Under pressure, President Trump stated Thursday:
I condemn all white supremacists, I condemn the Proud Boys. I don’t know much about the Proud Boys but I condemn that
Immediately after doing so, Trump was stricken with the CCP Virus.
At first, I was alarmed; the only good that might come of this is that Trump might not be able to participate in future debates – thus avoiding further making an idiot of himself.
I still am alarmed, not that I care about Trump personally. A real man would have refused to condemn Proud Boys – either on the grounds that he “doesn’t know much about them,” or on the grounds that they’re actually not a hateful, dangerous, group.
I’ve previously pointed out that Proud Boys is not a white-advocacy group. They’re a conservative group. But they’re like the canary in a coal mine. If Proud Boys is subject to official condemnation, then actual white-advocates certainly are.
That Trump is willing to condemn white-advocacy (AKA “white-supremacy”) confirms that he is our enemy – but less of an enemy than Biden. Therefore, in a desperate bid to preserve some of our liberties, I’ll be voting Trump, if he’s still alive during the election.
The First and Second Amendments are in danger, and today I’ll be writing about the Second Amendment.
We’re living in dangerous times. Roving mobs disrupt our lives, leaving destroyed businesses, toppled monuments and damaged infrastructure in their wake. Mobs are dangerous, but the corporate media continues to describe them as “peaceful protesters.” This is bad – but even worse is the fact that The Law doesn’t appear to recognize the inherent danger that mobs present.
A mob isn’t simply a collection of individuals. From How Stuff Works:
When a group of people has assembled because they’re emotional and angry about something, it only takes one act of violence to whip the crowd into a fury. Others will follow the initial rioter’s lead and begin destroying property or hurting people. A lot of research has been conducted into the mindset of a violent mob. Being part of a group can destroy people’s inhibitions, making them do things they’d never otherwise do. They lose their individual values and principles and adopt the group’s principles, which, during a riot, are usually to cause destruction and avoid detection. This standard can seem to be a just and righteous one, since the mobs assembled after an act of perceived inequality or unfairness, and the communal emotion can make the cause seem even more important. Being in the midst of a mob can be exciting and powerful, and it can make people feel invisible — they are part of a huge group, and they won’t be detected or held responsible for their actions.
Having once been attacked by a mob, I can speak of this with some authority. But, as I’ve said, The Law doesn’t seem to acknowledge the inherent danger of mobs, and the media has neglected its duty to inform. As a result, citizens are sometimes confronted with situations they are unfamiliar with, uninformed about, and unsure how to correctly react. This is a recipe for disaster.
In July, 2016, conservative journalist Aaron Strickland was confronted with a mob in Portland, Oregon. Fearing for his safety, he brandished his gun and pointed it at the advancing “protesters.” He was later found guilty, by a judge, of several felonies and sentenced to several years in prison, where he remains. He will be eligible for parole next year.
In my opinion, this was not a clear-cut case, and Strickland could have handled the situation better; just because you happen to have a gun doesn’t mean the gun should be your default solution in such situations; I think bear spray would have been better in this situation, and he knew, in advance, what he was getting into. However, we have the benefit of hindsight, and the mob was clearly advancing upon him. That’s a frightening state of affairs, and The Law should take this into account. Private citizens should be given the benefit of the doubt when dealing with mobs, which are inherently dangerous. When mobs are involved, there needs to be more leniency for gun-owners.
On May 30th of this year, Jake Gardner shot a rioter who was (allegedly) attacking him at his business. Having moved to Oregon, Gardner recently took his own life. From reclaim the net:
38-year-old Jake Gardner, who had suffered two traumatic brain injuries after serving as a Marine in Iraq, was allegedly confronted by a mob at his Hive Bar in downtown Omaha. According to prosecutors, after being pinned to the ground, Gardner fired warning shots and then got involved in a scuffle with 22-year-old James Scurlock, in which Schurlock was shot dead…
A GoFundMe for both Scurlock and Gardner was set up by supporters – the first for the family of Scurlock and the second for Gardner’s defense fund as reports said Gardner acted in self-defense.
However, while Scurlock’s GoFundMe campaigns went on to raise over $275,000, the platform shut down Gardner’s campaigns after complaints from activists, cutting his ability to fundraise for his legal defense…
In June, prosecutors were clear that Gardner acted in self-defense – such that, on June 1, Donald Kleine, the Douglas County attorney, made the decision not to bring a case against Gardner.
However, after much backlash online, in a press conference this week, while not giving details of any newly-uncovered evidence, special prosecutor Fredrick Franklin said that a grand jury was now “able to understand that Jake Gardner was threatening the use of deadly force in the absence of being threatened with a concomitant deadly force by James Scurlock or anyone who was associated with him,” and chose to prosecute for manslaughter, the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, attempted assault, and terroristic threats.
Faced with what was expected to be a $1 million bail, Gardner didn’t immediately turn himself in when an arrest warrant was signed on Friday as he was out of the state.
“The grand jury indictment was a shock to him,” Gardner’s attorney, Stuart Dorner said today at a press conference. “He was really shook up.”
Dorner said Gardner planned to return from around the Portland area on Sunday evening.
On Sunday evening, police in Hillsboro, Oregon, confirmed that Gardner was found dead outside a medical clinic, with wounds confirmed to be “by his own hand.”
I wasn’t there, and I don’t know exactly what transpired, but it speaks volumes about our society that a man of little means, denied the ability to earn a living, is not even permitted to collect charity for his own defense – a defense that only became necessary because of political pressure by a mob.
On June 28th of this year, Mark and Patricia McCloskey were confronted by a mob in front of their home in St. Louis. From BBC:
About two hours into the demonstration on Kingshighway, the marchers began making their way towards Krewson’s home. They walked north and made a left toward a street called Portland Place, which is blocked at both ends with imposing stone and wrought iron gates. Signs marked “Private Property” are posted at either end.
One of the houses on Portland Place is a spectacular, $1.15m (£880,730) Renaissance-style palazzo, built by an Anheuser-Busch beer fortune heiress in the early 1900s. This is the home of husband and wife Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who are both personal injury lawyers.
The confrontation
How it all began has been hotly contested. Mark McCloskey in one subsequent media interview said the protesters “smashed down” the gate.
“As soon as I said the words ‘private property,’ it seemed to enrage them,” he told Fox News “I ran in, got my rifle. I started standing on the wing of the patio saying, ‘Private property! Get out! Get out of here!’ They kept pouring in. That seemed to make them want to come forward.”…
On 10 July, city police searched and seized both of the guns from the couple. About a month later, St Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner charged both with “unlawful use of a weapon”, which is a felony. The complaint said that both had displayed their semi-automatic weapons “readily capable of lethal use, in an angry or threatening manner”.
The McCloskeys are well to do, and the both President Trump and Missouri governor Mike Parson have publicly defended the McCloskeys, stating that they were within their rights according to The Castle Doctrine.
On August 22nd of this year, Proud Boy Alan James Swinney was confronted by a BLM mob, one of whom (allegedly) threatened him with a sharp object. In response, Swinney pulled out his gun. From the New York Post:
A member of the far-right group the Proud Boys was arrested Wednesday for pointing a gun at rivals during clashes in Portland, Oregon, a report said.
The suspect, 50-year-old Alan Swinney, was hit with assault and several weapons charges for allegedly training a revolver on anti-fascist protesters during the clashes on Aug. 22, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
The far-right and leftist groups beat one another with bats, slugged each other and fired paintballs during the melee that day, according to the report.
Swinney remains incarcerated at the Multnomah County Jail. Eight charges have been filed against him. A short video clip of the incident is available, but it’s very short, and it’s difficult to ascertain what happened. Initially, Swinney was not charged; it’s possible that prosecutors were coerced into filing charges by political pressure groups (AKA BLM).
On August 25th of this year, Kyle Rittenhouse went to Kenosha to help protect businesses and to provide first aid if needed. From WPR.org:
Rittenhouse traveled to Kenosha on Aug. 25, two days after Kenosha police shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, in the back multiple times. The city had erupted into protest following Blake’s shooting, and multiple buildings had been burned.
Rittenhouse, a lifeguard and vocal supporter of police, said he was there to protect a local business and offer medical help if needed. He walked through the crowd that night with an AR-15 rifle strapped to his chest.
What happened that night is disputed, but the #FightBack Foundation has released a dramatic video that tells Rittenhouse’s side of the story. It’s a compilation of cell phone footage from the night of the shootings.
When it was over, 2 men were dead, and one was injured. From the videos, it appears that Rittenhouse was acting in self-defense, and he did peacefully turn himself in to the police. Nevertheless, he was arrested and charged with first degree murder. The Gofundme page, set up for his defense, was removed. Rittenhouse’s attorney, Lin Wood had his Twitter account suspended.
On September 18th of this year, Jim Geisler was confronted by a mob in Louisville, Kentucky. From The Blaze:
Louisville Metro Police declined to file charges against the man despite the demands from many on social media, and posted an explanation on its Facebook page.
“Yesterday, during the protest activity in the Hurstbourne/Shelbyville Rd area, individuals were observed surrounding and inflicting damage on a vehicle at the traffic light on Hurstbourne Pkwy. During this event, a woman who was participating in the protest pointed a handgun at the occupant of the vehicle, placing him and others in extreme danger,” the post read.
“Fortunately, officers were able to move the crowd away and took her into custody a short time later without incident,” the post added.
In this case, it was the “protester” who was charged, and the motorist was not charged – but he still lost his job:
The man was eventually identified as Jim Geisler and he lost his job at American Air Filter Co., which released a statement explaining the decision.
“AAF Flanders supports the right to peacefully assemble as an expression of free speech,” said a spokesperson for the company.
“In our view, the actions of this individual show poor judgment and are inconsistent with the core values of our company,” the spokesperson added. “As such, this individual is no longer with the company.”
What can we learn from all this? That the Establishment Left, realizing it cannot overturn the Second Amendment, has found a way to circumvent it. By sending a clear message that those who use, or even brandish, their weapons against black criminals or “peaceful protesters” will forfeit their freedom and fortune, they’ve essentially nullified the primary purpose of bearing arms.
Yes, you’re welcome to bear arms; we will not prevent you from doing so – but God help you if you actually use them to defend yourself against our pet demographics.
Things will only get worse if Biden is elected. Therefore, I encourage all of y’all to hold your noses and vote for Trump.
I’ll be voting for Trump with enthusiasm, not holding my nose.
And by the way, isn’t “mostly peaceful” the same as “somewhat violent”?
Yep. Same thing. “Mostly peaceful” is mediaspeak for “somewhat violent.” I’m hoping Trump does/says some things in the near future to make me change my mind about him.