On July 29, the Press published the article “New venue for local T.E.A. Party.” The article described a meeting in which “informative guest speaker” Gus Konstantaras made a presentation on the right to openly carry fire arms.
In that article was the following quote from Gus: “Day by day these politicians, these Obama lovers, are taking our rights away and pretty soon, we’re gonna blink, and it’s going to be 1939 all over again.” He also suggested that FEMA is creating concentration camps for those who oppose the government.
Gus has a right to his opinions. The quote insinuates that the present administration is leading us to a Nazi-type regime. At least that is how I read the 1939 comment. Some of what Konstantaras said is dogmatic belief on his part and conjecture. This does not bother me. He has that right.
What does bother me is what Jill Price, the East County T.E.A. Party organizer, said. She said she hopes these presentations will help educate the public, even if they are not T.E.A. Party members. “People can make good decisions when they have the right information, so it’s important to educate the public about important issues that face our daily lives,” Price said.
This is unprofessional and quite ludicrous. Education insinuates that the ideas presented are factual or have some evidence in fact. If not, at least have a debate between two differing opinions. This “informative guest speaker” had none of that.
This kind of propaganda passed off as informative education is deceptive. This kind of thing has occurred in much of the T.E.A. Party movement. A movement that started out grass roots and has some legitimate concerns is not taking a position against these practices. My only guess is that they need the people so they can drive the results they would like in an election.
That is OK, but let’s be honest about it. It appears that the T.E.A. party has been used by the conservative wing of the Republican party in an attempt to get back power in Congress. That is OK too, but it is one reason I am very wary of this T.E.A. Party movement.
Pat Millard, Brentwood
All OPEN CARRIERS, Families, Friends, Citizens, and Guests are hereby welcomed to exercise and get educated about California Open Carry laws. Donation $5.00 per person. Hot Dogs, Hamburgers and more.
Location:
Hillside Church
108 Hillside Road
Antioch, CA
Date: Saturday, September 25, 2010
Time: 10:00am to 05:00pm
If you plan on exercising your 2nd amendment right in public please make sure to do your homework. All are welcome whether or not you plan to exercise you God given, constitutionally recognized, 2nd amendment right.
Could you be so kind as to tell us what parts of the article quoting the speaker were not factual? For instance, he didn't say there are FEMA camps, he told people to do their own research. From my perspective, it appears as though his ideas and opinions were meant to encourage people to go out and either confirm or discredit his information.
You don't see that as educational?
It seems to me that his opinions were pretty well based on fact. We know for a fact that we have a president who told us that if we elect him, he would not sign any bill into law unless it was posted on the internet for 5 days. How many times has that happened?
We know for a fact that we have a president who told us that the middle class would not see a dime's increase in taxes if he were elected. He reiterated this when he signed the Health Care bill. No new taxes!
Now, his Justice Department is saying in court that the whole reason it's OK to require all Americans to pay for his health care plan is because it's a tax!
There are a lot more factual examples if you'd care to hear them. Open your eyes.
1. Bad people - criminals - are misusing guns.
2. You support the Second Amendment.
3. Your solution to protect the good people from the bad people is to take the guns away from the good people.
Kind of defeats item 2, no?
Criminals already disobey our gun laws. Regardless of what laws we pass, the criminals will not follow them.
Somehow, fairy dust will be sprinkled in the air, and the good people will be protected... how?
A question for you: How do you think Columbine, Virgina Tech or the recent slaughter in Conn. would have turned out if just one teacher or employee had a handgun? How many fewer innocent people would be dead at the hands of a crazy person?
"But others find comfort and safety in the idea that they can live in a safe, quiet, family community where the need for self-protection is minimized, and where they can feel comfortable that guns are not readily accessible / visible, especially in the presence of children."
Me too. On which planet might that community be located?
The problem is that we don't know which citizens are law-abiding and which are not. I personally do not want to go about my daily business at Starbucks, Safeway, Wells Fargo or the Brentwood Cafe and finding that another patron has a gun on them, unless that person is a law enforcement officer and is wearing a uniform identifying them as such.
Some people find comfort and safety in the idea that they can draw a weapon to defend themselves. I can respect that. But others find comfort and safety in the idea that they can live in a safe, quiet, family community where the need for self-protection is minimized, and where they can feel comfortable that guns are not readily accessible / visible, especially in the presence of children.
As I said, I do support the right to bear arms, so I don't want to change that law, but I also don't see why we can't apply a sense of reason and perspective to the law, given where we are as a society.
Regarding what was discussed at the TEA Party meeting, you are correct that I was not there, and that my comments were based on what was reported in the Press. But even knowing that the article likely didn't cover all of the relevant information about what was discussed at the event doesn't change my overall view. Gus came across as a right-wing zealot; based on the inflammatory remarks he made, I couldn't possibly agree with ANYTHING that came out of his mouth because I simply wouldn't trust him to be an intelligent, credible person.
I always feel that anything is fine in moderation; anyone who is too far left or right in their thinking is simply not going to be "my cup of tea" (pun intended).
I just wanted to clarify that the article didn't even talk about Open Carry. I know because I was there. The quotes are accurate about parts of the content, but those opinions had nothing to do with Open Carry. According to your post you are completely against Open Carry because of one person's opinion on other issues that he believes are important. Really? I would be more than willing to conceal carry to protect life and limb if my government would only allow me to. Hence, I am reduced to carry, UNLOADED and OPEN. Thanks for putting me in the most disadvantage position on can be in when confront with violence. Oh wait... that's right the government is taking even that away. I guess I'll have to carry an exposed cell phone and hope that I have 911 on speed dial and pray that they get there in time to protect me when anything violent happens. Thanks for siding with the criminals. I;m sure you won't be on their to do list on account of your support for them.
Jonathan Clark
I guess I would take exception with your assessment of the decision by Jill Price to allow Gus to speak at her event. Part of the great democracy that we live in is that people can express many different points of view. From your comments I understand that you would agree with me on that. But I find it amazing how you agree that people can have opinions that are extra-ordinary, but then demean the people that allow them you voice those opinions. Should have Ms. Price refused the offer to education people about Open Carry because she might not agree with it? Would that be a type of censorship? I think people need to be given as much information as possible. Unfortunately not all information given out by many sources isn't always credible. I was at that meeting almost all of the educational information on Open Carry was not even included in the article. I have come to understand that most people who comment on the articles in the local paper get only the view that those articles express. It is so sad that people's opinions are so easily molded by a few hundred words in a local paper. I have learned to get first hand knowledge of the facts as best I can. I would suggest that you do the same for a better understanding of the issues.
Jonathan Clark
I guess Jill Price was right. It IS important for people to be educated, but only if that education is consistent with evidence-based facts rather than rumors based in misguided attempts to persuade a confused public.