Did we shoot ourselves in the foot in Harrisburg?

[N3HCP]

Here's a link to a news story about the sign held up at the gun rights rally.

http://www.abc27.com/news/stories/0407/417622.html

The media seems to be focusing on the sign and not on the larger story of the rally. The antis have also seized on the opportunity to, yet again, paint all gun owners as a bunch of dangerous people who should most certainly not be allowed to have weapons. While I understand the historical reference in the sign, most seem to have missed it.

IMHO, we need to stick to the facts and resist the temptation to attack the people who disagree with us. Incidents like this which can be misinterpreted as threats against anyone, let alone lawmakers, can not serve our best interests.

[CQB]

First... It wasn't the best sign that they could have come up with.

Second... How did I know it would turn into a race issue.

Third... I think the sign was self explanitory, hang him from the tree of liberty for treasonous acts against the constitution. Back in the day you were hung for treason.

Fourth... Freedom of speech. If some hippy, anti war, Bush hatin commy can burn a flag then these guys can hang a sign.

Fifth... I could care less about how his ancestors were victims of "signage". Hang the next "Negro". No where in that sign was there anything about race. Not one racist thing was stated. Typically it's called a silent protest even when signage is used. Get over your black heritage!

Sixth... Maybe if he wasn't a communist, gun hatin, wanna get a race war started type person then people wouldn't be out to get him, politically.

Seventh... You don't know if you are safe? What an idiot! I didn't see one act of agression the whole time the sign was up. Even when they were asked to take it down there was no agression only compliance. I'll bet you if the politician was white there wouldn't be crap said about it!

These are all of my opinions. Don't like 'em, don't read 'em. But never the less, all I can say is, it's typical.

[OneLungMcClung]

Originally Posted by N3HCP

The media seems to be focusing on the sign and not on the larger story of the rally. The antis have also seized on the opportunity to, yet again, paint all gun owners as a bunch of dangerous people who should most certainly not be allowed to have weapons.

What we are witnessing is classic politics - Cruz is, after all, a politician, and I will (grudgingly) say that he is very adept, just like both Clinton and GW's team, at spinning an issue and getting the spotlight off of him. I believe he was trully surprised by the rapid and vicious reaction to HB 760 and now is trying to backpedal without it looking like he's backpedalling. He is, also, one of those people who is probably very good at "it's not my fault". I'm sure all of you know at least one person like this - no matter how obvious it is that he/she just made a mistake, he/she can somehow twist words and evidence and point fingers and scream enough to make it out to be someone else's fault.

The media? The media on a whole is not about news. It's about ad revenue. While I am sure many reporters trully are good reporters and want to be the next Cronkite or whoever, the industry they work for is about $money$. What sells? Drama. This headline will run much longer than a headline that basically states that a Left-wing politician was wrong. Whoever controls the media usually controls the majority of the public view.

Originally Posted by N3HCP

While I understand the historical reference in the sign, most seem to have missed it.

IMHO, we need to stick to the facts and resist the temptation to attack the people who disagree with us. Incidents like this which can be misinterpreted as threats against anyone, let alone lawmakers, can not serve our best interests.

IMHO I totally agree with you on this. Seeing the spin job pulled off by Cruz and the irresponsibility of the media should illustrate the fact that we have to be responsible and careful.

Alot of people fear us because they fear the gun. Yes it's ignorance. Yes it's misguided. Yes, it's stereotyping a false image onto us. But it's still there - and people like Cruz know how to use the tool of the media to support their view and to swing attention to or from themselves.

Remember that this isn't just a struggle for the LAW, it is also a struggle for INFORMATION CONTROL. Those of you who will say "we have the right to say whatever we feel when we feel it" are dead right - you're right but you're still dead. You'll be saying what you feel even as the media is killing you in public, and the vast majority of the public is scared and on the fence about guns.

[SGTUSArmy]

I know this is going to be far fetched, but I just had a brilliant (IMHO) idea.

Cruz spun this to make it look like the gun owners were going to lynch him, right? Then how about if a lawsuit is brought up claiming discrimination? Is he not stereotyping gun owners? Is he, and the other politicians, not trying to take the rights of one group of people? That meets the basis of discrimination. One group trying to thrust their ideas on another. In this case the anti-gun owners are trying to overpower the rights of the gun owners.

[Siobhra]

Anything we do he will spin against us.

[sams819]

Where is the first admendment right here, the right to free speech?

[Siobhra]

That is what we should be screaming now.

Cruz hate the 2ed Amendment and now he hates the 1st. Which one will he attack next?

And keep pointing that out. Sadly no one will listen to us.

[TravisBickle]

He knows that it wasn't intended as a threat and he knows it wasn't racist. He can go F@$K himself with a plantain. He's just playing the race card because that's what works.

This is the same guy who drove city vehicles for years without even a learner's permit to drive if I'm not mistaken.

[CQB]

Originally Posted by MorganB

He knows that it wasn't intended as a threat and he knows it wasn't racist. He can go F@$K himself with a plantain. He's just playing the race card because that's what works.

This is the same guy who drove city vehicles for years without even a learner's permit to drive if I'm not mistaken.

Now that right there is funny! I don't care who ya are!

[sams819]

He wasn't driving with out a license< HE WAS " CRUZIN"