Man carrying assault weapon attends Obama protestIt's considered incredibly politically incorrect to use the term 'retard' in describing stupid people, but I struggle to find a more appropriate word in this case.
By AMANDA LEE MYERS and TERRY TANG, Associated Press WritersPHOENIX – About a dozen people carrying guns, including one with a military-style rifle, milled among protesters outside the convention center where President Barack Obama was giving a speech Monday.
This is the latest incident in which protesters have openly displayed firearms near the president.
Full story here.
Taking an assault rifle? To a presidential speech? Seriously - the sort of person who does that must be mentally retarded in some way. Anybody in full command of their faculties would realize that it's a dangerous, offensive, inflammatory and unbelievably stupid thing to do.
Oh, I can already hear the reasoning from the gun nuts: "I'm just exercising my 2nd Amendment rights." Well, maybe - but point that thing the wrong way and half a dozen Secret Service officers are going to exercise their gun-toting prerogative - straight into your chest.
The longer I live in America, to more sympathetic I get towards gun owners (until I read crazy stories like this.)
I mean, I get it. Owning a gun to defend your family is a right (despite the reams of statistical evidence suggesting that it might actually make your home more dangerous.) The other day, when we had strangers walking onto our driveway at 2am, even I figured the security of a little 'home protection' might be nice.
But there's a time and a place to carry your guns - and a presidential speech is not it.
These idiots who carry loaded handguns and rifles to presidential speeches are clearly just loudmouthed idiots, making a desperate cry for attention (and totally shooting to pro-gun movement in the foot as they do so.)
Private gun ownership is a constitutional right - but gun owners should remember that it's one which has been curtailed and limited across America. Most people's tolerance for maintaining 2nd Amendment rights is reliant on gun owners being safe, responsible and setting an example to others about how to properly keep guns.
These right-wing idiots, waving their rifles about, are just perpetuating the stereotype that gun owners are irresponsible, dumb and downright dangerous idiots - people who totally abuse their 'rights' and make the world more dangerous - and significantly more terrifying - in the process.
Personally, I think anybody who takes a loaded weapon to a presidential event should be arrested, have their guns confiscated and their weapon license revoked. They've clearly demonstrated that they lack the mental faculty to be safely trusted with a firearm.
