Same scene, same time, different angles. Partisans will choose which to embrace.
wo
As Josh Marshall put it at Talking Points Memo:
The photos appear to have been taken at nearly the same moment, but from two different angles. And they tell different stories.
As I said in my headline, these two photos contain an important lesson about assumptions and jumping to conclusions.
But that said and friendly smiles notwithstanding I see intentional cruelty, nearly of the Westboro Baptist Church variety. Here, they’re gathered outside a Houston restaurant to “protest” the meeting inside of the state chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a gun safety advocacy group formed in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
You can have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, or democracy. But you cannot have both.
Whatever Works 
Showing up outside of a meeting of folks talking about gun control with assault weapons is meant for one purpose and one purpose only. Intimidation. They knew exactly what they were doing.
LikeLike
Of course they did Elyse. Which makes the smiles toxic.
LikeLike
If you choose to look at it that way, I can neither stop you nor help you because you ignore the simple counterpoint they make by being there in all there plain, homely – in the old sense of the world – suburban glory.
It’s little different than when well-healed Blacks rally in protest to show that they don’t fit the stereotype assigned to them.
LikeLike
There is no threat in a gucci purse. There is in a semi-automatic weapon. Your analogy is asinine.
LikeLike
There’s no threat inherent in those weapons either, whereas there is an inherent threat in a Black – or so the stereotype goes – so your rebuttal is asinine. 😛
LikeLike
jonolan
Some days youre just an asshole. 🙂
LikeLike
It shows two models of of world view. In one, violence is renounced as a factor in daily life. In the other, it is embraced. Nelson Mandela changed his nation by renouncing it. (Who would have believed it?) I’m with Elyse.
LikeLike
JIm – just saw a news bit on Japan vs US in gun deaths. They are a country wild about violent video games and movies – even more so than us – but we have a gun death rate nearly ONE THOUSAND TIMES theirs. Simply boggles the mind. The price of F-R-E-E-D-O-M and all . . .
LikeLike
Yes, Moe. The problem is the availability of guns in daily life. Road rage or the equivalent is common to human nature, but Americans have guns handy and the Japanese don’t. I think it’s just that simple.
LikeLike
Yup. It really just is that simple.
LikeLike
Moe, what difference does it make what weapon is used in the murder?
That’s what always confuses me about you gun-grabbers’ rationalization for your attempts to disarm the American people.
Hell! Read what Jim wrote. It’s nothing less or better than a call for total confiscation and disarmament since the only way to change the fact that, “but Americans have guns handy.”
So yes! Given that freedom is predicated upon the right to keep and bear arms, the occasional murder using a firearm is the price that must be paid.
LikeLike
I just don’t understand the mindset of these people. Why on earth would they show up to do that? Sad reality these days…makes no sense.
LikeLike
Mostly they show up to show the gun-grabbers that the armed populace doesn’t look a bit like the negative picture they always try to paint of them.
LikeLike
jonolan, by showing up with weapons instead of signs, they reinforce the negative impression.
LikeLike
This is especially sad as it’s a way to stifle dissent and opinion. Regardless of what they might claim, these protesters have to know that seeing deadly weapons will make other people nervous. I know I would feel scared, and then what are your options? Do you keep going and take the chance that one of these guys will shoot you? The police won’t arrest them (I know this because of our local Oregon jackass and his gun), so what then?
LikeLike
Yup. Intimidation is not protest. It is. quite simply, intimidation. And intended as such. Creepy.
LikeLike
Showing up is a First Speech Right…
So is owning certain types of guns….
Showing up to intimidate isn’t….
I would hope that a display such as we see in the above picture would invite the local police to show up with THEIR Guns……
LikeLike
But I’m betting you wouldn’t feel so about a protest by Blacks,or Muslims, or any other group that the majority of Americans are conditioned to fear.
Think about that for a moment if you can.
LikeLike
LMAO, honestly, I can just see it. A group of Muslims posing for a pic with some imitation AK 47’s. I think Jimmy joe and the boys would be riding in on the fly with their imitation M16’s and breaking that thar thingie up. 😉
Just think about that for a moment. 🙂
LikeLike
They wouldn’t have GUNS jonolan….Would they?
LikeLike
And I can only imagine that if a group of black guys decided to stand out in a parking lot with guns in their hands, the police would be there very quickly to scoop them up.
LikeLike
Ya think brat?? Ya think?
LikeLike
Yes, I think 😉
LikeLike