Oregon Rules For Thee But Not For Me

[66PonyCar]

Loretta Smith calls for open carry for Portland city councilors following latest protest. Councilor Loretta Smith, who represents East Portland in District 1, has drafted a city ordinance to allow city councilors to openly carry a firearm while conducting city business.

The irony is that she felt unsafe after anti-ICE protestors interrupted the Portland City Council meeting. Of course, members of the public would still be prohibited from doing so.

Loretta Smith calls for open carry for Portland city councilors following latest protest

The District 1 councilor said a Wednesday protest that ended in four arrests is the latest action at council meetings that has herself and her colleagues fearing for their safety.

www.opb.org

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[CountryGent]

In this day and age, hypocrisy is one of the defining characteristics of the human garbage that inhabits public office.

 

[GunghoNinja]

I see plenty of people rolling over for gun control as long as they get to keep their guns. Why is this negative attitude only shown when you are personally affected but ignored when a group is impacted that you are not a part of?

 

[Stomper]

I see plenty of people rolling over for gun control as long as they get to keep their guns. Why is this negative attitude only shown when you are personally affected but ignored when a group is impacted that you are not a part of?

To whom exactly is your comment addressed too?

 

[GunghoNinja]

To whom exactly is your comment addressed too?

Anyone with an opinion. Gun rights are for everyone who meets the criteria set by law or no one has gun rights, would you agree or disagree?

 

[RVTECH]

Anyone with an opinion. Gun rights are for everyone who meets the criteria set by law or no one has gun rights, would you agree or disagree?

I am NOT answering for the person you quoted however while I AGREE with the basics of gun rights being for everyone it needs to be recognized a LOT of former 'anti' gun owners are now accepting gun ownership as a way to 'defend' their 'lifestyles', beliefs etc. and NOT what might be as simply a case of 'self defense.

Some of 'these' people believe they can use weapons simply to 'support' their causes, beliefs and lifestyles.

This is a VERY dangerous position they are taking.

One example and it ain't the only one.

 

[Stomper]

Anyone with an opinion. Gun rights are for everyone who meets the criteria set by law or no one has gun rights, would you agree or disagree?

Agree, as long as anyone (even trans, etc) exercising their right behaves in a civil manner, then it's all good.

 

[RVTECH]

Agree, as long as anyone (even trans, etc) exercising their right behaves in a civil manner, then it's all good.

Exactly - no argument however some of these 'types' are openly suggesting they will use firearms against those who simply oppose their beliefs and lifestyles and this is VERY disturbing.....

It's possible the 'uptick' with trans involved shootings MIGHT be evidence of this.

 

[old greg]

Now remind me, what percentage of mass shootings have a cis gendered shooter?

 

[old greg]

Im just glad (some) liberals are finally coming around to guns

We should all be happy about that.

 

[66PonyCar]

If more people on the left start backing the Second Amendment, Democrats won't be as unified on gun control, which makes big restrictions a tougher sell. It also means you might actually see a few bipartisan gun‑rights protections slip through.

 

[ScottInPDX]

Exactly - no argument however some of these 'types' are openly suggesting they will use firearms against those who simply oppose their beliefs and lifestyles and this is VERY disturbing.....

It's possible the 'uptick' with trans involved shootings MIGHT be evidence of this.
View attachment 2253463

Have you read anything further about those events?

2018 MD: shooter was an employee at the targeted business, got in an "altercation" at the timecard check in line, returned to their car, came back in with a handgun and shot coworkers
2022 CO: Shooting occured at the only LGBT club in town, victims were all patrons of the club, shooter never identified as anything other than straight male until the shooting and had a long history of being an unstable a-hole
2023 TN: Shooter was a former student at the targeted school, picked up an obsessive interested in school shootings years prior to the shooting, police investigation concluded the shooting was motivated by a desire for notoriety

I'm not bothering to look up the rest, it's clear that the slanted image this picture is trying portray isn't supported by the shootings it cites.

Obviously I'm leaving a lot of details out, but the point is that there is a distinct lack of evidence that trans people are somehow getting more dangerous or that those shootings are examples of a dangerous ideological shift. They were motivated by the same BS that's behind most shootings: personal beefs and unstable weak people that want to feel powerful.

Any increase in "mass shootings involving transgender individuals" is equally well explained by the fact that people are increasingly willing to come out as X-whatever.

 

[P7M13]

Some of 'these' people believe they can use weapons simply to 'support' their causes, beliefs and lifestyles.

This is a VERY dangerous position they are taking.

Yep. Kinda reminds me of ninjaboy's avatar.

If more people on the left start backing the Second Amendment, Democrats won't be as unified on gun control, which makes big restrictions a tougher sell. It also means you might actually see a few bipartisan gun‑rights protections slip through.

I wonder if it's also why the super woke are doubling down on ramming anti-2A legislation - like what's currently happening in Oregon.

 

[RVTECH]

Have you read anything further about those events?

I don't know about 'events' specifically but a while back I was watching a vid regarding some of these issues and one person who was interviewed expressed in no uncertain terms she became a gun owner ONLY because she feared ridicule and scrutiny for her LBGTQ 'position'. The odd part was it wasn't like she was expressing a 'fear' of her life or safety but more of an 'statement' of 'Regard and respect me and MY beliefs or else' was the impression I got.

There was also another LBGTQ organization discussed and they had a 'manifesto' so to speak about their position with regard to gun ownership and expressed some very radical and clear statements about how they would use guns to 'defend' their positions and beliefs. I'll try to find this and post it.

I am NOT passing judgement on anyone and believe EVERYONE has a right to legal gun ownership but at the same time it's possible some have very radical views about why and for what THEY may be owning them for and it MIGHT be for very undisciplined and dangerous reasons.

 

[66PonyCar]

Well, that didn't last long. She has now changed her mind after pushback from her fellow council members.

https://www.koin.com/news/portland/portland-city-councilor-loretta-smith-reverses-course-on-open-carry-proposal-after-backlash/

 

[Alexx1401]

Friday morning, Smith acknowledged to KOIN 6 News that a having concealed weapon permit "has crossed [her] mind," but reaffirmed the overall need for City Hall to be a safe place.

She should try to buy a gun and get a permit. Chances are she would be in shock that she could not just "order up" both.

 

[MichaelH]

The vast majority of folks on the left gravitating toward gun ownership aren't doing so to "defend their rights" as in using violence to advance policy objectives. They're mostly brown folks or sexual minorities afraid of being personally targeted for violence by bigots and who are gravitating toward firearms ownership for self-defense purposes. The vast majority of mass shootings that are not just crime related gang violence or murders of others based on personal beefs or for financial gain, are committed by straight white guys. (Edit: like me, statistically speaking…)

Those on the "left" who speak more aggressively about using firearms to defend their rights— to live as they want to live—seem no different to me than our friends who boldly claim that the government can take their firearms from "their cold dead hands." I expect most of us believe that kind of talk is rhetoric, and 99% + of gun owners, regardless of political stripe, that aren't seeking suicide by cop, wouldn't consider firearms as a viable way defend against being targeted by law enforcement.

Eg.

https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5611025

Or the podcast of the same reporting:

Why More Liberals Are Buying Guns

Podcast Episode · Up First from NPR · January 11 · 25m

podcasts.apple.com

What Does It Mean to Be a Liberal Gun Owner?

Professor Jennifer Hubbert examines how liberals define democracy and citizenship through owning guns.

www.lclark.edu

Once The Perspective Changes: How Liberals Buying Guns Echoes Traditionally Conservative Motives

The other day, I listened to NPR talk about why more liberals are buying guns, and what stood out wasn’t the trend itself but how familiar the reasoning sounded once the partisan framing fell away. One interviewee, a gay man, said he wanted the ability to protect himself in the event of civil...

www.abetterway2a.com

The trend started in 2020.

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/16/891608244/protests-and-pandemic-spark-record-gun-sales

This NYT op ed from 2013 is by a pretty good fiction writer. He's known for a series of books about humans trying to survive in post-apocalyptic America that was overrun by vampires. Honestly he's a good writer and it's a good story.

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/28/opinion/confessions-of-a-liberal-gun-owner.html?smid=url-share
(if you get paywalled and want to read it, DM me and I'll gift you the piece.)

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/28/opinion/confessions-of-a-liberal-gun-owner.html?smid=url-share
(if you get paywalled and want to read it, DM me and I'll gift you the piece.)

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[NeoBlackdog]

but reaffirmed the overall need for City Hall to be a safe place.

And if more civilians were armed there it's highly likely that it would be a safer place.

 

[Barefootdog]

"It's a defensive mechanism," Smith told OPB. "If people know that you're a serious person and you're going to protect yourself they're not going to be as quick to mess with you."

This person has no rational understanding of the "responsibility" that goes along with the "right" to bear arms.

She speaks as though open carry is a challenge.

I suggest it's more likely someone would take the gun from her and do her harm than she being able to use it effectively to defend herself or those around her.

Portland and the State of Oregon are in trouble.
These are the ignorant people we put in positions of decision making.

This has to change.