On Memorial Day this week, a former Marine in Texas named James got a couple calls from friends who’d spotted an unusual gathering in downtown Fort Worth: Roughly a dozen people, mostly men, were hanging out in the middle of the city’s cultural district, armed with semi-automatic rifles. James quickly knew what his friends were describing, having recently encountered an open-carry demonstration himself in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. An independent TV commercial producer who sometimes films live events, James headed downtown with his camera to get some footage.
What he saw there struck him as especially provocative. Not only had the open-carry activists come to a typically relaxed, family friendly part of town, they were displaying intimidating firearms just three days after a major gun massacre in Southern California. What he didn’t anticipate was that they would soon be pursuing him for several city blocks with cameras of their own, harassing him and later posting the footage online, where they would also level homophobic slurs and violent threats against him.
This is not the kind of confrontation everyday Americans expect on their streets, especially on Memorial Day. I would think demonstrators would want some film coverage. Apparently not. Those with the long rifles or whatever they were being bullies. If this is the behavior the NRA is denouncing, good for them.
Where were the cops when all of this was going down? Surely it isn’t legal to behave like this. If it isn’t, it should be.
Further READING
For God and Country.
Yep…these guys were idiots. And that is why the gun activist community has been calling them on this crap.
Good for them! That isn’t something we have seen much of. The NRA needs to get a microphone for this one. Heretofore, we have heard stupid bumper sticker slogans out of Le Pierre and spokespeople like Cat-Scratch Fever Nugent.
However, if the “innocent” camera man wants to be insulting and record people…… he seems to be the one using harsh language. He’s offended by open carry. His service means nothing in political activity. This is what happens. They record us…we record them.
I take back by earlier statement. If they were peacefully standing somewhere, protesting, then the only thing idiotic was to give this insulting cameraman more air time. Apparently he can’t take being recorded, but doesn’t mind doing it.
That was another situation, not the Chipotle episode.
I don’t think he started it after reading Mother Jones. He jumped in but that’s easy to do. They should not have been standing around with rifles. Sorry. I just take that as a threat.
As far as recording…if you are at a political event, all is fair. If you are going about your normal business, I don’t like it one little bit.
Example, back when KK’s naughty wear came to town, there was talk of some of the pitchfork and torches crowd (and at least one local politician) standing out on the street and recording who went in and out of the store. I would have wanted to punch someone in the face for doing that, just on general principles. that to me is an invasion of privacy.
Now, if I am out demonstrating for or against something, photographic recording of the event is fair game.
Just realized….
Your title says that the “former Marine” was threatened.
Where was he threatened?
He may have FELT threatened…but that is not the concern of the protesters. They can’t help his feelings. I find it absurd that a former Marine would feel threatened by people standing around with slung rifles.
And if he obviously WASN’T feeling that threatened…..he went to their location KNOWING what they were doing.
I felt the threat just watching.
He went to record their demonstration. Fair game.
I am not saying he isn’t an AH. There seemed to be a gathering of them.
But why were they out there? Why are the Chipotle folks idiots and these people not?
I’m sure the former Marine cameraman wasn’t the only person photographing the gun nuts. Hope none of them need security clearances some day. Then they’ll rue being so blatantly the bullies that they were…and so obviously flaky.
I know plenty of gun owners and can only think of perhaps one or two who would be so stupid as to carry those weapons on public streets.
@Moon-howler
The Chipotle folks aren’t idiots. Those activists that acted inappropriately were.
Since I saw no inappropriate weapon handling, just the recording of a thin-skinned, insulting person…. I can’t say how idiotic those open carrying were. I can say that some people at Chipotle were acting badly.
But then, Moms Demanding Action were thrown out of restaurant for being jerks just too days ago in response to some people quietly open carrying.
I meant the activists at Chipotle. Sorry for the confusion. That is who I thought were idiots.
I don’t know who MoMs demanding action are. What kind of action? [wink wink nudge nudge]
For the record, I would have left Chipotle.
@Censored bybvbl
Do you understand why they are doing that?
They are protesting, however ineptly, the Texas ban on open carry of pistols. ONLY long arms can be carried in public, openly.
@Cargosquid
Just because a person can legally do something doesn’t mean that it’s the prudent thing to do. People in this country are getting fed up with these gun demonstrations. They’re backfiring. More businesses will start banning guns. It’ll be because these loonies have made too many people uncomfortable in public places.
@Censored bybvbl
Actually, I agree with you. They are not being prudent and the ones acting stupidly are harming their agenda.
That is why the NRA is backing away from them. Their own organization has penned new rules for them to follow.
I think this is a good sign. re NRA penning new rules.
@Moon-howler
Actually it was Open Carry Texas penning new rules. The NRA didn’t have anything to do with the protests. They merely commented that the actions of the activists were ……. not helping.
Looks like Mother Jones pulled the story. Didn’t match their narrative and based on the video, they put their name on someone else’s video.
MJ is usually more careful than that.