Why do people give guns a bad name?

[New Oregonian]

Does the President deserve special rights and laws for protection and my family deserves less protection? Sorry but my kids mean more to me than every president that ever served this country.

Special protection yes...rights no.

 

[Trlsmn]

Special protection yes...rights no.

I said special laws for protection not special protection there is a vast difference!

 

[Scott]

Should we change the laws because the President was there? The guy practicing his constitutional right would not have scared me. I would have been more scared of catching a stray bullet from the Secret Service taking the guy out than the guy himself.

Does the President deserve special rights and laws for protection and my family deserves less protection? Sorry but my kids mean more to me than every president that ever served this country.

He does if he pays for it that is protection. I should not have to pay for all of his trips and food, haircuts, and ect and that goes for every past and future president. I am with you Trismn and my family and kids mean more than any president. I think when you are making millions of dollars a year you should pay for your own food and other items and let tax payers take a break from that. No one is more important than any other individual in America in my eyes.

 

[Trlsmn]

He does if he pays for it that is protection. I should not have to pay for all of his trips and food, haircuts, and ect and that goes for every past and future president. I am with you Trismn and my family and kids mean more than any president. I think when you are making millions of dollars a year you should pay for your own food and other items and let tax payers take a break from that. No one is more important than any other individual in America in my eyes.

Yes that is what I mean. I have nothing against the protection I just don't want special laws.

 

[New Oregonian]

Yes that is what I mean. I have nothing against the protection I just don't want special laws.

Are you saying there are special laws already or are you saying your not in favor of any being enacted?

 

[Trlsmn]

Are you saying there are special laws already or are you saying your not in favor of any being enacted?

Well I'm not sure if there are special laws but I'm not in favor of them if there are. I'm for the use the appropriate security without infringing on my 2nd amendment rights plan.

Anyone in this situation that has the means would be capable of this same option so it's not about passing any special law so I feel none is necessary.

 

[New Oregonian]

ok trlsmn I agree with you

 

[CEF1959]

All I can say is that I have lots of rights I choose not to exercise full time just to make a point.

 

[gallogiro]

All I can say is that I have lots of rights I choose not to exercise full time just to make a point.

I agree. Unless I feel that right is being infringed, then I would go out of my way to make a point.

 

[torpedoman]

some of you are sounding qualified to be reporters. did you hear cnn and other networks were "Oh my god someone has a gun in the crowd, someone had a gun". This phrase was repeated over and over for a good 1/2 hr. Personal opinion you dont have to worry about the guy with his gun in plain sight, watch for the guy who is sneaking around hiding his.(no insult meant for us with c.c)

 

[New Oregonian]

"Oh my god someone has a gun in the crowd, someone had a gun". This phrase was repeated over and over for a good 1/2 hr.

Well you know fear sells... its good for the media business. I hate CNN, but they make bank. Just thought about this from your comment.

 

[USMC1911]

Another thing. People in this country by enough arms to supply the chines military in six months. I would say I and the rest of us use our 2nd amendment right. But, people like this give the DEM's more power and incentive to take that right away. It was legal when he did it, but wait until that city council rules otherwise. And know I am pro gun all the way, but don't make threats you will not act on. what I am saying is he used the 2nd amendment to suppress other peoples rights to their first amendment.[/QUOTE]

Who was making threats?

 

[USMC1911]

I agree 100% the guy is/was a idiot. People like that shouldn't own guns they make us all look like wild west idiots.

I think you attitude sucks I dont think people like you should own guns. See how easy that is?

 

[Generator]

I want to say first, I’m not trolling with this question.
For everyone who thinks it was fine what either of these guys did, if they had a Saudi-style head wrap that the men in the Mid-East wear, would you react the same... even if the Secret Service had talked to them (as I assume they spoke to everyone who was open carrying) and found them to be American Citizens who were exercising their 2nd Amendment rights.

I think it was a bad way for them to make a point, and no matter what our legal rights are we can't stop CNN, Fox or any other media business from putting their spin on it, but we can be represented by intelligent citizens who support our 2nd Amed. rights.


Also, I've been through much more dangerous situations, and I wouldn't want to stand next to this guy, I don't know if he is making a point or looking to make a kill.

 

[USMC1911]

If someone was open carrying anywhere in a city around a bunch of people my first instinct is that they were going to start shooting. Its a right we have, but if I strapped an AR on my back and went window shopping I'd expect the cops to come have a few words with me and then follow me home, sane people don't open carry in crowds.

So if you see someone in the "city" with a gun, you would take cover? Run? Or? They have a gun they must be crazy lol!

 

[Generator]

So if you see someone in the "city" with a gun, you would take cover? Run? Or? They have a gun they must be crazy lol!

They might be fine, but I don't know that.

Last time I saw guns in the city was when I was in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1998, it was the millitary with tanks and guns, not firing but my bus was run at by thousands of people throwing malitolv(sp?) cocktails at us and the troops.

and if I took my wife downtown or to target to go shopping and someone was loitering with a gun, I'd assume the worst and leave and wish I wasn't waiting til I had a free weekend in November to get my CHL.

With a CHL you can go in and out of businesses and have a reason to be out in public, when open-carrying you cannot go into many businesses, therefore I wonder what your reasons are for being there.

The people in Michigan (I believe groups in other states have done this too) have done activities such as highway litter clean up with open-carry as a way to merge a charitable act with a display of their message of our rights. Seems a better way to remind people of our rights.

 

[MountainBear]

The guy wasn't particularly wrong. But he exercised poor judgment.

Was it wrong to go to a presidential debate armed? No. It wasn't. No doubt about it, as we've all beaten into the ground, it was his constitutional right to do so. And I'm glad he exercised his right. The more people that do, the less likely we are to lose that right.

However, was it appropriate to take an AR-15 rifle (notice, I do not refer to it as an assault rifle) slung over his shoulder? He was exercising his right to carry a firearm to defend himself. Could this not have been accomplished with a .38 snub nose in his pocket or a Glock 17 in an IWB holster with a shirt over it? Anyone who thinks that this guy was doing anything but trying to shock and awe the crowd and the country is seriously naive. He was trying to get his face on the 5 o'clock news and on U-Tube.

The left wing portion of this country already feels like we're "low threat domestic terrorists" because we own guns. They're wrong. There's something wrong with them, not us. But honestly every time they propose new gun laws, they use some guy like this as an example of why we need new, tougher laws. And people believe them. Because all the uneducated sheeple are hearing in the media is how foolish this was. We need center of the road people to vote with us to maintain our current gun rights, to curb future attacks on them, and God willing, to recover some that we've allowed to be taken from us already. Guys like this DO NOT HELP convince those people to see things our ways. We need grass roots. We need people taking their friends shooting and introducing new people to our lifestyle. We need to show people that we are mainstream America, not a fringe element. We do not need shock and awe.

 

[ob1]

Great posts guys ! I have read points that I agree with from several of you. (oh no ! this doesn't mean I'm turning into a moderate does it ?)

Just some of the comments I am working on to digest right now:

USMC1911 Quote:
So if you see someone in the "city" with a gun, you would take cover? Run? Or? They have a gun they must be crazy lol
Unfortunately true in today's culture. Whatever the intended point was, it would be lost in the minds of most by images of mall shooters, etc. This act does more to paint the individual as a "gun tote'n crazy" then expressing his oppinion. Even worse, it feeds the hands of the other side, giving them another example to point to and say, "those in opposition to our plan are all goons". We are up against a political monster now, we need to use our opportunities to express our point more wisely than this.

Originally Posted by nick1980
People like that shouldn't own guns they make us all look like wild west idiots.
Be careful with who you say shouldn't have guns, some day "people like that" might be you.

The reality is that most people are publically reacting this way, is because of a growing perception of an arrogant and indifferent Congress. We are going to get these "changes",..whether we want them or not, "Congress knows best" we are just the unwashed masses.

Originally Posted by Flakman5000
A debate on health care is not a place to take a stand
Sorry, but I disagree with this. It is the perfect place to make a stand. What we are up against is an elitist attitude in Washington now. The more we concede, the stronger that attitiude becomes.
Winston Churchill-"we shall fight them in the fields and the streets" The only thing is, from a tactical standpoint, when you are facing a superior foe, you must conduct yourself accordingly and not squander your resources.

 

[Flakman5000]

OK, lets look at it this way. If I said the F-word really loud and repeated it to Obama I would get three prongs in me shooting volts, just like the "Don't Taze me bro" guy. We live in a democracy, we live in a society, and your telling me it is fine to go beyond and act beyond the norm. That norm being heated discussion. When one brings a weapon, whether it be a sword, a gun, or a knife and shows that weapon to their enemy, is that to exercise a right? Or, is that to shut them down. we live off of debate. The majority voted Obama in. Like I have said, I hate him and what he stands for, but given our laws, given our rights, he is commander and chief. Period. So I say, to bring a firearm to a political debate is to, in essence, disrespect the process, of which we have committed too. So, in essence, this A-hole was disturbing the peace, because he did something out of the norm, and what transpired took away from the debate. People had real points to make, and didn't make them because of this man. You are telling me he did not suppress their freedom of speech?

 

[Flakman5000]

Let me also put it this way. Do I respect the man that brought the rifle. Yes I do. He thought he had something to say. A statement to make. I don't believe he should have been arrested. I think he should have been told to go home. Why?Because...

If I bring my AK-47 its to kill. Period. To me it is no more talking this means war. If I feel my government is not giving into the process it swears to up-hold. its time for bullets to fly. I will not live in tyranny. But this is not tyranny. It is a debate which Obama is losing.