Did he say this before or after he let out one of those famous Howlin' Howie Dean screams !?

What a tool that guy is. On the other hand, it's our right to bear arms, but I don't want to be in your sight line if you do at a town hall. Even if I'm wearing Kevlar.

May Dupp,

Do you often go out in public dressed in Kevlar ?
Do you feel people are out to get you ?

It's ok---you can confide in us.

On the other hand, it's our right to bear arms, but I don't want to be in your sight line if you do at a town hall. Even if I'm wearing Kevlar.

That's just downright paranoid.

I have a friend who lives where open-carry is "allowed." He's started to do it regularly, even going grocery shopping with a .40 on his hip. It's so cool. Seriously, it is.

And you know what: you're safer around him than at any public school you can name, and you don't need to worry about wearing Kevlar. Maybe not "safer by far," but an innocent person doesn't need to worry about him. He's not a criminal. If he were, then he'd carry the gun secretly and in defiance of any statute.

Now, any would-be gunman who sees him will think twice, whereas shootings tend to happen at schools where people are forbidden from packing, and now gyms where people likely aren't under the circumstances.

Last time I wore Kevlar, people were out to get me. However, I was also armed, as were the rest of my unit.

Perry, I agree with what you said about that guy. However, I'm just not sure going to see the Pres is a sensible place to arrive carrying an AR15. Arriving at a GW Bush appearance wearing a disparaging pin could get you arrested (and did I think with T-shirts). Support him or not, I don't want to give some nut the chance to shoot our president. Any party.

May Dupp,

Why were you running around with a unit, wearing Kevlar ?
How weird.
What did you do to upset people so much that they were trying to kill you ?

By the way, I don't think people were ever arrested for wearing shirts to Bush appearances. I tend to think if they weren't wearing shirts, they might have been asked to leave, though.
You can't even get service at a Denny's restaurant unless you're wearing a shirt and shoes.

As for people getting arrested for merely wearing disparaging lapel pins, I think that episode took place in your dreams.
Don't believe everything you see in your dreams, honey.

Sorry Walrus. They really *did* get arrested for wearing Anti-Bush T-Shirts and even got an $80,000 settlement from the Federal Government.

http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=190432

Google, it's a wonderful thing.

Last time I wore Kevlar, people were out to get me. However, I was also armed, as were the rest of my unit.

Do I believe this? No. No I do not.

Eric, what you believe and me having a care about what you believe matter very little indeed.

The phony soldier thing has been done to death. Why don't you find a new schtick.

"However, I'm just not sure going to see the Pres is a sensible place to arrive carrying an AR15."

Why not? That's how you can tell if you're living freely or by another's permission. If you're doing something that harms no one else, is it viewed as "Why?" or "Why not?" Put another way, there's an old saying: "Where the government fears the people, there is liberty. Where the people fear the government, there is tyranny."

And as I pointed out in the other thread, if this man really wanted to assassinate Obama, he wouldn't be doing this in the first place. Rest assured his entire life has already been put under the federal microscope.

"Arriving at a GW Bush appearance wearing a disparaging pin could get you arrested (and did I think with T-shirts)."

I had never heard before about that couple getting arrested. Sadly, I'm not surprised. If it's a private function, you can be asked to leave. But if it's out in public, you can gauge a country's level of freedom by what is "allowed" and what is considered punishable "dissent." A disciple of Voltaire put it, "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Unfortunately it's the taxpayers who had to pay the money. It should have been the police who made the false arrest, and any superiors who ordered and sanctioned it (yes, up to the POTUS if he had orders for that).

I wonder: if someone wore a stereotypical monk costume to an Obama rally, would he be accused of "racism" because of the white rope belt?

Perry, fair enough, it's our right. So is free speech, but you don't have to assert your second amendment rights to assert your first amendment rights IMO. As Mary pointed out, people carrying weapons are assholes who want to stifle other people's right to free speech through intimidation.
You make a good point about how assassins rarely arrive with unconcealed weapons. Unless they had a death wish like some sort of wannabe suicide attacker, becoming some sort of martyr.

May Dupp,

Honey, if you "really" served in the military and claim to have operated firearms, then you should probably know that there are some states that allow a person to have a concealed carry.

I think we should spend more time trying to disarm terrorists whom have not only made threats, but murdered people....rather than spend all of our time attempting to disarm law-abiding Americans whose only "crime" is publicly questioning the authority of their elected leaders.

Walrus, had you read further up this thread, you would notice you were wrong about the arrests of people openly carrying T-shirts, and you chose to say nothing. You've made a few snarky remarks about things I have said, so in that respect, GFY.

"but you don't have to assert your second amendment rights to assert your first amendment rights IMO. As Mary pointed out, people carrying weapons are assholes who want to stifle other people's right to free speech through intimidation."

I fail to see why people should be intimidated. They can rely on the police, or better yet, carry their own arms. Worst case: stalemate. But as I said, the guy openly carrying is the not the one planning to do anything, because everyone notices him.

Now if Obama is "afraid," then I say GOOD. It's leaders who should be afraid of the people, not the other way around. Leaders should act like they're walking on eggshells: that's what keeps them from becoming tyrants.

"You make a good point about how assassins rarely arrive with unconcealed weapons. Unless they had a death wish like some sort of wannabe suicide attacker, becoming some sort of martyr."

No one planning to be a successful assassin would openly carry. Booth, Guiteau, Gandhi's assassin, whoever killed Kennedy ;), Rabin's assassin. Even suicide bombers hide the explosives until they're in range.