fewer-laws, not-more) views. Specifically, I couldn't agree more with what he had to say about former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg's universal background check movement.

"Having to ask the government to exercise my any of my rights is an infringement on my rights… I do believe background checks do qualify as an infringement on my rights," explained Billy.

Amen, brother, amen! I then went on to ask him about his thoughts on the bipartisan Manchin-Toomey bill that would have federalized universal background checks, essentially requiring them for all private sales and transfers, including those made over the Internet and at gun shows.

Since Manchin-Toomey was supposed to be a compromised version, it did include some perks for gun owners, I asked him whether it would have been better to strike a deal back in 2013 and pass Manchin-Toomey as opposed to fighting the Bloomberg machine at the state level where he is uniquely poised to pass his uncompromised background check bill (Bloomberg's money has had an impact at the state level, thus far he's been behind the passage of at least two UBC bills, one in Colorado, one in Washington State. Now Bloomberg's group is introducing a UBC bills in Nevada).

"I'm done compromising," Billy said, rather candidly. "Gun control advocates have always said, 'Just compromise, just compromise, come to the table. ' Since 1936 gun owners have compromised, gun owners have given something up every step of the way, we have never gotten anything back."

"People say, 'Well you got concealed carry"– well that was always my right," he continued. "It was always my right to carry a gun. Don't tell me that concealed carry was some kind of concession by the anti-Second Amendment movement. That's ridiculous."

He's right. Gun owners have compromised every step of the way. Meanwhile, anti-gunners have only become more insatiable in their desire to roll back the Second Amendment. That aside, what if we had compromised and agreed to ratify Manchin-Toomey?

Well, Billy brought up a great point.

"They're not going to go away, they're not going to close up shop, and say, 'We won, go have your guns.' It's not going to happen."

Right again! Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and Mayors Against Illegal Guns (all of which belong to Bloomberg) are not going away ever. They're here to stay. Therefore, as Billy insinuated, we ought to be prepared to fight them every step of the way.

RB87 · Jan 23, 2015

Doc In UPlace said:
More and more it appears to me that many of the OC people are ideologues to whom facts and logic make no difference.

Minds made up that the only solution to opposition to gun ownership is to effectively stick guns in the faces of their opponents.

Kind of like drowning someone to make them 'like' swimming.

Why not? It seems to have worked for many other special interest groups. Abortion and gay rights/marriage being two examples.

Monica Cowles · Jan 23, 2015

Dogfish said:
Saw these guys firsthand when they went to the upper left of the steps. Within a few minutes they were cycling their actions, did a little shouting, and basically were a disturbance to the event. Took a few photos because I recognized this as an issue and wanted to get the photo evidence in case something went sideways. Then I noticed 4 WSP officers on the back side of them, so I moved out of the line of fire.
View attachment 131076

I am very aware of my surroundings and this group got on my radar early.

HA!
I like how the media also "recognized this as an issue and wanted to get the photo evidence in case something went sideways..." Too funny......