A bit of a follow-up on the post about astroturfing from yesterday. Today she updated with a post that shows absolutely zero understanding for how we think of rights in this country. Digging around a bit more, she was active with a group called Blue Steel Democrats. Here’s a video where you can see her shooting for the first time a few years ago:
She’s listed as a contributor over at Blue Steel Dems, but it doesn’t look like she ever posted anything. A further examination of this group does not leave it dripping with pro-Second Amendment credibility.
I welcome gun rights activism in both parties, and I accept there are plenty of legitimate pro-gun Democrats that deserve some love from gun owners. In truth, I wish we had more Democratic gun owner organizations, because it would give us a strong base in both parties, and would leave libertarians like me feel free to leave supporting gun-rights friendly lefty candidates to people who are more closely aligned with those politicians on other issues.
But the big question in one’s support for the Second Amendment is whether you’re a gun rights activist first, and a party animal second. Blue Steel Democrats seem to be more of the latter than the former, with an awful lot of apologizing for Barack Obama, without much focus on his past, or on how we’re going to protect this right into the 21st century (hint: not by nominating anti-gun justices to the Supreme Court, as the President has done). There’s also a lot of criticism of NRA and support for AHSA here. They also defended Sonia Sotomayor, who voted with the minority to gut the Second Amendment entirely.
I don’t demand anyone toe the party line in regards to NRA, as a means to determine whether you’re really part of this movement or not, but generally speaking, if your criticism of NRA revolves around their unwillingness to back Democrats who are soft on guns, I’m going to count you outside this movement.
I’m not going to go so far as suggest Blue Steel Democrats are a false flag, since unlike AHSA, they seem to support Democrats more than gun control, but this isn’t the kind of help people who seriously care about this issue need in this fight. You have to be true to the issue first. Party comes second. By apologizing for anti-gun Democrats, you’ve become the monster you think NRA is, only from the left. Maybe that was your goal, but don’t try to convince me you really give a shit about the Second Amendment.
Thanks for the extra research.
I like how they seem to start their members off with what look suspiciously like J-frames in .45 LC. I’m sure that’s an awesome way to break in first-time shooters.
“I wish Congresswoman McCarthy the best of luck and will offer to do what I can to help make this bill law.”
She says that with a straight face while claiming to support the right to keep and bear arms. False flag, and transparently so. Her function is to advance the anti’s agenda while pretending to support gun rights. This is a product of the anti’s desperation; they’ve had to resort to outright deception.
Look, they haven’t always been great, and certainly that poster is a doofus. But the Blue Steel Democrats IS a group that, for the most part, here in Oregon supports gun rights. They are an actual caucus within the Democratic Party of Oregon. Now I may not be an Oregon Democrat, but these guys have actually had positive influence on the DPO here. Zack, who used to run it, unfortunately moved to New Hampahire and it has been less active since then.
Now I usually agree with you here at snowflakes, and the ASHA thing aside, And Sotomayer, your research isn’t really that great and I’ll tell ya why. First is the fact that the DPO actually has an official caucus. They may not be as great as I like, but it’s a damn good start. Does the Democratic Party of Penn. Have an internal caucus?
Second, and way more importantly, you are applying your rose colored lense to this. I grew up in Boston, and did the same when I moved to Oregon 11 years ago. But the fact is, a lot of democrats here in the NW would be Republicans in the NE. They are far to the right of your typical Massachusetts Democrat. And your applying and east coast lens to it.
I can’t believe I’m actually defending Democrats on guns, but a couple of doofus’s aside, these are people you should be embracing, not slinging mud at. I have, in fact, gotten a few formerly antigun Dems out here to start shooting, get permits, and even join this thing.
Ah. So at worst they’re a false-flag operation, and at best they are to Democrats what GOA is to Republicans.