Someone please tell me what would be the chances that at a Bush protest we'd see a man packing this kind of heat?
A man toting an assault rifle was among a dozen protesters carrying weapons while demonstrating outside President Barack Obama's speech to veterans on Monday, but no laws were broken. It was the second instance in recent days in which unconcealed weapons have appeared near presidential events.
…Arizona law has nothing in the books regulating assault rifles, and only requires permits for carrying concealed weapons. So despite the man's proximity to the president, there were no charges or arrests to be made. Hill said officers explained the law to some people who were upset about the presence of weapons at the protest.
"I come from another state where 'open carry' is legal, but no one does it, so the police don't really know about it and they harass people, arrest people falsely," the man, who wasn't identified, said in an interview aired by CNN affiliate KNVX. "I think that people need to get out and do it more so that they get kind of conditioned to it."
The article goes on to explain that a site becomes federalized by the Secret Service, so, for instance, the inside venue where the President might be would be off-limits to Mr. Assault Rifle. However, that doesn't help very much if the heat-packer is an unbalanced individual who decides to spray a crowd of, say, health care reform supporters. Nice.



14 Comments





Why nothing happenedIf it were a GWB town hall they would have instantly detained by the Secret Service who have complete control over any jurisdiction the President even passes through – and they have. Hell, remember you couldn’t even wear an t-shirt critical of Bush near one of his events.
This was an obvious attempt at intimidation – not just of the POTUS but to everyone who supports him. They might as well have been standing outside of the Reichstag in ’33 baying for blood. They know exactly what they are doing. And can you IMAGINE if any lefty had been dumb enough to have brought a firearm near a Bush event what the right wing noise machine would have done? Limbaugh probably would have demanded internment camps for all liberals.
Remember – these right wing protesters get kid glove treatment but when the political shoe is on the other foot, lefty protesters get brutalized and arrested. In the case of the GOP convention they get ‘preventively detained.’
Remember that law enforcement generally sides with the teabaggers and they know it so they strut around with impunity. I fear the long night of fascism continues to beckon.
Ooo! Example:08-17) 17:16 PDT Berkeley, Calif. (AP) –
Police have arrested at least four people during a protest at the University of California, Berkeley campus.
Campus police made the arrests as protesters gathered Monday outside the UC Berkeley School of Law to call for the dismissal of John Yoo.
He’s scheduled to begin teaching there after spending the spring semester at Chapman University School of Law in Orange County.
The arrests came after police asked the protesters to leave.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/…
this smellsSomething about this guy with the assault weapon really smells. I’ve been reading through as many articles as I can find on this incident. Who he is?
When’s the last time a gun-toting wingnut has been in front of cameras and hasn’t wanted to be identified?
When was the last time we’ve seen plants at rallies, there to fan the flames of crazy?
Who is he?He’s Chris, lol.
http://www.arizonashooting.com…
that’sdamn scary! Truly frightening comments at that link. I’m sure that Chris B is a real charmer. I know I cherish my friends who pack assault heat in public.
Local news is already reportingon a supposed “zero tolerance policy” for protesters during the G20 summit here next month. Both the Secret Service and local police are preparing for huge number of arrests. We are assured that all the people who will be protesting are “anarchists” and are “bent on destruction.”
sighCome on, this guy was obeying the law. People are allowed to carry guns, even in public, even openly, even weapons as enormous and ludicrously out of proportion to any possible threat as that one. There’s no evidence that he’s at all “unbalanced” or homicidal. We really need to stop this knee-jerk fear reaction to guns, esp. guns in public – it doesn’t do anything but spread more fear and negative stereotypes about liberals.
And he’s right – we need more people to carry openly. It’s their right and it’s a travesty that the police arrest people who are actually obeying the law.
I would like to see some fact checkingThis man was not carrying an “Assault Rifle”. An “Assault Rifle” is defined as follows:
From Wikipedia: Assault Rifle
Commercially available Military style rifles are not assault rifles, this is a word that is constantly misused by media on all levels, and all sides of the political spectrum.
If you want to accuse me of nitpicking, that’s fine, but the language used, especially in headlines, matters.
oh, my badYay guns then.
Attention WhoreMan carrying rifle: “I think that people need to get out and do it more”
What he really means: “Do you think Chris Matthews will interview me on the TeeVee?”
Uhhhhh WTF? over>.< just what the f@@k?
A guy with a rifle shows up at the venue where the president is at and its OK?
I’m sorry but I’m baffled and pissed that anyone would take a rifle to see the president for any reason and for it to be allowed?
Just WTF! and why is everyone so f@@king casual about it?
I’m a redneck from south Alabama and spent 20 years in the military and I seriously think a few hundred people need a swift kick in the pants and to have thier toys taken away from them.
You wanna open carry your toy around? Fine, but dang not in the same area that the president is at.
If I was allowed to I’d make them all slog with a 80 pound pack and thier toy over in the sand box until I get tired of it.
yep, just teh awesome7 People Shot Within 8-Hour Period in Newark
4 non-fatal shootings, 6 victims in Newark within 24 hours
yeah, just awesome….
effing disgusting
Here’s a joke about this.If you show up to an anti-Obama counterprotest rally with a few firearms, then you might be a
redneckdoucebag.Pardon the mutilation of Tale Of Two CitiesWas the best of times, it was the batshit craziest of times…
Dena