Health care protest with invite to wear guns

[duhneece]

Is there something 'off' about a health-care reform protest where they invite and encourage people to wear guns, like what happened in Alamogordo today?

Today there was a protest in my community with armed protesters.

Protesters: Guns welcome

Full story: Alamogordo Daily News

"If you're not happy with how the government is operating, disgusted with health care reform legislation or cap-and-trade talk, you'll have a chance to show your feelings in public.

And you might be able to do it with a gun in your hand.

A protest, jointly organized by the Otero Tea Party Patriots, the newly formed Alamogordo Second Amendment Task Force and the Sons of Liberty Riders, a national motorcycle rights group that also "fights overbearing government intervention," will be conducted from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the corner of 10th Street and White Sands Boulevard...."
http://www.alamogordonews.com/ci_14091103

http://www.topix.net/forum/source/alamogordo-daily-news...

TV coverage:
http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S1341045.shtml?cat=5...

[Matt St John]

1. Gun in hand is "Brandishing".

Why so emotional? How did their protest with guns at their side affect you in any way?

[duhneece]

2. Emotional?

I asked the question if it seemed 'off' to anyone else that a protest is armed. A protest IS emotional and the teaparty folks used the emotional words 'unhappy' and 'disgusted'.

You used the word 'brandish'-I didn't, but that word also conjures up emotions, as do all words.

I would have thought it was my imagination when I was threatened by a man patting his gun as he yelled at me to get my ass out of the US had I not had a witness or two.

[rabs]

3. Did you report the man who threatened you to the police?

Sure seems that it was an overt threat and you had witnesses. Apparently "patting his gun" and telling you to leave the country is his twisted version of free speech. What an idiot.

FYI the woman in the KOB video, Glynnis Racine, is the wife of the editor of the Ruidoso News here in Lincoln County. So you can imagine the editorial line of the paper.

As for the Tea Party, their heroine "Bailin Palin" left the teabaggers "dangling" at the convention last week. :rofl:

[duhneece]

4. No, I should have filed a report

I think it took me by such a surprise that I just didn't think about calling the cops.
Several years ago during an anti-war protest, a nut with a sign saying "Nuke the MidEast" tried to knock me in the street and I did file a police report. The guy, Tim Hardegree, murdered a young man a year or so ago.

[rabs]

5. In the end, maybe it was best you did not turn in the guy

Sure sounds like he was mentally unbalanced, according to article and video below. (From KOAT, July 11, 2008.)

Also saw where his trial was last month (presumably in Alamo) but was unable to find out what the verdict was. Would you happen to know?


http://www.koat.com/news/16858532/detail.html

[duhneece]

6. I found this

A 52-YEAR-OLD MAN PLEADED GUILTY BUT MENTALLY ILL ON DEC. 28 FOR SHOOTING AND KILLING HIS NEIGHBOR WITH A RIFLE AND HANDGUN AFTER AN ARGUMENT IN JULY 2008. TIMOTHY WAYNE HARDEGREE, IN A PLEA AGREEMENT, PLEADED GUILTY BUT MENTALLY ILL TO ONE COUNT OF MURDER IN THE SECOND DEGREE, ABUSE OF A CHILD, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND TWO COUNTS OF AGGRAVATED BATTERY. According to District Court records, Hardegree and 33 YEAR OLD JAMES ALLEN got into an argument about Allen’s children playing in the parking lot AT THE STARLIGHT APARTMENTS IN ALAMOGORDO JULY 10TH 2008. WITNESSES SAID HARDEGREE WENT TO HIS APARTMENT, GOT A RIFLE AND SHOT ALLEN. HE ALSO SHOT AND WOUNDED ANOTHER WOMAN WHILE SHE A AND A TWELVE YEAR OLD CHILD WERE ATTEMPTING TO RENDER AID TO ALLEN. HARDEGREE IS BEING HELD AT THE OTERO COUNTY DETENTION CENTER AND IS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN 12TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT FOR SENTENCING MARCH 12.

http://www.kwes.net/?page_id=218

[benEzra]

7. If they can get the MSM hyperventilating about "OMG teh gunz!!"

then they effectively change the subject from health care reform to gun issues, which is undoubtedly the intent.

Look at how the publicity stunt with the guy carrying the unloaded rifle at a staged-for-the-cameras "protest" a few months ago overshadowed coverage of the particulars of the health care debate for weeks, even here on DU.