Check out this video...

[Guest Ralph G. Briscoe]

Of course that's assuming nobody else was carrying concealed or at least that you personally saw. It also does not take into account the numerous police, Secret Service, FBI, Special agents, and any other entity there carrying. I would attest that there are probably more people carrying firearms at a political event than any other public gathering this side of a gunshow and yet, political violence is next to nill.

I think it's a mistake to equate trained, experienced law enforcement professionals with a private citizen who has a politcal axe to grind. I doubt that the guy brought his piece for the purpose of of protecting the President.

[BrandonTN]

If he'd only brought the gun I'd see your point and wouldn't have that much of a problem , however the sign he was carrying while armed could be reasonably argued to constitute a threat. I don't think, considering our history of assassinations and the amount of anger in the current political climate, anyone....liberal or conservative....needs to be bringing a gun to a townhall meeting. Even is nobody gets shot, it disturbs a whole lot of people and increases the political strength of the anti-gun folks.

Exercise your rights or lose them...eventually it will be that people don't need to be bringing guns to restaurants, where it may scare somebody. Oh wait...

[Mark@Sea]

Legal carry. Thanks to union participation, legal carry at a town hall meeting is simply prudent.

Of course, Rosa could have just stayed in the back of the bus.

[Guest savvysteve]

I agree this guy has some stones. I admire his courage. He did appear to make a poor judgement call. The second video on page 3 where the guy was on hardball was actually pretty good. The guy really handled himself well.

If you listen to the first video this guy was well away from the actual town hall meeting I would imagine outside a handgun's reasonable range. But he was exercising his 1st and 2nd ammendments I agree.

Now this quote is being attributed to Thomas Jefferson

"God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion.

The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is

wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts

they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions,

it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. ...

And what country can preserve its liberties, if it's rulers are not

warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of

resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as

to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost

in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from

time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

It is its natural manure."

Thomas Jefferson Quote with Comments

[Steelharp]

Why Rosa stayed on the bus:

[JayC]

He was carrying a sign referencing Jefferson's quote about liberty needing to periodically be watered with the blood of tyrants. That put him him over the line in the view of a lot of people. All he may have accomplished is a change in the NH law that allowed him to carry. Negative for gun owners.

The sign he was carrying referred to the Jefferson quote, but it didn't state the blood part of the statement, also keep in mind that the full quote speaks of the blood of tyrants AND patriots. The sign did not constitute a threat towards anybody, the interview clearly shows he was there to make a point about the loss of our rights under a federal system run a muck, the 'speech' in this case clearly falls into protected speech

If people using registered handguns to kill people didn't get the NH law changed, I seriously doubt one guy standing on the side of the street holding a sign is... The reason people freak out over this is because they don't see people carrying openly on a regular basis...

The guy didn't break the law, he was there legal to protest government action, he didn't advocate violence of threaten anybody... While I don't agree with the holster he chose to carry in, I'm not the fashion police either... so it was his call...

If you went to one of the tea parties here, did you carry? What about protesting the income tax back 6 or 7 years ago? I did, and don't see anything wrong with it at all... how come protesting is somehow a special state where you don't need to be armed? or armed going to and from said protest?

There is no special TN state law that revokes your rights when the President comes for a visit... and there shouldn't be.

[JayC]

I think it's a mistake to equate trained, experienced law enforcement professionals with a private citizen who has a politcal axe to grind. I doubt that the guy brought his piece for the purpose of of protecting the President.

That's great the President has all those people there to protect him... so who is there protecting me?

The guy didn't make a threat towards anybody, just because he's there protesting doesn't require he give up his 2nd amendment rights under NH law. Or did I miss that section of the constitution that says revokes our rights when the President is visiting town.

[macville]

I'm glad the guy had the balls to stand there protesting with firearm. It communicates very clearly, if you attack me I will be able to defend myself. Just because the president is going to be there later doesn't mean you give up all your rights. Maybe if he went into a secure room, I can see not being able to carry (it was in a high school anyway right? so no carry inside anyhow.)

What I really find funny is the guys in the first clip getting there panties in a bunch over THE *GASP!* GUN. Do they really think if a guy was going to shoot the president he would OPEN CARRY the firearm? That's like standing in the crowed holding up a sign saying, "I'm going to shoot the president when he drives by." I CANNOT believe the total lack of brains of people in the media and people in general. Heck, I even saw somewhere today that the guy was carrying an AK-47--not a handgun like he was. That was a big pile of crap.

Matthew

[Guest Ralph G. Briscoe]

Exercise your rights or lose them...eventually it will be that people don't need to be bringing guns to restaurants, where it may scare somebody. Oh wait...

I agree in principle, but it's generally recognized that your first amendment rights don't extend to shouting "fire" in a crowded theatre.

Just an example.

Somebody will open a restaurant catering to carry permit holders--

Hoppe's number 9 alongside the catsup and tabasco....there's an opportunity for some enterprising dude.

[strickj]

Alright,the guy didn't threaten anybody,and I understand the "Im glad he had the balls to exercise his rights"and all that.....but we're talking about a presidential event here.

Like it or not,the Presidents life is more important then a protesters rights,or even a protesters life,and a gun,even when 100 legal,is seen as a possible threat.

I believe that what he did was an irresponsible thing to do,especially considering the atmosphere that is surrounding our current President,and the tensions that fill the air regarding his policies,his citizenship,and other controversial things.

Attempts have been made for less controversial things then what this Presidential administration is know for.

Having weapons in plane view during a Presidential event,Presidential motorcade,or anything otherwise considered Presidential is showing a lack of common since.

They're far better ways to exercise ones rights,and get your point across then to do this.This guy is no better then Code Pink in the way he takes things a bit far in an effort to be noticed.

Edited August 12, 2009 by strickj

[Guest bheard]

Is the Presidents life more important than anyoue elses life?

bh

[macville]

Alright,the guy didn't threaten anybody,and I understand the "Im glad he had the balls to exercise his rights"and all that.....but we're talking about a presidential event here.

Like it or not,the Presidents life is more important then a protesters rights,or even a protesters life,and a gun,even when 100 legal,is seen as a possible threat.

I believe that what he did was an irresponsible thing to do,especially considering the atmosphere that is surrounding our current President,and the tensions that fill the air regarding his policies,his citizenship,and other controversial things.

Attempts have been made for less controversial things then what this Presidential administration is know for.

Having weapons in plane view during a Presidential event,Presidential motorcade,or anything otherwise considered Presidential is showing a lack of common since.

They're far better ways to exercise ones rights,and get your point across then to do this.This guy is no better then Code Pink in the way he takes things a bit far in an effort to be noticed.

Ummm, it sounds like you are confusing Britain with America. See, here we believe that "All men are born free and equal." Just because another American has been given a job with a bit more power than you DOES NOT make him special. I'm sorry but the president CAN be replaced. He's just another man like you or me. Yes, I don't want the president to be killed, but he (or any) are not some supernatural being that cannot be replaced. That's one of the reasons the founding fathers didn't did royalty here in the new country-they knew that everyone was equal.

Matthew

[JayC]

I'm sorry but the President's life is no more or less important than that of any other citizen. There is no special revoking of citizen rights when the President is nearby in the constitution.

You may not agree with what the guy did or how he did it, and that is your right... But he wasn't doing anything illegal nor was he making any threats toward the President or anybody else. He was carrying a firearm per the law NH as he should be allowed to do.

Alright,the guy didn't threaten anybody,and I understand the "Im glad he had the balls to exercise his rights"and all that.....but we're talking about a presidential event here.

Like it or not,the Presidents life is more important then a protesters rights,or even a protesters life,and a gun,even when 100 legal,is seen as a possible threat.

I believe that what he did was an irresponsible thing to do,especially considering the atmosphere that is surrounding our current President,and the tensions that fill the air regarding his policies,his citizenship,and other controversial things.

Attempts have been made for less controversial things then what this Presidential administration is know for.

Having weapons in plane view during a Presidential event,Presidential motorcade,or anything otherwise considered Presidential is showing a lack of common since.

They're far better ways to exercise ones rights,and get your point across then to do this.This guy is no better then Code Pink in the way he takes things a bit far in an effort to be noticed.

[strickj]

Yes,his life is more important then everyone else.Like it or not,agree with it or not,its what it is.

There is a reason he has two jumbo jets with military escorts,two motorcades with escorts,and so on.

When was the last time an entire interstate was closed during rush hour for you?

It may not have been intended for that to happen,but it did happen long ago

[JayC]

Yes,his life is more important then everyone else.Like it or not,agree with it or not,its what it is.

There is a reason he has two jumbo jets with military escorts,two motorcades with escorts,and so on.

When was the last time an entire interstate was closed during rush hour for you?

It may not have been intended for that to happen,but it did happen long ago

I'm sorry his JOB may very well be important, and thus requires that we give him special treatment (security and a airplane paid for by the tax payers), but his LIFE is no more important than any other citizen of this nation...

People may disagree, but he's just a guy that gets up in the morning and puts his pants on one leg at a time, and has no more rights, unless we changed forms of government and forgot to update the constitution.

[bubbiesdad]

Yes,his life is more important then everyone else.Like it or not,agree with it or not,its what it is.

There is a reason he has two jumbo jets with military escorts,two motorcades with escorts,and so on.

When was the last time an entire interstate was closed during rush hour for you?

It may not have been intended for that to happen,but it did happen long ago

They closed it for the king of poop.

[ShaunM]

Try telling my 5 year old daughter that the presidents life is more important than mine. He may have more security to protect his life but that doesn't mean my life is any less important. As far as the man carrying his pistol well that was up to him, I'm not going to tell a grown person not to do something if that something is legal even if I don't agree.

Edited August 13, 2009 by Hunting101

[Mark@Sea]

New Hampshire an open-carry state? Check

President was hundreds of yards (and 2 hours) away? Check

Not brandishing or threatening? Check

If he had presented a threat (even a potential threat) to the president, he'd have been removed. If he had presented a threat to anyone else in the crowd, he'd have been removed. The only threat he presented was to the panties of MSNBC morons, and some gun owners.

Saying he should leave it at home is on par with saying he should have left his sign at home, or at least worded it more sensitively. Both are civil rights, constitutionally recognised and protected. Either we have and enjoy the right, or we don't. Geez, its' okay to have gay pride marches, and CPUSA parades, but let a dozen guys open-carry to a golden corral and gun owners complain about it more than the other folks in the restaraunt.

[memphismason]

The security of his office is more important than the security of my office, but our lives are on equal ground.

[Guest SUNTZU]

New Hampshire an open-carry state? Check

President was hundreds of yards (and 2 hours) away? Check

Not brandishing or threatening? Check

If he had presented a threat (even a potential threat) to the president, he'd have been removed. If he had presented a threat to anyone else in the crowd, he'd have been removed. The only threat he presented was to the panties of MSNBC morons, and some gun owners.

Saying he should leave it at home is on par with saying he should have left his sign at home, or at least worded it more sensitively. Both are civil rights, constitutionally recognised and protected. Either we have and enjoy the right, or we don't. Geez, its' okay to have gay pride marches, and CPUSA parades, but let a dozen guys open-carry to a golden corral and gun owners complain about it more than the other folks in the restaraunt.

+ a bajillion

You don't see too much of John Parker's spirit, these days.

[USMCJG]

New Hampshire an open-carry state? Check

President was hundreds of yards (and 2 hours) away? Check

Not brandishing or threatening? Check

If he had presented a threat (even a potential threat) to the president, he'd have been removed. If he had presented a threat to anyone else in the crowd, he'd have been removed. The only threat he presented was to the panties of MSNBC morons, and some gun owners.

Saying he should leave it at home is on par with saying he should have left his sign at home, or at least worded it more sensitively. Both are civil rights, constitutionally recognised and protected. Either we have and enjoy the right, or we don't. Geez, its' okay to have gay pride marches, and CPUSA parades, but let a dozen guys open-carry to a golden corral and gun owners complain about it more than the other folks in the restaraunt.

Bingo. Well said.

[Guest HexHead]

Talk about the kind of action that casts gun owners in a negative light and energizes those who wish to infringe the gun rights of responsible people.

The guy isn't helping our cause....to the contrary.

Which cause is that? Cowtowing to the sheep?

My cause is taking our country back, pal.

[Guest HexHead]

That's great the President has all those people there to protect him... so who is there protecting me?

The guy didn't make a threat towards anybody, just because he's there protesting doesn't require he give up his 2nd amendment rights under NH law. Or did I miss that section of the constitution that says revokes our rights when the President is visiting town.

As I've pointed out before, the Mayor of Shreveport, LA thinks your rights are suspended when you're pulled over by the police at a traffic stop.

Edited August 13, 2009 by HexHead

[Guest HexHead]

I believe that what he did was an irresponsible thing to do,especially considering the atmosphere that is surrounding our current President,and the tensions that fill the air regarding his policies,his citizenship,and other controversial things.

Attempts have been made for less controversial things then what this Presidential administration is know for.

I completely disagree. The messiah needs a reminder that if he continues to ignore the will of the people and push us kicking and screaming headlong into socialism, he will have to answer for it.

[JayC]

As I've pointed out before, the Mayor of Shreveport, LA thinks your rights are suspended when you're pulled over by the police at a traffic stop.

And that just adds one more reason to my list of why I'd never want to live or visit Shreveport, LA.