U.S. gun advocates harass Marine Corps veteran for questioning their practice of carrying guns in public

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.

Women who speak out have been the primary target for gun activists, as I detailed in a recent investigation. But now, on a day meant to honor fallen service members, a military vet would make the hit list.

"I'll be happy to smash assholes like him," said one gun activist online. "Who here wants to help ruin him?" said another.

James, who asked that his last name not be used, knows his way around guns. He served for four years in the US Marines infantry, where he earned several awards for marksmanship. He is a gun owner, he told me, and a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and concealed-carry rights. But while carrying rifles publicly is legal in Texas, he felt that these guys—supporters of a movement that seeks to legalize the open carrying of handguns—were crossing a line.

The men, members of the groups Open Carry Texas and Open Carry Tarrant County, asked him which news network he was with. When he said he wasn't, things began turning frosty. They pressed him about what he thought of their demonstration, and he replied with an unvarnished opinion that included profanities, language he told me he regrets having used.

"I'm all for responsible gun owners," he says. "What I was taught was not to wear it around like a gold chain. What they're doing is irresponsible. It intimidates the public, and people have just as much right to be comfortable in their public environment as these guys have a right to own their firearms."

Suddenly he was surrounded by about a half-dozen armed men. They started badgering him with questions and accusing him of being anti-American. "I said, 'Are you kidding me? I served in the military.' They were trying to intimidate me, and when I didn't cower that upset them," he said. But he was starting to feel nervous and decided to disengage and walk away.

veya_victaous wrote:Put them in Jail
they are clearly Terrorising law abiding citizens, 2nd amendment doesn't give you the right to terrorise

veya_victaous wrote:Put them in Jail
they are clearly Terrorising law abiding citizens, 2nd amendment doesn't give you the right to terrorise

smelly_bandit wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:Put them in Jail
they are clearly Terrorising law abiding citizens, 2nd amendment doesn't give you the right to terrorise

If you want to go down that route we need to start with Muslims

They terrorises more than anyone else

veya_victaous wrote:

smelly_bandit wrote:

If you want to go down that route we need to start with Muslims

They terrorises more than anyone else

And what do you think they call a group of Muslims with assault rifles in downtown Texas      

smelly_bandit wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:
Put them in Jail
they are clearly Terrorising law abiding citizens, 2nd amendment doesn't give you the right to terrorise

If you want to go down that route we need to start with Muslims

They terrorises more than anyone else

Vicar of Dibley wrote:they were just harassing the poor bloke it annoyed me so i don't know he felt .

smelly_bandit you are correct if they put people like them in jail they have to do the same for Muslims who intimidate .

Lone Wolf wrote:

Vicar of Dibley wrote:they were just harassing the poor bloke it annoyed me so i don't know he felt .

smelly_bandit you are correct if they put people like them in jail they have to do the same for Muslims who intimidate .

VoD is a braindead bigoted fuckwit...

ANYBODY aggressively and/or violently intimidating and harassing others is guilty of criminal conduct, doubly so when armed..

THAT group in Texas should be jailed ~ just imagine the noisy Smelly'/VoD/heavenly'/Tommy/nicko/L'ilAndy/eddie/Tess'/Gerbil's outcries if some dark-skinned or non-Christian group was behaving the same way in downtown London !  

Nems wrote:I loved in the article where it says "James admits to using profanities which he regrets"
What?! What?!
Its ok for these half wits to wander the streets scaring the  residents but what will knot America's knickers it someone swearing.

Scary times people, seriously scary times.

Vicar of Dibley wrote:

Lone Wolf wrote:

VoD is a braindead bigoted fuckwit...

ANYBODY aggressively and/or violently intimidating and harassing others is guilty of criminal conduct, doubly so when armed..

THAT group in Texas should be jailed ~ just imagine the noisy Smelly'/VoD/heavenly'/Tommy/nicko/L'ilAndy/eddie/Tess'/Gerbil's outcries if some dark-skinned or non-Christian group was behaving the same way in downtown London !  

I wondered how long it would be before you came out of the bush, anyway when it comes to brain dead people take a look at your best pal Joy Division he is a completer retard , cannot spell  ::D:: 
How many more members on here are you going to add to your daily list so you can give hate filled replies .

How is the rabies going are you frothing at the mouth yet ?, hurry up and die you braindead bigoted fuckwit....       

Vicar of Dibley wrote:

Nems wrote:I loved in the article where it says "James admits to using profanities which he regrets"
What?! What?!
Its ok for these half wits to wander the streets scaring the  residents but what will knot America's knickers it someone swearing.

Scary times people, seriously scary times.

agree nems and it will get worse i'm afraid to say   

Ben_Reilly wrote:

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.............

"I'll be happy to smash assholes like him," said one gun activist online. "Who here wants to help ruin him?" said another...................

The men, members of the groups Open Carry Texas and Open Carry Tarrant County, asked him which news network he was with. When he said he wasn't, things began turning frosty. They pressed him about what he thought of their demonstration, and he replied with an unvarnished opinion that included profanities, language he told me he regrets having used.....................

Suddenly he was surrounded by about a half-dozen armed men. They started badgering him with questions and accusing him of being anti-American. "I said, 'Are you kidding me? I served in the military.' They were trying to intimidate me, and when I didn't cower that upset them," he said. But he was starting to feel nervous and decided to disengage and walk away.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/05/guns-open-carry-texas-harassment-marine-veteran