2A Tuesday?

[iH8DemLibz]

I was proud to stand with Cheesehead and Engine4 yesterday at the rally. I saw the good doctor and his hair, Fabio (Rack&Roll) and his colorful hat, and many MDS/MSI stalwarts.

Those continually bitching in this thread yet offering no solutions, why not simply leave the thread. I myself am sick of hearing the same crap over and over and over. You don't like it, offer suggestions or leave, Enough with constant carping. I won't say something crass like go fvck yourselves, or call you asssholes or shiitheads, I will simply ask you leave this thread to those that still carry on the fight.

p.s. Did Shannon Alford have to pay a royalty fee to the producers of Road House?

Refrains from calling people names while calling people names.

 

[Rack&Roll]

Yeah, "Fabio" is fightin' words...."Brad Pitt", not so much.

And FWIW, before there were the blue MSI polo shirts with the snazzy logo on them, there were the "Ask Me About My Empty Holster" blue t-shirts that we would wear to stroll around Annapolis and other fine elitist sanctuaries.

Maybe one day I will wear mine for Throwback Tuesdays With Norton....

 

[Jim12]

OK, for those supporting the Alinsky approach, I present Kindred Spirits who are lampooning MDA:

https://www.facebook.com/Moms-Against-Cars-1907474342724475/

And...

https://www.facebook.com/momsagainsteverything/

Right!

And for those who surrendered to the War on Drugs, bear in mind that more Americans die from drug overdoses every year than from firearms!

 

[iH8DemLibz]

And swimming pools/drowning in lakes.

 

[PJDiesel]

Right!

And for those who surrendered to the War on Drugs, bear in mind that more Americans die from drug overdoses every year than from firearms!

Self inflicted, drugs kill very few people who don't voluntarily ingest them.

 

[Boondock Saint]

Yeah, "Fabio" is fightin' words...."Brad Pitt", not so much.

And FWIW, before there were the blue MSI polo shirts with the snazzy logo on them, there were the "Ask Me About My Empty Holster" blue t-shirts that we would wear to stroll around Annapolis and other fine elitist sanctuaries.

Maybe one day I will wear mine for Throwback Tuesdays With Norton....

That's going a ways back. Wow. I think my gut made it on the WBAL segment as the poster boy (God help us all) for the message of the day. Either that, or it was some other fat guy that was with us that day.

 

[ShafTed]

There are a couple of things I would like to address, starting with "name recognition" for MSI. More than once when I have been "out in public" with an MSI scarf or shirt, I've had people ask me "What's that?" and open up a conversation. The most recent time was Tuesday morning while I was eating breakfast at Chick and Ruth's when the guy behind the counter asked me about it. Since it was kind of slow in the restaurant at that time, he came over to my table and we had about a 10 minute conversation. Turns out he has been carrying for 20 years (business owner) and I saw him taking some notes during our conversation so it wouldn't surprise me if he contacts MSI at some point. Similar things happen at gun shows. Some have said there's no use preaching to the choir. A gun show is certainly a receptive audience but most of the people I talk to have never heard of MSI. We always get a couple of new members, and a couple of pages of sign-ups for the email list who don't necessarily want to join right then. Come out and help at the MSI table some time and see for yourself.

I'll agree that this year could have been better both organizationally and turnout. As others have mentioned, part of it is a lack of the urgency we had in 2013, may things never get that urgent again! The lack of a feel for the legislative landscape (not many bills to talk about) was probably influenced by 2A Tuesday being a week early this year due to a fluke of the calendar. As short as the legislative session is, a week can make a big difference.

 

[protegeV]

Good points.

Until I joined this site, MSI only meant one thing to me. Maryland State Inspection.

 

[BeoBill]

Right!

And for those who surrendered to the War on Drugs, bear in mind that more Americans die from drug overdoses every year than from firearms!

And swimming pools/drowning in lakes.

MADE YOU LOOK!
And you appear to have completely missed the points I was making.

- Your facts are already on those sites
- There are existing web resources to broadcast what we want to say
- Lampooning our adversaries is more effective at delivery than screaming.

Understand now?

 

[Jim12]

There are a couple of things I would like to address, starting with "name recognition" for MSI. More than once when I have been "out in public" with an MSI scarf or shirt, I've had people ask me "What's that?" and open up a conversation. The most recent time was Tuesday morning while I was eating breakfast at Chick and Ruth's when the guy behind the counter asked me about it. Since it was kind of slow in the restaurant at that time, he came over to my table and we had about a 10 minute conversation. Turns out he has been carrying for 20 years (business owner) and I saw him taking some notes during our conversation so it wouldn't surprise me if he contacts MSI at some point. Similar things happen at gun shows. Some have said there's no use preaching to the choir. A gun show is certainly a receptive audience but most of the people I talk to have never heard of MSI. We always get a couple of new members, and a couple of pages of sign-ups for the email list who don't necessarily want to join right then. Come out and help at the MSI table some time and see for yourself.

I'll agree that this year could have been better both organizationally and turnout. As others have mentioned, part of it is a lack of the urgency we had in 2013, may things never get that urgent again! The lack of a feel for the legislative landscape (not many bills to talk about) was probably influenced by 2A Tuesday being a week early this year due to a fluke of the calendar. As short as the legislative session is, a week can make a big difference.

O'Malley and the MGA Dems felt an urgency to pass it in 2013, infringing our rights.

We should feel the same sense of urgency to repeal it and restore our rights, until the job is done.

Instead, the MGA is restoring felons' voting rights over Hogan's veto, while we're rallying for our Constitutional Rights.

How much more "in our face" do we need from the MGA than THAT?

As to MSI's name, 99.999% of people, including pro-2A folks don't have a clue that "Shall Issue" has anything whatsoever to do with the Second Amendment or guns. It's almost like a secret society, where in reality we need something that people can readily relate to. The Virginia Citizens Defense League name is straightforward, descriptive, and applicable to what the organization does. I would second the motion to reconsider changing the name.

EDIT: Here's the VCDL website, in case anyone is curious: https://www.vcdl.org/
The regional AG's are working together across state lines, and so is Bloomberg, and so should we.

 

[Mr H]

Problem I discovered in speaking with people all across the state, with regard to "Citizens' Defense League"...

I continually got, "What are you defending? Is it in court?"

Marylanders, by and large, are a particularly cloistered and obtuse bunch. We determined that the "Civil Right" direction resonated better. So, the focus was shifted from one of primarily carry, to one where the Right itself (combined with safety) was front and center.

 

[BeoBill]

O'Malley and the MGA Dems felt an urgency to pass it in 2013, infringing our rights.

We should feel the same sense of urgency to repeal it and restore our rights, until the job is done.

I think we all agree. Now, how can we do that? That's what we;ve been brainstorming.

Instead, the MGA is restoring felons' voting rights over Hogan's veto, while we're rallying for our Constitutional Rights.

How much more "in our face" do we need from the MGA than THAT?

Yup, and that's a Jim Dandy selling point for the Civil Right of self defense. Sell it! How?

As to MSI's name, 99.999% of people, including pro-2A folks don't have a clue that "Shall Issue" has anything whatsoever to do with the Second Amendment or guns. It's almost like a secret society, where in reality we need something that people can readily relate to. The Virginia Citizens Defense League name is straightforward, descriptive, and applicable to what the organization does. I would second the motion to reconsider changing the name.

That's a separate issue. Don't conflate the message with the messenger.

If you REALLY want instant name recognition, rebrand MSI as "The Gun Lobby." Bam! Now everybody knows. /sarc

 

[BeoBill]

Problem I discovered in speaking with people all across the state, with regard to "Citizens' Defense League"...

I continually got, "What are you defending? Is it in court?"

Marylanders, by and large, are a particularly cloistered and obtuse bunch. We determined that the "Civil Right" direction resonated better. So, the focus was shifted from one of primarily carry, to one where the Right itself (combined with safety) was front and center.

I think the problem with this state is the demographics. The majority are urbanites, work in a DC environment, and so think parochially, only about their immediate surroundings.

The rest of the state is rural or semi-rural, in the numerical minority, and also think parochially, only about their immediate surroundings.

There's little that can unite them. I wish I had the answer, but I don't.

 

[DC-W]

No one in the GA is going to take a group comprised of 95% white men seriously when we claim a law is racist.

 

[Rack&Roll]

ouch

 

[HokieKev]

OK, for those supporting the Alinsky approach, I present Kindred Spirits who are lampooning MDA:

https://www.facebook.com/Moms-Against-Cars-1907474342724475/

And...

https://www.facebook.com/momsagainsteverything/

That is a scary and evil looking black car. I am certain it is more deadly than red or yellow cars. Definitely needs to be banned.

 

[fabsroman]

Good points.

Until I joined this site, MSI only meant one thing to me. Maryland State Inspection.

Used to mean Montgomery Soccer, Inc. to me.

 

[Schipperke]

Used to mean Montgomery Soccer, Inc. to me.

Still does in Montgomery... I see those stickers everyday

 

[DC-W]

A little girl at Beltsville day 2014 actually though we were about soccer, lol.

 

[Engine4]

I wish I had the answer, but I don't.

Use the Electoral College for electing the governor.