ConditionThree
State Pioneer
imported post
The Brady Campaign has thrown down the gauntlet asserting that carrying a gun is an act of intimidation, while at the same time setting forth a practice of threatening businesses with boycott. The organized meets at commercial locations then, entices the BC to intimidate those locations we frequent into not serving us. Thereare ways to disfuse this cycle of cyber bullying and thuggingof every location open carriers show up.
We have seen both interest in and opposition of open carry skyrocket due to the repeated articles in the newsmedia. This jump in interest is soley due to the media's willingness to cover a contreversial topic. Unfortunately, this interest cannot be maintained indefinately if all the participants do is drink coffee and eat with a holstered firearm. If this movement is to remain newsworthy, it is essential to take the activism from the coffee shop to the streets. Right now, those who see these great get togethers, see themas something that you are doing for yourselves, your egos, or libedos. In order to dispel the notion that this is all about the self-absorbed display of rights- a different strategy must be enacted.
I think that its been demonstrated that open carriers can garner more support and greater numbers than the BC can. I say this in part because, so far, even when given the opportunity to show and oppose the activity, none of the bay areas 500 allegedBC chapter members made their presence known at the Walnut Creek event. This gives the open carriers an advantage in the areaof protest demonstration in the field.
To make the Brady Campaign completely impotent in the area of intimidation, I believe that open carry groups should adopt all manner of charity and public service. This does two things: 1) It gives media another issue to focus on in addition to covering an armed protest group... and 2) Diffuses the BC's assertion that open carry people are doing this for selfishreasons andto intimidate people.
I have brought this up before, but its time to revisit this as the circumstances are dictating a change in tactics.
Open carry groups in California should be involved in:
Community clean ups, adopt-a-highway,Christmas toy drives, clothing drives, food bank collections, fundraising for children's school programs, and all manner of charity for childrens medicine... Pet rescue and adoption, as well ashandgun 'appleseed' programs (community education on firearms).
The beauty of the un-organized open carry groups is thatbecause they are so cellular and in many cases, seperated by (the Bay Area) geography, there is no one thing that the entire group has to participate in---Instead of one group of 100 showing up at one location, it could be a group of 20-25 to clean up a community park in one area, or a group of4-5 passing the hat for a children's burn center in another, while another group teaches handgun safety at a local range to people (women, gays/lesbians, those with handicap)who are new to the world of firearms.
If we get involved in this manner, it becomes more and more difficult to lump all gun owners into this 'big man with a gun, compensating for his deficiencies' bullsh*t that the BC and anti-gunners shout at the uninformed masses.
The Brady Campaign has thrown down the gauntlet asserting that carrying a gun is an act of intimidation, while at the same time setting forth a practice of threatening businesses with boycott. The organized meets at commercial locations then, entices the BC to intimidate those locations we frequent into not serving us. Thereare ways to disfuse this cycle of cyber bullying and thuggingof every location open carriers show up.
We have seen both interest in and opposition of open carry skyrocket due to the repeated articles in the newsmedia. This jump in interest is soley due to the media's willingness to cover a contreversial topic. Unfortunately, this interest cannot be maintained indefinately if all the participants do is drink coffee and eat with a holstered firearm. If this movement is to remain newsworthy, it is essential to take the activism from the coffee shop to the streets. Right now, those who see these great get togethers, see themas something that you are doing for yourselves, your egos, or libedos. In order to dispel the notion that this is all about the self-absorbed display of rights- a different strategy must be enacted.
I think that its been demonstrated that open carriers can garner more support and greater numbers than the BC can. I say this in part because, so far, even when given the opportunity to show and oppose the activity, none of the bay areas 500 allegedBC chapter members made their presence known at the Walnut Creek event. This gives the open carriers an advantage in the areaof protest demonstration in the field.
To make the Brady Campaign completely impotent in the area of intimidation, I believe that open carry groups should adopt all manner of charity and public service. This does two things: 1) It gives media another issue to focus on in addition to covering an armed protest group... and 2) Diffuses the BC's assertion that open carry people are doing this for selfishreasons andto intimidate people.
I have brought this up before, but its time to revisit this as the circumstances are dictating a change in tactics.
Open carry groups in California should be involved in:
Community clean ups, adopt-a-highway,Christmas toy drives, clothing drives, food bank collections, fundraising for children's school programs, and all manner of charity for childrens medicine... Pet rescue and adoption, as well ashandgun 'appleseed' programs (community education on firearms).
The beauty of the un-organized open carry groups is thatbecause they are so cellular and in many cases, seperated by (the Bay Area) geography, there is no one thing that the entire group has to participate in---Instead of one group of 100 showing up at one location, it could be a group of 20-25 to clean up a community park in one area, or a group of4-5 passing the hat for a children's burn center in another, while another group teaches handgun safety at a local range to people (women, gays/lesbians, those with handicap)who are new to the world of firearms.
If we get involved in this manner, it becomes more and more difficult to lump all gun owners into this 'big man with a gun, compensating for his deficiencies' bullsh*t that the BC and anti-gunners shout at the uninformed masses.