People on the Right are not reasonable. They are not partners in government. They aren’t any of that.
They are violent authoritarians.
If they aren’t stopped they will progress from this sort of terrorism to the kind where they kill legislators who they disagree with. Statements, education, warnings, and witty editorials in the Times and WaPo with a few humorous zingers will not do the job. Understanding and the kid gloves treatment just hasten the day when the boogalosers become death squads.
It’s just a matter of time before shooting happens. These people aren’t trained, they definitely do not know what they are doing, and it’s going to be an accident…that immediately turns into a bloodbath. Fucking idiots - all of them. Especially lawmakers that let this garbage continue.
Indeed, but they are the secondary SWAT target. The primary one is elsewhere.
As an enthusiastic supporter of the 2nd Amendment, broadly understood, can I just say: Fuck these people. A gun is an instrument to kill people and whenever you don’t keep that front-and-center in your behavior, you are being an asshole.
Guns are super fun to shoot, obsess over, and geek out about – but open carrying of firearms, unless you are going to and from a shooting range, hunting area, or your job literally has you outdoors in a place where you might bump into a predator, etc. – is just designed to provoke a reaction. I’m 100% for broad concealed carry permitting, but this shit is designed to piss people off. And it pisses me off and they think I’m probably for this.
Welp all we need now are some good guys with guns… /s
Looks like lead in the water supply IS a big deal
Every one of these protesters should be charged with domestic terrorism, and the ones like the asshole pictured who approached within 6 feet of an officer, legislator or staffer should be charged with 1st degree assault.
And at this point, after failing to act on the previous protests, if the state doesn’t charge and arrest them, then they are complicit. At some point, “equal protection under law” means that if you don’t arrest white people for pulling this shit, you’re walking in lock step with the violent white supremacists.
So we’re one aggressive-armed-asshole-getting-bumped away from a domestic Benghazi…
No, sorry, I was being serious. People come to the Michigan Capitol with guns pretty frequently, and watch session from the balcony with their long (or short) guns. Legislators can also bring guns, as one did to the governor’s state of the state speech this year. There is a lot of trompe l’oeil paintwork (faux walnut panelling, faux marble) that they want to protect from being scuffed up, but this only rises to the level of prohibiting signs, not guns. I suppose an individual office could lock their door and refuse to let people in if they were obviously armed, but the state police and the sergeants at arms do not bar armed people from the buildings.
The Republican legislative majority has openly encouraged these demonstrators and today voted to sue the governor over the stay at home order. The nationwide astroturfed protest “movement” against public health measures is being coordinated out of Michigan with de Vos funds.
One of them apparently already bumped a Michigan Advance reporter in the head with a rifle today (she seems to think it was accidental).
My right to peaceful protest is being denied by these people. There’s no way I could counter-protest this because my wife wouldn’t let me go risk my life for this. Maybe when I get really old and feeble…
But seriously - I served in the military and voluntarily gave up my constitutional rights for a few years in order that everyone else could keep theirs (in theory - really it was adventure, travel, free college, etc.). It really sucks to be in a position where you don’t have any rights and there are signs all over the place reminding you about it. I didn’t do that for THIS.
This is appropriate, since Republicans hold the 2nd Amendment in higher esteem than the 1st.
Exactly. A perfect example of the 2nd Amendment killing the 1st.
Fox News
Mobocracy replacing kakistocracy/kleptocracy. Yay!
Given that one prominent sign today said “Tyrants get the rope,” I’m not sure the 1st Amendment covers them all, either.
That’s not a great gif for people with epilepsy. Could you put it behind spoiler tags, please?
It’s amazing how the ammosexuals will claim well-regulated militia means a dozen buddies with no formal training but with a desire to intimidate with guns to get their way.
Like a gang. Except typically less organized.
Doesn’t seem particularly well regulated to me.
Lead exposure is a serious hazard for people who regularly use firing ranges. Just saying… https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5379568/
4chan for the ones that can read
No surprise here. Right-wingers tend to ignore the separation of church and state. I don’t expect the gun cultists to be any different.
