Suggestions for a day of protest

[george burns]

I would like to see if we get any constructive ideas for a day of protest against the current Government actions. Thus if we could see where this goes prior to removing it and do so if it gets silly.
Should we not do something as a unified part of American life? Like fly the flag on a certain day, or wear a certain color. Only to show unity, in protest of the presidents agenda on guns, and perhaps it might catch on if it was spread around by those who are better at this sort of organization than I am, "just a thought".
Someone has to have thought of this already, anyone hear about any such protest?

 

[oneounceload]

Or have a million gun march on DC? (Or would that be a little over the top? )

 

[AnselHazen]

Why just one day? This is what these ladies do to get their point across.

http://www.freeportflagladies.com/

 

[entropy]

Perhaps flying the flag in a certain manner......

 

[AnselHazen]

Well, we can't be disrespectful of the US flag. That won't do. So be hard to fly it in some way that says pro 2A.

What about NRA flags? Little ones like veterans flags in cemeteries or 3x5 ones on poles off porches. Anywhere it's flying we are making a Pro 2A statement.

This could be a real boost for the NRA. Seriously, I don't want the crappy piece of swag they give me when I re-up. In fact I decided on the bottle opener this year because it was made in the USA. I got the stinking bag because they ran out. Look inside, it's made in CHINA!

But what if everyone got a little cemetery sized flag that was made in the US?

Every year, every time they re-up. Every new member they add. Or a sticker for the mailbox.

 

[DoubleMag]

VOTING NOVEMBER 2016. And most ppl don't even do that

Of course, the achilles heel of all this is getting the settlefers to do something. Anything. After getting permission from the wife .

To ease some into doing anything remember the adage - Simplier the bettier. Just as simple as a ''call your US CongressCritter'' day.

A bit more complex yet simple, on day "X" , everyone who buys something also gives the cashier a predetermined size-color chip. The message would be, ''you've been patronized'' by a 2A advocate. Do that for a predetermined week. After a few days, it becomes known & talked up, between bosses, workers to friends. Quickly thereafter, news coverage. And then...

 

[Sam1911]

a day of protest against the current Government actions.

I don't mean to be dense, but which current government actions? What are we protesting exactly?

 

[OilyPablo]

Ballot booth. Get gun owners to VOTE.

 

[Sistema1927]

I don't mean to be dense, but which current government actions? What are we protesting exactly?

Same here. What is this, some type of general protest against unspecified actions, or a targeted effort to draw attention to a certain violation of freedom?

Is it intended simply as a "feel good" action, or does it have a more definable outcome in mind?

 

[AnselHazen]

I don't mean to be dense, but which current government actions? What are we protesting exactly?

If you were passing by my house and saw that little cemetery sized flag down near the corner of my drive what would you think?

My road goes for miles so what if you continued to see them at various driveway corners all along the road? And tomorrow while driving you saw them elsewhere. And they began to pop up all over. Wherever you went.

One result of this would be a constant little reaffirmation that there are others out there who feel as you do. Seeing that simple flag everywhere confirms it. Wouldn't it be nice to see it somewhere you didn't think you would?

Wouldn't seeing it all over make you realize you aren't alone?

And maybe, just maybe, because you had something to point to down at the corner of a driveway you might pick up the phone and say hey Bub, you going down to see so and so? Want to ride with me? Or I'll see you there then. Causing increased activism locally.

What if it showed up on businesses? I know my money would go to those flying that little flag. Or a sticker on the door next to the VISA/MC/AMEX sign.

So what I would hope is that simple little flag might get more folks to realize whats going on and be more active in standing up and defending the freedoms this country was founded on.

 

[Sam1911]

If you were passing by my house and saw that little cemetery sized flag down near the corner of my drive what would you think?

I really have no idea. I see American flags all the time at all sorts of places, including at the homes of various people. Some of those people are "like me." Some aren't. Maybe you just love your country. Ok, cool. Who doesn't?

My road goes for miles so what if you continued to see them at various driveway corners all along the road? And tomorrow while driving you saw them elsewhere. And they began to pop up all over. Wherever you went.

That's neat! But why are all these people doing that? Is it Memorial day? I know plenty of those people all over the neighborhood, and I know they don't all share many of my fundamental beliefs. Why are they flying flags?

One result of this would be a constant little reaffirmation that there are others out there who feel as you do.

Not really. One of the biggest groups I see using the flag as an identifier are labor union members. I'm not one, and have no particular interest in furthering their agenda. It's fine if they want to use it -- it belongs to all.

What is the call to unity represented by displaying the one symbol all Americans can claim in common?

Seeing that simple flag everywhere confirms it. Wouldn't it be nice to see it somewhere you didn't think you would?

I DO see it, every day. In the yards of folks I believe vote a certain way, and in the yards of folks I'm pretty sure vote a different way. What is the unifying theme?

Wouldn't seeing it all over make you realize you aren't alone?

I don't feel particularly alone, as it is. But what is this movement of flag-displaying DOING? What does it mean? We like America? Great! Me too.

Now, I have a very specific set of wishes and goals I'd like to see America pursue, and I doubt they exactly match yours, or my neighbor's, or anyone elses' in particular. Which of those aspirations does this flag display mean we all agree on?

And maybe, just maybe, because you had something to point to down at the corner of a driveway you might pick up the phone and say hey Bub, you going down to see so and so? Want to ride with me? Or I'll see you there then. Causing increased activism locally.

What? Going down to see WHO? I'm not sure I like that guy! He's a bit "out there," you know?

Do people who will fly the flag all support the same candidate? If so, which one?

What if it showed up on businesses? I know my money would go to those flying that little flag. Or a sticker on the door next to the VISA/MC/AMEX sign.

Really? But I don't know what that particular flag display MEANS to that person. How can I know if I want to support their version of it? What if they're Klan members? Or homophobic? Or religiously intolerant? Or don't much like guns?

So what I would hope is that simple little flag might get more folks to realize whats going on

What IS "going on?" Is there something going on that we aren't talking about? As I said before, what is this a protest OF? Just "things?"

..and be more active in standing up and defending the freedoms this country was founded on.

Ok! Great! Which ones? Is this all about guns? And if you fly the flag you're for total gun rights? If so, GREAT! Let's do this!

But how do we get the message out that our total gun rights protest movement is occupying the flag icon now and flying the flag means THAT thing?

 

[DoubleMag]

allllllll that ^^^^ which is a good idea & discussion thereafter would be more easily incorporated into the idea presented in post #6.

 

[AnselHazen]

Sam, rerun the whole Q&A with the flag in my post having an NRA graphic.

I abandoned our countries flag in post 5 because it comes with very specific rules of care if it were to be used.

This laminated printout moves to the dashboard of various vehicles I drive.

 

[Sam1911]

Oh, well, now that would send a more concrete message. I do already display the NRA logo quite a bit, but I don't have a flag. How to organize?

And is this still a "day of protest?" Or is this a more general thing?

 

[Theohazard]

I would like to see if we get any constructive ideas for a day of protest against the current Government actions.

Yeah, what exactly are we protesting? The president's executive actions on guns? What's there to protest? Overall, I think the president's executive actions were a good thing for gun owners.

Look at what he actually did. His talk about background checks was just that; talk. In that regard he did absolutely nothing except re-state current federal law. And what about the part of hiring more people to run NICS checks? That's good too; if we're going to have a bloated government system running checks on us when we buy guns, that system might as well be properly staffed. And what about hiring more ATF folks? Well, as someone who has waited between 5 and 12 months for each one of my various NFA items, I wouldn't mind it if there were more ATF employees to process the paperwork and make it go faster. For many people, the wait is the main reason they don't own a silencer or other NFA firearm. If the wait times were less, then there would be more people buying those types of firearms (which might drive wait times back up, but that's an ongoing issue anyway).

And the president's executive action did another thing that will increase NFA ownership: It removed a major hurdle that many people ran into. To buy a silencer, machine gun, SBR, or other NFA item as an individual, the ATF used to require that you get your chief law enforcement officer to sign off. Well, this sign-off was completely discretionary (unless state or local laws required it), so many CLEOs refused to sign off. So that meant that many people in this country had to set up a corporation or a trust to get around this, and that discouraged many people from NFA ownership.

Well, thanks to the president and the ATF, after July 13th the sign-off requirement goes away entirely. After that, anyone who can pass a background check and pay the $200 tax can own an NFA item. As far as I'm concerned, we should be thanking the president, not protesting him. And considering how much he seems to hate guns and gun ownership, that would probably annoy the heck out of him.

 

[AnselHazen]

Sam, I see it as a more general thing. I wore my NRA ball cap to my states caucus this year. I received a number of comments from folks who may never have said boo to me, all positive ranging from "I just joined" to commiseration about the state of things. I was frankly surprised wearing it would be such a conversation piece. As I've mentioned I'd really like to see the NRA get behind this because I see this as a way for them to benefit from the increased exposure and collective feeling of solidarity as a group. I also think they could save a bunch of money by not flooding us with Chinese made trinkets we don't need.

Theo, as I have read in pieces penned by the NRA-ILA Obama is pretty well constrained by the 1986 FOPA so I suspect a lot coming from that front is posturing. But that posturing can also be seen as a call to action for groups like Everytown and Moms Demand. That is where the real activity is occurring. Those folks are funding the local efforts to chip away at our rights with senseless legislation based on their lies.

My laminated NRA flag printout is hopefully sending the message to all who view it that out of state idealism has no place in my state.

 

[Sam1911]

Ok! I agree with that 100%. As I said, I do the same sorts of things, though I live in such a pro-gun area that its a bit taken for granted, I think.



I think, though, that goes more to a different idea than the original "day of protest." I still don't know what actual current government actions George wanted to protest, or how, or how to organize efforts that day. Usually to organize a really noteworthy and significant protest effort there has to be a concrete single item that the government is doing that the protesting citizens don't like. For example, Cubans protesting the taking political activist prisoners by the Castro government. Or Washingtonians protesting the passage of i594 back in Jan. of '15. Or protesters in Germany rallying to show opposition to their government's immigration policies.

Protest is usually considered the last non-violent effort available to fight against a government that has passed laws or enacted policies or is locking people up or in some way DOING something to the people. If legislative and judicial efforts are still effective then protest is not necessary. You don't have to protest if you can get your legislators to listen to you and vote your way, and if the laws are being interpreted favorably (in your view) by the high courts.

Our federal government hasn't actually DONE anything that we could really protest against. Some elements have tried to, but they failed, and things are still trending positively for gun owners in the US, following the same upward trend they've generally been on for the last 20 years. Obviously, protesting THAT would be counter-productive, no? So what are we doing here?

 

[AnselHazen]

Where I live if I hear gunfire I know it's the sound of Freedom.

My display of that laminated NRA graphic is a statement against referendums that originate from out of state interests. It would be saying I am against making ss109 ammo illegal. Or allowing a landlord to evict a disabled veteran from public housing because he defended himself against a burglar trying to steal narcotics from his medicine cabinet. It would be saying I want my states CCP to be valid in all 50 states, just like my drivers license.

It would be saying the second amendment isn't open to interpretation. It was pretty clearly written by some very intelligent men who had recently thrown off an oppressive regime. With that conflict fresh on their minds they knew what they were saying. And it isn't any less true today.

 

[Coop45]

How about a Mattis in 2016 bumper sticker?