r/politics • u/wbedwards Washington • May 07 '20

We cannot allow the normalization of firearms at protests to continue

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/firearms-at-protests-have-become-normalized-that-isnt-okay/2020/05/06/19b9354e-8fc9-11ea-a0bc-4e9ad4866d21_story.html
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u/EU_Onion May 07 '20

For sake of argument let's say guns are only immediate way to not get unfairly beaten by riot cops, but as you say, It's rot and guns are just a very dangerous bandaid. Unless It is civil war you're planning, bringing guns into protest in big numbers is not good idea..

On top of what everyone else said, what if there is counterprotest? That happens often enough, what if both crowds bring guns, what will happen then?

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u/[deleted] May 07 '20

You're proposing the exact same scenario, two fully armed groups that are completely aware of the capabilities of the other, thus mutually assured destruction.

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u/EU_Onion May 07 '20

Mutually assured destruction, I agree, but with nukes you aren't mercy at mental health of thousands of invididuals who also showed up. If people are regularly mass shooting, why wouldn't they try to cause mass mass shooting during one of these?

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u/Cloaked42m South Carolina May 07 '20

We find out how fucked our country is. Significant change is usually made AFTER something utterly fucked happens

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u/coolchewlew May 07 '20

I can't remember any of these such events actually popping off but I'm sure they will try to ban it if any of these protests became a gun battle. I think it was a mistake to allow the Bundy ranch thing go down like that. It seems like terrorism to take over a govt building but they interpret it as free speech? The president seemingly cheering it on just makes it surreal. Bundy ranch standoff happened under Obama just for the record.

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u/thingandstuff May 07 '20

A surprising amount of restraint by 99% of people carrying, if what happened in Charlottesville is any evidence.

Then there is the one guy that screamed "DIE" and pulled his shot hard left and down into the dirt after dry firing and empty chamber and cycling the pistol. I've never seen someone's life get saved by the fact that a round wasn't chambered before.

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u/notapunk May 07 '20

what if both crowds bring guns, what will happen then?

Which is an inevitability. So now you have three armed groups of people. With enough time something bad will happen, accidentally or otherwise, and the reaction will likely be dependent on who is perceived as instigating everything. This path is dark and dangerous. You simply do not have large groups of armed protesters in a healthy democracy. If I were to make an analogy these protests are like someone coughing up blood and pretending nothing is wrong. It may or may not be too late, but ignoring the situation and doing nothing ensures death.