Republicans are facing tough crowds these last few weeks. Following one of the most divisive and bitter political campaigns in history, Democrats (now decidedly out of power) are doing everything they can to rile up their base in opposition to Emmanuel Goldstien Donald Trump, in the hopes of gaining some political points with their base for the next election cycle.
Part of that strategy has involved organizing vocal and vitriolic welcomes for elected officials at their local town hall meetings in their districts. After seeing news reports of the vocal pushback some of his colleagues are experiencing, one Texas congressman has decided to skip those meetings over fears of a Gabby Giffords-style attack.
From CNN:
“Unfortunately, at this time there are groups from the more violent strains of the leftist ideology, some even being paid, who are preying on public town halls to wreak havoc and threaten public safety. Threats are nothing new to me and I have gotten my share as a felony judge,” Rep. Louie Gohmert told constituents in a letter Tuesday.
“However, the House Sergeant at Arms advised us after former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was shot at a public appearance, that civilian attendees at congressional public events stand the most chance of being harmed or killed — just as happened there,” he wrote.
In case you’ve been off-planet, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was shot in 2011 during a town hall-style event. Despite suffering a gunshot wound to the head during the assassination attempt, Congresswoman Giffords survived. Giffords and her husband have since campaigned for increased gun control.
The post-election political climate has only deteriorated, and Democrats aren’t helping. They’re attempting to obstruct Republicans at almost every turn, demonizing any pol with an R after their name as racists and bigots. They continue to push the narrative that Republicans are destroying everything that makes America great. Again.
After stoking the flames of fear and hatred, I can understand where Representative Gohmert is coming from But the optics here aren’t great. Avoiding his constituents — those who both support and oppose his positions — makes him look weak. Gohmert could take a lesson from his Senator Tom Cotton on how to handle these situations.
Despite all the sturm und drang, we’re still at the ballot box stage of the four boxes of liberty. Some people might skip ahead a bit if pushed, which is an unfortunate. But avoiding dissenters won’t win Rep. Gohmert may friends on either side of the aisle.
Hey take a listen to Rush Limbaugh. He ran an actual stealth recording of dems plotting to take down Trump-and Gohmert. Does anyone really believe Republicans would act just like Soros bots wit hout getting paid…follow the $ trail. Or end up a Mark Kelly dummy. And quit whining about Trump not doing “enough”. If nothing good happens within 6 months WHINE…
Yeah except now Gabby Giffords has a new talking point: the same GOP that wants everyone to be able to have a gun is too afraid to step outside because it’s afraid of its constituents having guns.
Man up. Anyone can make anonymous threats, it can’t be allowed to shut down government representatives.
This is an extremely good point but it means the left is using our own freedoms against us and it now becomes a very serious damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation.
Magnetometers at the entrance of the event, but allow carry permit holders…
In the same way our enemies from the Middle East, China, North Korea, Russia, drug cartels, illegal aliens, etc. have been doing for decades.
Dang progressives are accusing the conservatives of having done about each of Obama’s and Killary’s election runs. Personally, I’d call it treason if there was any way to lock ’em all up. Everything they have been doing has been in direct opposition to the Constitution.
She’s right.
Gohmert could do his townhall from inside an armored SWAT vehicle. When his constituents ask him his opinions on the issues he could write down his answers on pieces of paper and pass them through the gun slits.
This^! This is it! Right here!
It is about time for a so called conservative elected person to walk into a public meeting open carrying. And they need to have open carry guards next to them. Our Representative Republic will continue even if it means everyone open carries a gun.
That reminds me of when a professor brought a visiting speaker to our class. He was flanked by four guards on each side, which made for a very impressive show of force indeed.
His name was Richard Butler, and he was the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ Christian, Aryan Nations.
Is that the sort of image you are going for?
I live in her district and, my son’s 21th birthday was the same day as Gibby’s shooting. We spent most the day wondering if she was going to live. I don’t like her politics now, but she was a courageous person. Her successor just finished a contentious town hall meeting today. Louie is a candy ass.
When I met my congressman last month the first thing I noticed about the room (aside from being the youngest there) was an utter lack of security. One of the senior staff might have been carrying (and thought he was security till I met him because he was the next youngest in the room), but the rest of them had outfits that made it unlikely (tucked shirts with no jacket ect) and that was it.
We are seeing the hateful side of the sore loosers that were apparently projecting their own behaviors on anyone they hated. “Showing their true colors” comes to mind.
We have town hall phone meeting hear in Michigan. I would have to think he is avoiding the riotous punks that we have had just about enough of. It’s time to tell the cops they have the go ahead, and start bustin some brain buckets on these punk bastards!
Why wait for the cops? Just arm up and stand around outside. Don’t threaten them, just stand there with a slung long gun and a Gadsden Flag.
From CNN
Why give visibility to the Fake News bullies?
Gohmert is one the good guys. Given the NOTHING CNN spews can be assumed to be accurate. Rest of the story?
I remember during the height of the Vietnam War protests, the most reviled man (by the anti-war pukes) in America, Richard Nixon, managed to lose his Secret Service detail long enough to walk alone from the White House to the Washington Memorial. There he engaged in a heated, albeit non-violent, debate with the protesters for more than an hour before his detail finally found him.
On other occasions he would slip away in a nondescript blue Chevy Nova and ride around looking for someone to debate.
Hate him or love him, one has to admire his guts!
I lived through that time period. I’m of the Hate Him persuasion.
I’d do the town hall if I was a congressman, but require proof of ID showing they were in my district.
I wouldn’t be afraid of any democrats, though. They’re generally gutless pansies. And if they tried anything, it’d backfire on them. Most voters are tired of their constant crying and whining.
Just how many Republicans have you heard of assassinating anyone lately?
Not afraid of Comminecrats?
Hell, all of them, for decades, have been Commiecrats!
Gun control “should be”, no guns for unhinged Commiecrats allowed!
They are dangerous!
Good idea, then the complaints about having to show ID start all over again.
Progressives are dangerously out of control, that is obvious. It is only going to get more violent. But, we cannot let them silence us with threats. As a leader, he should stand strong and defy their threats. He needs to show America that freedom loving people can fight back.
With that being said, there is nothing wrong with having a fairly large, armed security detail and a set of rules when doing a town hall.
Progressives are now dangerously out of control? Really? They’re the folks who dress up in tuxedos on Friday nights to go to the opera. They’re deathly afraid of guns. Are you afraid of kittens and puppies too?
The antifa, Keith Ellison supporting lunatics are the ones to be wary of.
There are several factions of the so called “liberal,progressive class”…the ones that are afraid of guns are your liberal elitists and they are basically harmless…it’s the neo-facist anarchists that you need to stay focused on that present a violent threat….they are basically few in number, but a threat sponsored by the likes of George Soros and Micheal Bloomberg and others who want to see one world order.
I was part of the security force for the Inauguration (PA Army National Guard), and there were progressives everywhere. They weren’t wearing tuxedos and they didn’t seem afraid of anyone’s guns. They were in black clothes and facemasks, assaulting young women wearing MAGA hats.
I don’t see a purpose in the town hall events anyway. Campaign season is over for now..Congressman Gohmert should legislate the same views he campaigned on. Time to stop talking about what Congress may do and get to doing.
Politicians pass all these laws about what you can and can’t do on your property, which of your things you have to register with the state, how much of your income you get to keep; they force you to ask permission to buy and sell things, and pay rent to them long after you’ve paid off your house. They pass all these laws, and enforce them with the threat of force up to and including putting a bullet in your head (thanks, cops). We live our lives with a gun pointed at our head. For most of us, that gun never goes off because either we are to deep into Stockholm syndrome, too afraid to stand up for ourselves, or too afraid of admitting that these maniacs don’t (and couldn’t possibly) actually represent us at all.
Then when someone finally decides to defend his or herself against the person pointing the gun at his/her head, we throw that person under the bus.
ALL politicians use force to deprive people of their rights. They should ALL fear for their lives. Stop worshipping them. That doesn’t mean we have to agree with everything the progressives say, but it does give us an opportunity to start that national conversation the progs keep insisting they want to have. “Hey there, Mr. Prog, it sounds like this system isn’t working for you, and you’re acting in a way that suggests that your rights don’t come from politicians.” It’s high time that people wake up to the obvious truth that nothing good comes from one half of the nation trying to force the other half to live a certain way. Even Californians are considering secession (God bless them!), which is practically the most libertarian thing there is! “Mr Prog, do you think Californians should be able to secede? Okay then, why not Texans then? Should everyone be able to live the way they choose? Shouldn’t anyone be able to withdraw consent at any time?”
I don’t blame you for not having faith that things could change, but things ARE changing. Don’t waste this.
Haha, go actually watch those town halls in these absurdly red states and tell me those ENTIRE CROWDS booing and haranguing these people are all democrats, that is complete and utter nonsense. Seriously, go watch them, EVERYBODY at those town halls is pissed off. You’re basically claiming that almost not a single republican showed up to those town halls?
And you’re actually buying Gohmert’s bs about fear of assassination? Haha, more like fear of having his ass blasted by the constituents he’s working against.
Meanwhile, the republican congress of the last 4 years broke literally every possible record on obstruction including denying Obama his supreme court nominee, filibusters, stalling appointments,l every single possible record was blown out of the water by the previous republican congress.
TTAG really are a bunch of partisan propagandists.
Democratic underground is over there, bud.
A primer on legislative action and rules may open your eyes to the actual U.S. process and the need for it to be slow, arduous and contentious to the point of obstruction… We are a Republic and should function as such! The chaotic results you so desperately desire can be attained by emigrating to a socialist country ; bye bye.
Put on your vest under your clothes and carry a sidearm. This guy is a pussy. We need politicians willing to uphold the constitution with their lives. Weak pols like this should be replaced.
Geez, these people are *ussies. Man up. Basic security precautions are enough. If you’re really scared, pay some bikers beer money and bring them to your town hall meeting.
This sort of thing has me wondering about upcoming Second Amendment rallies/demonstrations. I can easily imagine some unhinged Progressive deciding that they have finally had enough … and then attack Second Amendment advocates at a rally (with or without a firearm).
As far as I am concerned, at a minimum this requires a heightened level of situational awareness at such rallies. And it might actually be time for rally organizers and participants to take on semi-formal security roles.
Very good point….we here in Illinois have an IGOLD pro gun rally scheduled in April at the state capitol in Springfield and it is supposed to finish at the capitol building where we are to hear our state reps. and senators give short talks ….all those attending who have concealed carry licenses should carry, but Illinois concealed carry law prohibits carrying in government buildings…..”kill zones” in my book.
This congressman is probably more scared of constituents angry about losing their health insurance than any real assassination threat. I call fake. Americans don’t typically do assassinations.. it’s a very rare event. It’s just not our style. The Republicans were out of power for decades too yet they did not feel they had to resort to assassinations and other such stupid nonsense. They understood that the pendulum moves back and forth as it does in any democracy. They never quit so why expect the liberals to quit now?
Its because these ass hats are doing the exact opposite of what they said they were going to do. They are planning a system to systematically prop up wallstreet, big pharma, corporations and then give the shaft to everyone else. Our local town hall was the same way, most of the people there were scared of getting kicked off the medicare expansion because they are finally getting the cancer treatment they need or whatever without losing every dime they have. This current administration is a raging dumpster fire that gets worse by the day. Great, the HPA might pass, but coal jobs are not coming back and imigrants are NOT taking your jobs, MACHINES ARE! I know, im in the industry of automation. Sure, some immigrants are taking jobs, but they has masters and doctorate degrees you cant compete with because education is shit in this country.
As a computer programmer, I know you’re quite right: the robots have already taken over. It’s a done deal. Human work in traditional areas such as in factories and farms is still needed but only at less than five percent of what it once was. In non-traditional areas, such as law and medicine, the robots will take over too. Humans will live off-grid, will not work at all, and have personal robots to make everything they need. Some of us have moved in that direction already.
As another computer professional who spent 11 years working in factory automation, I completely agree, with one caveat: Automation actually adds jobs, but not the jobs that went away. People who are used to turning a wrench or working in a coal mine will never get their jobs back in any significant numbers.
Trump’s strategy is to divide the nation. We’re all human, and 90% of us on both sides of the political middle are decent people just trying to make a living. We can disagree on Second Amendment rights, and many other things, but I prefer to live in a civil society instead of a civil war.
He’s just being a candy ass. I’m a Republican and am embarrassed when we act like the little snowflakes who need safe spaces. Man up and meet with your constituents. BS press releases just feed into the narrative of a do nothing Congress.
Oh so wrong. Me thinks you are a troll. But hey, I could be wrong.
Good for Rep Gohmert. Lefty rat bastards are out of control and dangerous. For those of you that don’t think so, you are fools.
Something about with friends like this…
Come on Nick, they are *NOT* meeting tough crowds but “bought and paid” for crowds. Get it right, or are you trying to join the Fake News crowd?!?!?!?!?
Its a cop out pure and simple. The Republicans have long been invested in the health and monopolistic Drug Companies that have the highest price of drugs in the entire Industrialized world. The greed mongers that continue to rape the American public are cheering on their Republican Prostitutes to turn back the clock to the good old days of pre-existing conditions and “medical caps”. The angry Public meetings are an affirmation that the people know only too well what the Republican Prostitutes are up too and that they continue to profit from the rape of the Public who become sick and need expensive drugs and care. Truly Americas greatest terrorist and enemy is Paul Ryan who has no plan for health car reform and is hell bent on turning back the clock to the good old days of greed monger rape by the Insurance and Drug Companies.
Unfortunately for Gun Owner’s if the Republican’s succeed in destroying the gains of Obama Care in two years they will be swept from power which will be both good and bad. It will be good because a Democratic Controlled Congress would be able to pass a sweeping new Health Care System with the “Public Option” which Obama wanted in the first place but could not get because Republican Prostitutes knew it would take away the ability of the Insurance companies and Drug Companies to continue to rape the public into bankruptcy when they become seriously ill.
It will be bad for gun owners because with a Democratic controlled Congress and a Supreme Court that has long wanted to destroy the Second Amendment gun ownership at the very least would become more like France or Germany if gun owners were indeed even allowed to have that type of restrictions.
Gun owners are actually a minority with most Americans not owning any guns and with an aging population even those Americans that do own guns will vote Democrat just so they can go on living by being able to afford the health care they need and then take their chances on how much of gun ownership will become a thing of the past.
Republican are not and never have put Second Amendment Rights first rather their primary goal in life is one of greed and the raping of the American Worker by destroying Unions which fought hard for a livable retirement, safer working conditions and a livable wage with benefits. All this was destroyed under Reagan and his laughable “trickle down economics” that impoverished the American Worker and started the process of removing high tariffs so that the Greed Monger Industrialists could move jobs overseas. Now of course we have become so entrenched in the Global Economy none of the impoverished American Workers could afford to buy much of anything if the Tariffs were once again re-instated. In short either Herr Trump is the biggest Economically Minded Midget in the history of the Presidency or the most skillful liar since Adolf Hitler or a combination of both of the above. It took decades and several generations to get America into this economic mess and it would take decades to once again get us out of it and the present and next future generation will live in an America far less wealthy for the working man and for the first time in history succeeding generations are now not as well off. No American Worker has to be told that as they live the economic nightmare every day of their lives.
That’s funny as hell. When the GOP lost eight years ago they also didn’t play ball and acted like sore losers. Where did you think the Dems. learned it from. Suck it up buttercups, this too shall pass. LOL
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