Pro Gun Goodness
Is there anything better than hanging out with a bunch of gun nuts? Well, yes, but I shouldn’t talk about such adult matters. But hanging out with gunnies is up there as a great pastime. Countertop and Ravenwood both encouraged me to attend the VCDL Bloomberg gun giveaway. I’m so glad I did.
As I pulled up, Ravenwood let me know there were protestors. I *heart* protestors. There were about 15-20 there. Including some million mom marchers who assumed that such finely dressed men as Countertop and Ravenwood couldn’t possibly be on the side of the pro-gun crowd. Of course, one of the women then said that the people of China weren’t oppressed. That was one of many clues that she wasn’t working in reality. She then said that they “probably” had a lower murder rate. I pointed out that when she could return with actual numbers and figures, I’d be happy to chat with her.
Before you ask, I have no idea who the two people are that are standing away from the group. Mostly, the group was very poorly organized and didn’t even have slogans to fill their posterboard sheets. They also kept focusing on Virginia Tech (not a shock since a couple of victims were from this area, including one from the city the event was hosted in) and, something I’ve seen a lot of lately, calls for a ban on all semi-automatics. Countertop went over to ask about the calls and learned what we really already knew, that they have no idea how firearms function and why these types have been singled out.
This photo makes me think my camera is a male. Or a lesbian. The batteries were dying and it blurred, but tried to focus on the closest thing. I swear, I don’t think I could have ended up with a more awkward picture. There were about 60-75 people outside on our side. That doesn’t include the 150 in the meeting room. And the people not in the meeting room, but hanging out in the lobby area for drinks, bathroom, trying to get a sneak peak while the gun drawing was happening. In other words, we won – big time.
How adorable is that? Absolutely cute if you ask me. (UPDATE: Countertop has officially nicknamed him Politically Incorrect Son. I wonder if it would be based on his utter confusion and then desire to tell them to go back to Maryland once we explained they wanted to take his Daddy’s gun away.) Oh, but it gets better…
That says, “Don’t Take my Daddy’s Gun!” Yes, it was just as cute as you can imagine. I commented that it almost made me want one to corrupt. Then Countertop shared a story about changing diapers and suddenly, I was so okay just looking and admiring someone else’s.
None of us were lucky enough to win any of the guns. However, I think were were all happy to be there with pro-gun folks, giving the anti-gunners a hard time and encouraging tomorrow’s youth to defend their civil rights.
No obviously related posts.
[...] UPDATE Bitter has more. Including pics of politically incorrect son!) [...]
So, wearing suits to pro-gun events is appropriate?
I just want to point out – for the record – that she said they weren’t oppressed after I responded to her claim that “the Chinese people are shocked at how Americans allow so much blood to run in the streets” with a bewildered – “they’re oppressed”
Engagement – its the best part of protesters
I really wanted to go but middle of the week events four hours away (each way, in good traffic) just aren’t conducive to my attendance.
Thanks for supporting the event and thanks again for the report.
>>So, wearing suits to pro-gun events is appropriate?
Well, D.C. area traffic doesn’t leave a whole lot of time to go home and change.
Bloomberg Gun Giveaway – followup…
I went to the Bloomberg Gun Giveaway last night with Bitter and Countertop (who brought Politically Incorrect Son with him). Bitter has some great pics and a wrap-up. We had a much larger crowd. Countertop and I were both dressed……
Wearing suits is not only appropriate for these types of events, but even encouraged. Of course, that pretty much assures you won’t be on television. But try to bring kids and/or women, that’s also good.
[...] From the Bloomberg gun giveaway. [...]
“Including some million mom marchers who assumed that such finely dressed men as Countertop and Ravenwood couldn’t possibly be on the side of the pro-gun crowd.”
I think it was David Hardy who said they always had a bunch of guys decked out in camo at pro-gun rallies knowing that’s who the press would talk to. Once they got on camera, they’d pull off their camo revealing a nice suit and introduce themselves as Dr. So-and-so. I think, also, David said they never made it on TeeVee.
In my hometown of Morgantown, WV there is a yearly fund-raiser for the WVU Rifle Team, which is really just a big gun show. The price of admission gives you the chance to win one of 30 or so guns they give away. I always marveled at what huge crowds can be drawn by gun give-aways. Strangely, I’ve never seen an anti-gun protester at the WVU Rifle Team fund-raiser. Maybe it has to do with the fact that our rifle team is famously excellent. Oh, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a Brady Campaign supporter in WV.
I wish I could have gone. A two in a few hundred chance to win a free gun ain’t bad. I’d even have been happy with the rifle.
(I wonder if the 1-in-10 twist would be fast enough to make a 45 grain bullet at about 4000fps disintegrate before hitting the target… Or, I could shoot prarie dogs. But I don’t think I’d have the range to hit Kansas from here.)
[...] Update: Bitter has pictures from the event. [...]
I was there as well. I got there about 7:15 and got a place in the room (standing room only even 45 minutes early). The fire marshals were sort of enforcing the room capacity limit. Actually, THEY weren’t, the VCDL guys were. The Fire Marshals seemed mostly just standing around waiting for an excuse. I asked one of the VCDL guys (I think) if the capacity limit sign was there for any of their previous meetings, he just gave me a terse smile and didn’t answer. The capacity limit (150) meant that press members repeatedly tried to sneak in, risking the meeting being canceled by the fire marshals. Several VCDL members gave up their positions to let press in. No, I did NOT offer to give my place to any member of the ‘press’ – Mostly because of this: One of the VCDL members had brought a [very obviously] mentally handicapped son/ward with her. I saw at least two news crews stick a camera in the poor guys face and try to interview him. That gives you some idea of the image of gun owners the press wished to project. The press are pigs. The mother/guardian was considerably more polite than she should have been.
ABC and CBS nightly news both did stories – they mainly featured the protestors, in particular one mom who lost a stepdaughter in the Virginia Tech shooting was featured in both stories.
Needless to say, the stories had a certain idiological tilt to them and it was not towards you guys…
[...] Bitter was there and has good coverage. [...]
[...] had pictures earlier in the week. Here are some more pictures from the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Bloomberg Gun Giveaway. [...]