Gun Owners Beware - Let's Not Act Like Hot-Headed Fools

Political Realities ^ | 05/05/13 | LD Jackson

[LD Jackson]

I seldom post more than once per day, but I believe this warrants the occasion. I was doing my morning rounds of reading the news and blog posts I read almost every day and came across something that troubles me greatly. It has to do with the push for more gun control, restrictions on the 2nd Amendment and how gun owners are portrayed in the media.

If you have read Political Realities for any length of time, you should be aware of my stance on gun control. I do not believe it is a good thing, much less constitutional. I do not trust the liberal advocates of gun control and believe they will never be satisfied until the 2nd Amendment is legislated into non-relevancy. Call me paranoid, but that's how I feel.

Having said that, I do believe it falls on gun owners and other liberty-loving individuals in America to behave in responsibly. This is especially true in high-profile events where it is highly likely that the media will take the slightest misstep and portray it in a way that will not be to our advantage. Thus it is with the event that prompted me to write this post.

Salon - Libertarian activist and radio host Adam Kokesh is hoping to get 1,000 people to march on Washington on July 4 — armed with loaded rifles. The plan, launched with a Facebook group today, is to gather on the Virginia side of the Potomac, where gun laws are lax, and then march across the bridge with loaded rifles slung over their shoulders into the District, where openly carrying weapons is generally prohibited.

“This will be a non-violent event,” the Facebook group warns, “unless the government chooses to make it violent.” Already, over 200 people have said they’ll attend the march.

Seriously? With all the bad press gun owners receive from the media, no matter if the press should be bad or not, does Adam Kokesh really believe this is a smart idea? At the risk of sounding like I am questioning his motives, I can't help but wonder if he is more interested in raising his profile to the public than anything else. If he really wants to help gun owners, conducting a march on Washington with loaded weapons is not the way to go. It is my honest opinion that such a march would leave his intentions, good, bad, or otherwise, far too open to interpretation by the media. Does anyone reading this really believe that interpretation would turn into anything good for gun owners? I think not and I have no problem believing gun control advocates are salivating at the possibilities such a march would provide.

Hot Air - Showing up with a thousand (or even a few hundred) people openly carrying loaded weapons and marching toward the Capitol is not something that law enforcement is going to play around with, particularly when you announce it in advance. And they’re not going to allow the march to proceed “peacefully” either. Normally I’d write this off as a bad idea that wouldn’t gain widespread support, but the problem here is that it doesn’t need widespread support. It would really only take a few hundred really upset people to get it rolling. And even if most of them intend it to be peaceful, when the officials show up to arrest them, weapons drawn, you have the potential for disaster which Rick Moran foresees.

There isn't a chance this will turn out to be good for our cause. It will be anything except that. The more research I do, the more I am convinced that Adam Kokesh is after publicity for his upcoming run for Congress, more so than helping the plight of gun owners who feel their 2nd Amendment rights are under attack. I believe we should take steps to distance ourselves from Kokesh and his ill-conceived march on Washington with loaded rifles. Preemptively, we should be making it known that responsible gun owners have nothing to do with this hot-headed, anti-war demonstrator who is masquerading as a conservative.

[Gum Shoe]

“Libertarian activist and radio host Adam Kokesh is hoping to get 1,000 people to march on Washington on July 4 — armed with loaded rifles.”

Wow. How stupid. Bolsheviks just have to plant one A-hole with a firearm, with instructions to fire a round into a police car, and it's all over for the Second Amendment.

[Defiant]

Tar, feathers and a fence rail would be appropriate, too.

Would be nice if they could get access to Pelosi and Reid while in possession of those items.

[Defiant]

That is a great quote, but I have never heard of this event. I had to go look it up and learned about it. Interesting. Whatever short term impact he got from the march wasn’t long lasting, because he didn’t have a real army, and he didn’t have enough popular support. He got attention for a while, apparently, but that was all.

[CedarDave]

“Libertarian activist and radio host Adam Kokesh is hoping to get 1,000 people to march on Washington on July 4 — armed with loaded rifles.”

He isn't a "libertarian activist" but he is a left-wing radical. See the Michelle Malkin article linked below.
(BTW, Kokesh ran for Congress from NM-3 (Santa Fe area) in 2010. He lost the Republican primary by a big margin. I don't know plans for him to don the sheep's clothing again in 2014.)

[CedarDave]

See this Michelle Malkin article from 2010:

Adam Kokesh: An anti-war smear merchant in “Republican” clothing

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[OneWingedShark]

Freedom of Speech means nothing is you refrain from saying things that the government doesn't want to hear.
The Right to Keep and Bear Arms means nothing is you refrain from carrying arms in any situation where the government doesn't want you to.

I believe the right should be exercised. A lot.

Agreed -- one of the reasons I like to open-carry when I can.

[OneWingedShark]

That was a pretty good story (I saw it the other day). The stunt described in the OP here is in blatant violation of the DC law

How can it be in violation of DC law when any law contrary to the constitution; as explained in Maybury v Madison:

It is also not entirely unworthy of observation that, in declaring what shall be the supreme law of the land, the Constitution itself is first mentioned, and not the laws of the United States generally, but those only which shall be made in pursuance of the Constitution, have that rank.

Thus, the particular phraseology of the Constitution of the United States confirms and strengthens the principle, supposed to be essential to all written Constitutions, that a law repugnant to the Constitution is void, and that courts, as well as other departments, are bound by that instrument.

The rule must be discharged.

and the Constitution itself says that the right of the people to keep and bear arms "shall not be infringed."

[OneWingedShark]

Well, laws would be broken. I think that's the intent. According to the article, they're going to assemble in VA, where what they would not be in violation, then cross into DC, where open loaded carry IS illegal.

Remind me again by what authority DC is ruled... Congress? (To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District).

So then, if all DC's laws are from the Congress, and the Congress is bound by the Constitution, how can that law forbid open carry when the Constitution clearly says:
"A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed."?

[Cyber Liberty]

Are you planning on marching on DC with a loaded rifle? I want to know so I can stay the Hell away from you.

[OneWingedShark]

Are you planning on marching on DC with a loaded rifle? I want to know so I can stay the Hell away from you.

No; I just have a bit of interest in law. -- I'd seriously consider going the lawyer route if it wasn't for the fact that our judicial system is completely unconcerned with either justice¹ or consistency².

¹ -- This is evident in that in order to challenge a "law" that is contrary to the Constitution, even plainly and explicitly so, one must violate that "law" (thus implicitly acknowledging its authority as legitimate) and fight from the weaker position of that of the accused.
² -- This is evident in the "right to privacy" between a patient and a doctor that allows for abortion... yet that same "right to privacy" does not protect you from unreasonable searches (as guaranteed by the 4th Amd) or from having to submit all your medical data to the government (Obamacare).

[Cyber Liberty]

Thanks for clearing that up. I hear people declare all the time that Income Tax is illegal, but if you don’t pay it, the jail time you get is very real. Our legal system is injustice on legs.

[DLfromthedesert]

Your governor is going to be in Tucson this week. I’m going to a reception for her tomorrow evening hosted by the Southern AZ Hispanic Republicans.

I’m so excited; I loved her at the Convention!

[CedarDave]

Susana’s very personable - hope you get to meet her.