I can't believe that what I am reading. They shouldn't arrest people with guns

[daedalus_dude]

at presidential events so they won't make them into martyrs? :eyes:

Read my lips: You cannot make the right like Obama. No amount of appeasement is gonna make them happy. If you let them get away with one thing, they will do a worse thing next time.

Here's what I think should happen: The guy should be charged with attempted assassination and locked away for fifteen years.

If that provokes more people to become stupid and bring guns to Obama speeches, good. More people to arrest and lock away. Eventually they will stop doing it, because this is a language they will understand.

[Mythsaje]

1. As I posted earlier

I think of it as a covert threat. Why else wear a gun to a protest?

[grasswire]

15. I haven't decided what to think yet.

Somebody wants Americans to be thinking about an assassination attempt. That much is clear. Who it is, and why, is not clear.

If I were in charge of the SS detail and a citizen was blatantly wearing a gun and carrying a sign implying a threat, I would shut the whole freaking area down and search everyone else.

What better decoy than an obvious one?

[Mythsaje]

16. Distraction... Hmm...

That's a good point.

Or trying to rile them up, maybe, to get them to react over-the-top? Seems weird, though.

It still smells like a threat to me. Not necessarily against Obama, but against people who might protest THEIR protest. If you get my drift.

[Orsino]

25. Overt threat.

This guy wanted to be seen as dangerous, as do his brethren who merely wield violent rhetoric.

[Statistical]

36. Thanks. Gun clearly visible is not exactly covert.

[Contrary1]

2. I can't even imagine what would have happened

to a Democrat who strapped a pistol to their leg and got within a mile of King George.

[HubertHeaver]

3. Free trip to Cuba?

[Quantess]

4. Probably they'd be held at Gitmo indefinitely without any formal charges.

[depakid]

5. Hell, people got arrested for wearing the "wrong" T-shirts

[Control-Z]

9. Can you believe

the disparity? Have people already forgotten? Or do people just believe in the double standards of republicons.

[depakid]

11. "Have people already forgotten?"

Americans have very short memories, so yes- most of those who ever knew (which weren't too many to begin with) have since forgotten.



Three Medford school teachers were threatened with arrest and thrown out of the President Bush rally at the Jackson County Fairgrounds Thursday night, after they showed up wearing T-shirts with the slogan "Protect our civil liberties."

All three women said they were carrying valid tickets for the event that they had received from Republican Party headquarters in Medford, which had been distributing event tickets to Bush supporters.

More: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1015-06.htm

FEMA Worker Ordered Home: Woman, husband wore T-shirts with anti-Bush logo at July Fourth rally

According to this story in the Charleston (WV) Gazette, not only were a husband and wife arrested for trespassing for wearing T-shirts saying "Love America, Hate Bush" at a Bush rally in West Virginia on July 4th, but the wife, who worked for FEMA, was fired.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/7/9/182213/6424

[Mythsaje]

17. Maybe we need a viral Youtube video about this...

Or, at least a video we HOPE goes viral, eh?

[datasuspect]

42. they haven't forgotten

they're rw stooges.

that's pretty much it in a nutshell.

[hack89]

43. We have a President that respects laws and the Constitution

couldn't be happier that the protester was treated differently than how bush would have. Shows we are making progress in reestablishing the rule of law.

[Hekate]

8. They would have disappeared after Baby Caligula declared them an enemy combatant...

... or whatever the bogus term in the USA PATRIOT Act was that he got to do on his say-so alone.

Hekate

[Lagomorph]

12. He get an invitation to go hunting with Dick Cheney, of course...nt

[tulsakatz]

18. he would have been sent to Gitmo.....

...before he even entered!!

[moriah]

20. He would have been put in a "protest pen" along with all the others...

... I can't wait until I hear Republicans start saying we restrict protesters too much.

Have any of these protesters been caged into a "Free Speech Zone" yet?

[Cass]

26. They'd be eating lemon chicken in Cuba before they knew what hit them. nt

[orwell]

6. Once again...

...the person with the gun was not on the parade route and did not enter the hall.

At no time was he anywhere near the President or had line of sight with him or his motorcade.

The Secret Service would not allow that, no matter what New Hampshire law says.

It is a National Security issue which supersedes both state law and any claimed 2nd amendment rights. Even the Supreme Court would understand this.

Anyone claiming otherwise is wrong.

[emilyg]

10. Thank you.

[depakid]

13. The guy who dropped the gun INSIDE the townhall in Arizona might be another matter, eh?

Oh wait- that was just a congressman....

[notesdev]

14. Wait, what?

"It is a National Security issue which supersedes both state law and any claimed 2nd amendment rights. Even the Supreme Court would understand this."

I'm pretty sure the Constitution says no such thing.

[depakid]

19. Just as I'm pretty damn sure that the Supreme court would uphold such an arrest

and prosecution under the appropriate federal law and make the exception for themselves.

As of course they should.

[Statistical]

33. What federal law? n/t

[conscious evolution]

28. It doesn't

That does not mean that the PTB will not protect themselves despite what the laws say.

Never forget-Laws,like taxes,are for the little people. Some pigs really do think they are more equal than others.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[notadmblnd]

21. Did you read this post? Who Is William Kostric? Seems he's not a spontanious protester

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6281984

and another post by Kpete from a Salon article.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6281502

[elocs]

22. If someone had worn a gun to a Bush event they likely would've become a real martyr. n/t

[stray cat]

23. carrying a gun is legal - at what distance from a president does that law change?

I assume people invited in are screened for guns at events but not those who are just in the area who won't encounter the president.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

24. back in the 90's Clinton was rolling through the ATL area

and our office building had line of sight to the road where the presidential motorcade would be traveling. The Secret Service came and examined our building and the cars in the parking lot very thoroughly. They quizzed all the employees and one of the questions was, "Are you carrying or do you have in your possession today a firearm?" My answer was yes...I keep a firearm in my desk (well, I used to) and would transport it from home to the office daily. With my answer, the Secret Service agent interviewing me asked me if I would mind relinquishing the weapon during the short time required for the President to pass. I produced the weapon for him...he locked in a case for about two hours...and then politely returned it. I asked him if he had cleaned it and he simply smiled.

These guys are as professional as they come. I would have been within 50 yards of a president (granted he was doing about 70 miles per hour in a bullet proof limo) with a gun in my possession and the Secret Service handled me with respect and not an ounce of suspicion.

sP

[conscious evolution]

29. Not an ounce of suspicion?

Then why the fuck did they come into your office asking questions? Because they thought the people in there were saints that would never ever think of harming another person?

[ProdigalJunkMail]

30. they did that in every office building along that stretch...

and yes, you can do a job like securing the President without treating people like criminals. The agent interviewing me was at no time accusatory or suspicious. He asked his questions in a judicious manner...made a couple of notes...and did not TELL ME to give up my firearm. He asked me. Now, if I had said 'no' i imagine i would have had an escort for the next couple of hours.

sP

[conscious evolution]

31. Does not matter that he was nice about it.

He was still treating you like a criminal.
The tactic is called good cop-bad cop.If you would have said no you would have got to meet bad cop.

[Statistical]

35. Exactly. Now I think the Secret Service guy was just doing his job but...

to say he didn't treat anyone with an ounce of suspicion is simply wrong.

He was suspicious that is why he took precautions. He didn't think the gun was going to jump up and shoot the President he though (had suspicion) that the owner might shoot the President.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

40. wow n/t

[conscious evolution]

41. MOM u/f

[asdjrocky]

27. And now this hayseed is famous.

[Statistical]

32. "The guy should be charged with attempted assassination" Thought crime?

If you don't like the law lobby to change it.

Charging the man with a non existent crime or one he didn't commit isn't exactly the indication of a free society.

It is something more akin to tyrannical regimes.

[Wednesdays]

39. I agree, and I'm as anti-gun as you'll find

I have a suspicion that the OP is a "false flag" playing into the RW paranoia--"Obama is going to take away our guns!!!1!"

I mean, have the guy check in his weapon for the duration of the event, or escort him off the premises. But fifteen years' incarceration? Uh-huh. :eyes: Way to whip up that wingnut froth!

Unrec!

[aikoaiko]

34. How about we arrest people who act unlawfully or actually make a threat.

:shrug:

[zbdent]

37. the guy's likely already a martyr for the right ...

he just hasn't had the ultimate qualification applied ...

[Odin2005]

38. So we should be authoritarian assholes like the Pukes are? Brilliant idea!

:eyes: