A little bit after the inauguration, they'll be able to take off the yellow letters at the bottom. Maybe replace them with the Stars and Stripes and an eagle or something else patriotic.
You had the option of watching McCain live (past the SS security perimeter), or watching the feed in the press room, where you could be armed. About half, including Bitter, chose to watch it from the press room and remain armed.
I was watching it live, so I deserve the blue button. There wasn't too much help I could offer the SS agent patrolling near the press box that I'm pretty sure had a machine pistol under his coat. That was the only time I was disarmed at the convention. The rest of the time I was armed, often openly, especially in the media office, which surprisingly didn't seem to upset any of the authorized journalists.
Now, now--let's not assume that me having fun with irony means I am telling any specific person they deserve anything. My primary motive is I just happen to think this is funny. If the joke falls flat with some, perhaps there is a reason other than it isn't...
My other intent is for people to think about the implications of being ordered to disarm at a "Celebration of American Values" during a convention centered around the Second Amendment.
Blaming it all on the SS rings hollow. I believe NRA had a choice of saying "No thanks--do it all via TV feed if that's your position," and McCain also had the option of telling the SS who the boss is--which I cede is extremely unlikely.
If McCain and NRA wanted to turn some of this around, he would show up for an impromptu photo op at their range next to armed members. Does anyone honestly believe randomly present members would pose a danger? Because if so, the gun controllers argument that none of us can be trusted must be true. And quite the opposite statement would be made about the trustworthiness of peaceable gun owners if he did--a real in-your-face to the gungrabbers who portray NRA members as violent lunatics.
I take no exception, and the button is pretty damned funny. You're right that McCain could have called off the SS and didn't. Either way, NRA would have pissed people off, whether they told McCain to stick it, and let down a lot of ticket holders who were expecting him, or whether they let the SS put on their security theater.
It wasnt McCain or the Secret Service that disarmed people at the NRA Convention.
The NRA has a HISTORY of disarming people attending the Annual Convention. The first time I really noticed was at the Philadelphia Convention in 1998. I live in Virginia and had both a Virginia and Pennsylvania Concealed Handgun Permits.
I KNOW the law, and I know that while OPEN carry is banned WITHOUT A PERMIT, concealed carry is perfectly legal. And with Pennsylvania's Preemption Law, the city cannot ban guns, even in the convention center.
Those signs were printed by the NRA, and posted by the NRA. They tried to make it seem the city banned guns in the convention center, but by state law, they cannot.
The bottom line is; THE NRA DOESN'T TRUST US!
On the other hand, I work gun shows, and have both loaded and unloaded guns pointed at me far more than I would like, so I sort of get it. Imagine the issue if someone was shot at the NRA Annual Convention!
BUT, they should be honest about it. They can state the risks are too high, so loaded guns are not allowed. Putting it on the city, or the convention center, or John McCain is just dishonest, and we should not tolerate the lie.
ahh, David. There you go, being divisive again. You know that button is just going to anger a certain segment of the gun rights community.
ReplyDeleteFunny that, though, don't you think? They weren't angered about doing it, only having it told.
Blue Button Lovers....
ReplyDeleteA little bit after the inauguration, they'll be able to take off the yellow letters at the bottom. Maybe replace them with the Stars and Stripes and an eagle or something else patriotic.
ReplyDeleteMy personal feelings...
ReplyDeleteThe NRA should have told McCain to stand outside the hall and deliver his speech via mega-phone to a well armed crowd inside.
You had the option of watching McCain live (past the SS security perimeter), or watching the feed in the press room, where you could be armed. About half, including Bitter, chose to watch it from the press room and remain armed.
ReplyDeleteI was watching it live, so I deserve the blue button. There wasn't too much help I could offer the SS agent patrolling near the press box that I'm pretty sure had a machine pistol under his coat. That was the only time I was disarmed at the convention. The rest of the time I was armed, often openly, especially in the media office, which surprisingly didn't seem to upset any of the authorized journalists.
Now, now--let's not assume that me having fun with irony means I am telling any specific person they deserve anything. My primary motive is I just happen to think this is funny. If the joke falls flat with some, perhaps there is a reason other than it isn't...
ReplyDeleteMy other intent is for people to think about the implications of being ordered to disarm at a "Celebration of American Values" during a convention centered around the Second Amendment.
Blaming it all on the SS rings hollow. I believe NRA had a choice of saying "No thanks--do it all via TV feed if that's your position," and McCain also had the option of telling the SS who the boss is--which I cede is extremely unlikely.
If McCain and NRA wanted to turn some of this around, he would show up for an impromptu photo op at their range next to armed members. Does anyone honestly believe randomly present members would pose a danger? Because if so, the gun controllers argument that none of us can be trusted must be true. And quite the opposite statement would be made about the trustworthiness of peaceable gun owners if he did--a real in-your-face to the gungrabbers who portray NRA members as violent lunatics.
I take no exception, and the button is pretty damned funny. You're right that McCain could have called off the SS and didn't. Either way, NRA would have pissed people off, whether they told McCain to stick it, and let down a lot of ticket holders who were expecting him, or whether they let the SS put on their security theater.
ReplyDeleteFunny Button. I can think of a few other things to put on it too.
ReplyDeleteIt wasnt McCain or the Secret Service that disarmed people at the NRA Convention.
ReplyDeleteThe NRA has a HISTORY of disarming people attending the Annual Convention. The first time I really noticed was at the Philadelphia Convention in 1998. I live in Virginia and had both a Virginia and Pennsylvania Concealed Handgun Permits.
I KNOW the law, and I know that while OPEN carry is banned WITHOUT A PERMIT, concealed carry is perfectly legal. And with Pennsylvania's Preemption Law, the city cannot ban guns, even in the convention center.
Those signs were printed by the NRA, and posted by the NRA. They tried to make it seem the city banned guns in the convention center, but by state law, they cannot.
The bottom line is; THE NRA DOESN'T TRUST US!
On the other hand, I work gun shows, and have both loaded and unloaded guns pointed at me far more than I would like, so I sort of get it. Imagine the issue if someone was shot at the NRA Annual Convention!
BUT, they should be honest about it. They can state the risks are too high, so loaded guns are not allowed. Putting it on the city, or the convention center, or John McCain is just dishonest, and we should not tolerate the lie.