You may remember that we ran a piece a couple days ago where a member of the Hudson, New York common council, Dave Marston, heaped abuse on Johanna Johnson-Smith for daring to show up at a council legal committee meeting in opposition to a proposed gun control law. The specific terms he used for gun owners and Second Amendment supporters were “radical lunatics” and “gun toting Tea Party psychotards.” Marston ended his poison pen email by inviting Ms. Johnson-Smith to attend the next meeting of the council’s legal committee, vowing that “we’ll be happy to beat you barbarians back with the clubs of reason & responsibility.” So Ms. Johnson-Smith took Councilman Marston up on his offer and she invited a few friends to come along. The Gateway Pundit has the scoop . . .
On February 27 the Committee was forced to change their regular meeting from Hudson City Hall to the Central Fire Station main room to accommodate the larger than normal crowd expected to oppose the measure.
But even that was too small and attendees dragged their chairs, if they’d been fortunate enough to get one, into the firehouse truck bay after the engines were moved out.
The crowd was massive, opinionated, and dead set against the proposed law banning guns on city property. Things were not looking good for the committee members. In an attempt to limit the tongue lashing they were about to receive, they tried to limit discussion to 10 minutes for that topic. Even then, the proceedings appeared to be more stressful than intended for the committee members.
Committee President Moore said the group was upset at being confronted by such a large and angry crowd who were obviously “against us” and stressed the committee was not trying to “do anything sneaky.”
Here’s some free advice to politicians and legislators who are considering imposing laws that restrict the civil rights of their fellow citizens: be prepared for a massive public backlash. Those who favor more gun control laws might appear significant in polls, but when it gets right down to it, most of them they don’t really care. Gun rights advocates, on the other hand, are rabid defenders of their civil rights. As all Americans should be. And when provoked, they are a force to be reckoned with.
Oh, and Councilman Marston? He appears to have changed his tune a little:
Before the crowd of hundreds of infuriated gun rights activists Marston told a different story. He apologized, saying he had drafted his response to her in “the heat of the moment” and he acknowledged the email had been inappropriate. “I let my lesser self get the better of me,” he said.
As one commenter on the article put it: “No that was not his lesser self, that was his true self.”
And he still has his job why? If I spoke to a customer that way I would be fired. He should be standing in the unemployment line, hat in hand, thinking about what it really means when you take an oath to public office.
Well this whole thing got started when our GRAA organizer wrote the letter. She was totally shocked at the reply. Heat of the moment? Got the better of himself? Yet we elected him to office? Are you kidding me?
Good to see we had a solid turn out and got them on their heals…
I guess they thought they could just get away with it.. Think Again!
The ironic thing here is that spineless libs declare in one moment that we’re paranoids because THEY and their government will protect us; but when confronted to merely defend their statements(let alone citizens) they morph into crawfishin’ cowards.
Black civil rights were won with burning looting shooting etc. It would be nice if ours was won in a peacefull manner, marston probably realizes there is an alternative, Randy
I think it is intellectually dishonest and borderline racist to make that statement. Civil rights were “won” (more like honored since no one can win a civil right) by marching peacefully, being hosed, attacked by dogs and police with clubs, and thanks to television, allowing the average citizen to see that people only wanted to be treated fairly.
The looting and burning happened AFTER the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965, in response to police brutality in certain cities and the assassination of MLK, as well as general economic conditions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_riots
It does not excuse the behavior, but it does not warrant a racist attack, esp if the goal of this particular board is to advance civil rights, namely, the 2nd Amendment.
Thank you for your writing. Two thumbs up!
“marching peacefully, being hosed, attacked by dogs and police with clubs”
HOMES BOMBED.
Malcolm X: “I was in a house last night that was bombed – MY OWN.”
You bring up some interesting points and are quite right in saying that the Civil Rights of Black Americans were won (affirmed if you like) by completely peaceful means. Randy however has a point that it took some real destruction and confrontation to get them respected.
The riots and looming presence of the Black Panthers had a lot to do with convincing the unconvinced that Black Americans weren’t going to take it anymore. I don’t think this is “racist” at all, its sadly what’s been done by various opressed minorities, throughout the world, throughout history. What often happens is not pretty, not fair and even counter productive but sometimes the only way. The example of our own case, the Revolutionary War, after numerous efforts – including a final appeal to “Your Gracious Majesty from your Loyal North American subjects” – as late as 1775 – it took 8 years of warfare, 2 lost armies and huge expenses for the Brits to finally realize that the Americans really did want to secure their rights after all.
I certainly hope nothing of this sort happens with the present struggle to secure our rights, I’m perfectly willing to settle for the courts and legalities to work their magic and I only pray the powers that be have learned from the past and spare us all a lot of grief.
Crap on all this. The Civil Rights movement morped into the black power movement. It provoked confrontation and at its heart was civil disobedience. Just as we’ve since cities occupied and the rights of others thrashed the civil rights movement did the same. I don’t give a rat’s ass what its “intent” was, I do care what its produced.
America is far worse than it ever was fifty years ago.
That absolutely was his true self.
Yup.
Seems as sincere as any apology from a politician.
Lesson: Gun grabber’s lesser self = their true self.
Politicians have been putting thier collective feet in thier mouths as long as politics have been around. He was dead wrong to put his opinion to paper, even though he has every right to that opinion. I hope the voters of his small part of the world remind him that he is still a citizen come election time.
Could you clean up that first step sentence, please.
I’m sometimes impolite to the people I disagree with, but I try hard to avoid it. It’s a human reaction, and I understand it. The difference is, I’m not elected to serve the people that I may disagree with. Behavior like this (specifically, ad hominem attacks on those you disagree with) should absolutely not be tolerated among elected officials. I don’t know if the constituent got impolite first or not, but either way, the conversation should have ended with, “I’m sorry we disagree on this subject,” and that’s the end of it.
I no longer argue with a lot of people. It is impossible to reason someone out of a position they have not reasoned themselves in to. (quote is not original, I don’t know who said it)
Nah, you’re absolutely right. I mean, I kind of enjoy arguing on the internet, but in this case I was specifically referring to a situation where you kinda have to interact with them, as in the case of a representative and their constituent.
Feinstein and Boxer are the Senators from my State. I wouldn’t bother arguing with “box of rocks” Boxer and Feinstein is your typical far left wing hypocrite elitist.
Anyway, yes, I see your point, as long as you have a representative or Senator worth talking to. Unfortunately, I don’t enjoy that luxury.
One of my senators is Bill “AK-47s are for killing, not for hunting” Nelson, and my House representative is the race-baiting, badger-on-her-head Corrine Brown. At least I’ve got Rubio?
“It is impossible to reason someone out of a position they have not reasoned themselves in to.”
That’s a keeper, thank you Blake…
“Feinstein is your typical far left wing hypocrite elitist.”
ADD: INSIDER TRADER.
The source for that quote is Jonathan Swift, if you’re interested.
The original is:
“It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into.”
Then you’re doing us a disservice. You don’t “argue” with the goal of converting a person, you “discuss”, with the goal of having a lasting effect on the people around them. Many times it’s the people you’re not directly addressing who are the ones you convert, because they don’t have ego invested in the conversation in the same way that the person your addressing does. You must keep speaking out politely, answering all their points with data and reason, and when called for, an appropriate appeal to emotion.
I love it!!! They called him on his attempt to bully Johanna Johnson-Smith and he whimpered way. This is how we win!!! Please keep pressing, don’t give him the room to live this down…
Marston still has his job, so not a win in my book. Given his
attitude toward those who like their civil rights; he won’t
back down, just get sneakier.
I agree but it’s a GREAT start…
Right on Sky Man! This is a good example of what I’ve been talking about – go get ’em.
Yes Sir… Thank you Some Guy….
“Bullying” is precisely what he did.
“Committee President Moore said the group was upset……”
Exactly as the Founding Fathers intended. Politicians are supposed to feel like the Sword of Damocles dangles above their heads at all times.
+1 🙂
Actually, not. The are SUPPOSED to be honest, decent, Constitution-loving people who don’t “fear” their constituencies because they are representing their interests.
If that was true, then there would be no need to have politicians answer to their constituents.
The Founders were well aware of human nature and the venality of those who accrue power.
Never appeal to a man’s better nature. He might not have one.
The only way to push back the Obama agenda is to attack radicals at the local level. Make the local radicals fear local constituency more than they fear the Obama smear machine.
This. More and more its becoming apparent the national level battle is a farce to distract us from the state and local battles, where we often lack the numbers and organization.
Or the Obama Drones of Death.
I wonder if we can find someone to primary the guy next election? If not, can we find a way to infiltrate the party that put him up for election, and overturn their power base. In other words, like the leftists )(Marston) have done, take over the parties at the local/county level. We have to start undoing the damage that the left has done, and the only way to do that is to get active, and remain active.
Well shows how GRAA works. God to see Americans defeat fascist like this city councilman.
“Gun-toting Tea Party Psychotard”. Sounds like a new T-shirt to me.
I’d buy one.
So this politically correct progressive Dave Marston not only disparages gun owners with name calling, but also belittles mentally retarded people (with the label psychotard). I hope this guy gets voted out of office.
I let my lesser self get the better of me.
Call Him ‘Mini Me’ ~Austin Powers, The Spy Who Shagged Me
This is the tactic. Even though I’m not much of a fan of Colin Powell, his “Powell Doctrine” applies. Overwhelming force. Especially at the local level where a few hundred gun-rights advocates can really send the graboids fleeing.
Gee, who’d have thought that a spineless liberal twat would immediately shrivel up when face-to-face with the people he’d so brazenly insulted from behind his keyboard?
Yo, Marston: what happened to all those “clubs of reason and responsibility” you were supposed to be beating them down with, you smug little wiseass?
Hey, he owned up to what he did. I think we should forgive him. I’m sure that he was just naive. He made a mistake, and now he’s very sad.
Oh, wait. I have him confused with that lying beyotch in Arkansas. Gee, is my face red.
Just shows how ‘common’ly dastardly a “Common Councilman” can be.
Beig involved in city government, I’ve often seen how filling a meeting room will change officials minds.
The issue for all of us is to follow the meeting agendas and watch what actions are being proposed. Too often it’s the last minute and where were you before this.
We’d worked a required action for two years. The state had approved it. We held public hearings, open house, posted notices and even sent multiple letters to everyone being impacted. At the vote, a couple of people came and demanded we vote “no”. To top it off they had the absolute wrong information. Try to explain two years of work when someone’s mind is made up. 🙁
Keep track of what government officials are doing. Attend meetings. Serve on committees. Were it not for that nasty email, likely the anti gun piece would have passed.
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