I plan to check it out when they come to the Austin area. Anyone else in their area?
Quote from: StinkerBell on October 27, 2009, 08:48:02 AM
They are anti gun?
How did I miss that? d*
Darn skippy they are. The claim they aren't, they just don't want anyone to carry them. >:(
Peninsula Patriots tell gun owners to cover uphttp://news.oldva.org/blogroll/peninsula-patriots-tell-gun-owner-to-cover-up/
This isn't just one Tea Party group. It happens over and over. They did shut up after this article (I had done others) but the policy hasn't changed.
I've let them know that I won't photograph any more events unless it's to make fun of them. ;)
The Story:
Last week I wrote a story about apparently, anti gun actions by the Richmond Tea Party and associated groups. I offered to publish their side unedited. They chose to ignore my offer. As a result, I will not photograph any more of the Tea party events.
Yesterday, the Peninsula Patriots held their soiree. While inviting gun owners and Pro Second groups, they later asked people legally carrying weapons to put them away or cover up. I did not attend because of the reasons stated above.
One eyewitness said "while the land owners had previously said it was OK to open carry, after we'd been there about a half hour, the land owner came up to us and said that the Peninsula Patriots "Leadership" were not happy with us open carrying and wanted us to either conceal or remove our handguns. We were told the "Leadership" didn't want us giving the media (one guy) reason to say we were "gun toten' rednecks".
Old Virginia is a Rural Affairs Group and while we are solidly behind gunowners and offer any support we can, leave the gun lobby to the experts at VCDL and GOA. As a group, we don't have a dog in this fight.
As an individual, I Do! The following response by Tom Robinson is well written, well reasoned and with one glaring exception about classifying people who carry a gun....reasonable. It also smacks of deal making and political wrangling. Because of that I will still refuse to photograph any more rallies and I expect others will follow suit. You can't pick and choose which parts of the Constitution a PRO CONSTITUTION group will support. It's a package deal.
Tom Robinson's response:
Good Morning Don,
I will be happy to answer your question. As an organizer for the Peninsula Patriots, I have been to many meetings, rallies, Tea Parties, Etc, both listening to, and presenting, 2nd Amendment speeches to those attending the events. In virtually EVERY case, a member of the media is present, with photographers, to "catch"
those choosing to openly carry at the events. The story is then changed to make the story about the "GUN" and not our RIGHT to carry one. I carry a gun every day, and have had occasions to use it to protect myself, and others, from certain death. Never, however, have I felt the necessity to display it openly as a "badge of courage", although I will fight to the death to defend my right, and yours, to do so.
The Peninsula Patriots is a young, and still fragile, conservative movement.. We have already lost a few members who are afraid that we are becoming too vocal about the need to be prepared to use firearms, if necessary, to protect our freedoms. An open display of "gun totin' Patriots, not Rednecks", is very unsettling to many Americans, and we can't afford to alienate current, and potential, members at this crucial time in our movement.
Please allow me to ask you a few questions...
1. Knowing that you have the right to own and carry a weapon virtually anywhere throughout Virginia, WHY do you feel the need to brandish your weapons openly in a friendly, non-threatening, environment? Were you concerned that you were going to be attacked by some unknown alien forces while attending a Patriotic rally?
2. Several of those attending were actually making comical statements about one of your members who felt the need to not only openly carry a fully-loaded, semi-automatic weapon to a conservative rally, but also felt it necessary to carry multiple extra clips and other paraphernalia, just in case we came under a massive attack. Do you not realize that the legal, but inappropriate, "in your face" display of weaponry probably did your, and my, movement more harm than good?
3. To put this in a more logical perspective...Virtually every Virginian, with the exception of felons and nut cases, has the right to openly carry a weapon, so that part is no big deal. It is your license to carry a CONCEALED weapon that sets you apart from those who don't possess a similar permit. That being said...You may have a fishing license, but do you feel compelled to carry your rod and reel to the movies? You have a license to drive a car, but do you feel it is necessary to park it next to you at church? I could go on and on.
Although I have spent many years in law enforcement internationally, both in counter-terrorism and counter-drug activities, I am also actively involved in marketing and public relations. Knowing the correct time and place to "show your wares"
is a key component in successfully "selling" your products, services and ideas. Presenting your members as "casual commandos"
in yesterday's friendly, non-threatening setting was clearly "overkill", and turned many potential members away from your worthy cause.
As a professional in the field of law enforcement I would like to give a little sage advice. Law enforcement agencies train their officers to pay close attention to anyone who feels compelled to openly brandish a loaded weapon in public. Those openly carrying are put in various categories and observed accordingly. 1st. Power trip – The need to present the appearance of power to overcome feelings of inadequacy. 2nd. Need for authority - All too often, those individuals openly carrying weapons wanted to be a police officer with the power, but not the responsibility, that goes with the job. They were rejected for various reasons, usually psychological, followed by obesity, at which point many of them applied for positions as deputy sheriffs, then private security officers...anything that would give them a feeling of power over others. Although I am not accusing any members of your group of fitting into that category, it is a profile observed by most agencies and officers.
Don, I am 100% behind you, and I applaud your continuing efforts to protect our 2nd Amendment rights. I am just trying to use years'
of experience to assist you in waging a just and Holy war against those who would quickly deprive us of our freedoms if given half a chance. HooRah. Keep up the great work you are doing for ALL Americans.
All the best,
Tom
Comment:
From the response of Tom Robinson's response you would have thought a bunch or AR 15 carrying uniformed militia member's showed up to make a statement far beyond the scope of what the tea parties stand for. From what I seem to remember there was one instance of a person being armed with an AR 15 at a health care demonstration rally that turned out to be a radio station stunt? As well the media went all out with it and even tried to portray it as a white redneck racist in which in all actuality the person was black. The truth will find you out, and it did. I believe the news traveled quickly on this to show in this case what the true media was about, as well, their own goals and agenda to push their anti gun views.
As far as other open carry at demonstrations, no laws were broken. Suffice to say as well there were no issues either. I know for fact that the media and other anti gun rights people were upset, more so to the fact that the administration didn't seemed threatened by currant open carry laws of some states. As well even the secret service didn't have any issues. Something as well people seem to miss in there knowledge of the man that was first seen on the news open carrying on his leg. From what I understand about it he was threatened by pro union people, if it were not the fact that he was with someone that was later noticed by these people to be carrying, chances are he would have been hurt or in the worse case killed.
Tom Robinson himself has seemed to forget it is not just the right to bear arms, but the reasoning behind it. Yes it is about a trainee of government, but it is as well the right to protect ones self. Does he truly believe that anti tea party people would not stoop to violence as a way to express their disregard to our first amendment rights? Timothy McVey did not open carry his bombs before his public display of being a terrorist. As well neither did bombers of abortion clinics, nor the man that shot an abortion doctor at a church. Same could be said about our currant presidents long time friend Bill Ayers; wasn't he anti war but yet founded the Weather Underground in which showed a public display of bombings? Is it truly off the wall to believe that things could happen at things such as tea parties or peaceful demonstrations? I guess as well union members can go without fear of someone being able to defend them self if they wanted to drive their point through threats and violence.
Concealed or Open Carry is a legal choice. In some instances open carry is legal while concealed carry is not. There as well reasons why people would rather choose to open carry rather than conceal. Some of my reasoning is: in the summer it is much more comfortable for me to OC, less clothing as I sometimes have issues with the heat. I also find it more comfortable not to conceal in my pants as I have had several back surgeries which tend to leave that bump in my pants far more noticeable to me as I am very sensitive to discomfort. As well with thin clothing in the summer I would rather have someone seeing me legally carry openly, rather than for them to see a hint of my gun being hidden and wonder if I am legal or not. I as well think you could consider open carry as a warning shot without even touching your weapon. I have said it before, many criminals just want what they can steal, they use weapons for intimidation purpose and in some cases seeing an openly carried weapon can cause them to change their mind, and go else where. Same applies to someone that just wants to come up and harass, just because of your being. My other opinion about open carry is that we can go out in the public and show with visual affect that we are just law abiding ordinary people that can conduct ourselves responsibly while carrying.
Not to forget another reason for legal open carry is not having a concealed handgun permit. Some people don't want the added hassle of having one or keeping up with it, figuring what is the reason, I can legally open carry. Some as well don't want the added publicity associated with it as names and addresses can sometimes be posted on various public sites. Not to mention it leaves the door open to corrupt government policy where the knowledge that you have a weapons could be noted if there were ever an all out surrender your weapons agenda. Keeping this in mind if for some reason a terrorist organization were ever able to get a hand on this list, they would know where to go to find said weapons. Look how good government has done so far in safe guarding so many of our citizen's social security numbers and personal information.
In closing I as have well come to the conclusion that the tea party events and so fourth seem to be bending to the non gun supportive liberal ways and reasoning that I am so against. To me it only starts there and continues to grow until there is nothing left, and I will not be a part of it. To the rest; I will leave it up to your own judgment. Why allow guns at all if you cannot use them in the legal manner intended, and this is just one true case in they just don't get it.
Kenny Sipe