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Veteran stands up for 2nd Amendment at Chicago anti-gun forum (Update — interview with Vet)

Veteran stands up for 2nd Amendment at Chicago anti-gun forum (Update — interview with Vet)

After enduring hours of derision and mockery by the panelists at a Chicago-area guns “forum” Sunday, one man in the audience stood up and addressed the crowd, identified himself as a veteran, and proceeded to give a straightforward but passionate defense of his support for the First and Second Amendments.

Veteran New Trier Dem Gun Forum

The forum, despite having been marketed by the organizers from the New Trier Democrats as a “space for real conversation,” had until then allowed for anything but discussion.

Countless snide remarks and dubious facts were placed on powerpoint slides as the audience, largely filled with NRA supporters, were repeatedly “shushed” and told to write any questions down for a later Q&A.

Still, as time went on, and especially after speaker Bill Jenkins placed a photograph of Nazi paraphernalia on the screen with the caption, “this is what a gun show looks like,” and after he had put a picture of a chihuahua with the words “this is what I think the NRA really is” up, the crowd had nearly had it.

Finally, when panelist Lee Goodman of the Stop Concealed Carry Coalition responded to a question about the original reasons for including the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights by saying “it didn’t matter [what their intentions were],” it was enough for the combat veteran to speak up:

The exchange:

Veteran: Sir, sir. While you’re standing up. I’ve sat here [inaudible] and I’d like to agree with the professor. Everyone standing in this room right now, especially the veterans in the room right now, know, that we are all Americans. The problem with this country right now is it’s us and it’s f***ing them. We need to stop this crap.

Now, the thing I would like you to answer, sir. And I did go to war for this country. Whether it was for everyone in here’s ability to have oil and gas in their cars, or the banks, or whatever. I went to war for my country.

And I went to war for your ability to have the First Amendment, to say what you stood up there and said today, to write what you want to write in your newspaper, and have whatever opinion you want to have. You can practice whatever religious freedoms you want. I would like you to answer the question, since you just said that one of the rights that I went to war over to defend, that is inalienable, to every American citizen. If this discussion was going on, about your First Amendment rights, would you still have the same opinion that we don’t need that any more either.

Goodman: You didn’t hear my answer….that’s not what I said…I said it doesn’t matter what their reasons are, what matters is whether or not it’s relevant today.

Audience member: It’s an eternal truth, an eternal truth….

Goodman: When they consider any part of the Constitution, any law, they’re going to say, “what does it mean today?”

Audience: NO!

Veteran: The threat of tyranny, today, is no less than at the turn of the century in 1900, in 1800, or in 1700!

Reporter Kathy Routliffe of the Wilmette Life described the event as a “raucous afternoon of anti-gun control activists heckling and jeering at panelists.” If only Routliffe had chosen to provide her readers with the panelists’ inflammatory remarks that led up to the combat veteran’s speech.

(WAJ adds — The image above reminds me of Norman Rockwell’s Freedom of Speech painting)

Update 1-24-2013Meet Kevin Tully – Vet who passionately defended 2nd Amendment at anti-gun event

And additional video at An Army of Davy Crocketts and Annie Oakleys

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Comments

Insufficiently Sensitive | January 22, 2013 at 1:19 pm

What a feeling of relief, to see an arrogant urban ‘intellectual’ challenged by someone whose real-world experience gives a far greater perspective on human needs and behavior than possessed by the knowitall – who really knows no more than liberal groupthink.

When I was a kid, I always imagined adults discussed and debated things like adults.

Boy oh boy was I a stupid kid.

    BuzzKillington in reply to LukeHandCool. | January 23, 2013 at 7:55 pm

    LukeHandCool — How on Earth can you have an adult conversation when only one person is an adult? They put Nazi paraphernalia up on a PowerPoint to describe gun owners; they ACTUALLY did that. These are close minded children, sheltered in their little worlds without a care of reality. They spend their lives controlling adult college students and pouring on their agenda. The moment they put that offensive PowerPoint up, is the moment they showed their maturity. If anyone should dare to have differing views from them, they automatically attack, chastise, and wish harm upon them. It is disgusting. They proclaim we are a country of diversity yet they wish to oppress others with opposing views. They’re hypocrites without an ounce of respect or maturity. Having an adult conversaion with someone who calls you a Nazi for no reason other than the fact that you wish to protect yourself, is impossible.

Liberal Gun Grabbers would have us form their conclusions? No Now. Not Ever.

    TrooperJohnSmith in reply to VotingFemale. | January 22, 2013 at 4:58 pm

    I’d like to challenge Mr. Goodman, of the anti-carry coalition, to walk through the south side of Chicago on a warm Saturday night.

    I can walk through the worst neighborhoods in Houston, because we have concealed-carry here. That’s why the so-called bad neighborhoods are not as bad as they are in Chicago.

    Darwinism in action! Let’s roll…

      9thDistrictNeighbor in reply to TrooperJohnSmith. | January 22, 2013 at 6:36 pm

      People I knew when I worked on the south side (79th & Jeffery) told me they were afraid to go to the west side…that’s where it’s really bad.

      Concealed carry is also why my town, League City, just south of Houston has a low crime rate. In the recent past League City had the highest per capita rate of concealed carry permits in the state. It proves that an armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life.

      9thDistrictNeighbor in reply to TrooperJohnSmith. | January 22, 2013 at 6:41 pm

      People I knew when I worked on the south side told me they were afraid to go to the west side…that’s where it’s really bad.

“(WAJ adds — The image above reminds me of Norman Rockwell’s Freedom of Speech painting)”

And it doesn’t hurt that the veteran bears some resemblance to the actor and great American patriot, Gary Sinise.

From the Rotliffe link (boldface mine):

The crowd’s greatest criticism was reserved for Goodman and a commentary he read, which focused on “the babies – children and young people killed by gun violence.” Audience members yelled at him, asking his views on abortion.

sigh

2. These people are writing the Democrats’ propaganda for them. As it were:

Republicans claim they stand for limited government, but what’s their real agenda? Here’s what happened at a forum about gun violence.

film clip

Vote for individual choice. Vote Democrat.

    myiq2xu in reply to gs. | January 22, 2013 at 1:57 pm

    Were we watching the same clip?

    9thDistrictNeighbor in reply to gs. | January 22, 2013 at 2:17 pm

    I went over to the linked article trying to find out why it was published in the Wilmette Life, and not the Glenview Announcements. [Wilmette Life is part of a group of small local newspapers (Pioneer Press) now owned by the Chicago Sun-Times (enough said). Note also that these papers are mostly vehicles for real estate ads and legal notices about foreclosure and tax lien sales.] The forum was moved to the Glenview PD from the Wilmette Library.

    The following was in the Glenview paper:

    “The Friday rescheduling by New Trier Democrats doesn’t mention who organizers expect to make up the large audience, but the executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association confirmed Thursday night that members of his group plan to attend the 2 p.m. event.”

    (snip)

    “On Jan. 15, New Trier Democrats Membership Chairwoman Judy Mandel said she expected members of the ISRA would attend the meeting, and worried that the forum discussion following the presentations would become one-sided.”

    “We want everyone (to come) but what we don’t want is someone to come and drown out one side,” Mandel said. “We’re not talking about gun control. We’re talking gun safety.”

    http://glenview.suntimes.com/17655947-781/gun-forum-moves-to-glenview.html

      “space for real conversation”

      “We want everyone (to come) but what we don’t want is someone to come and drown out one side,” Mandel said. “We’re not talking about gun control. We’re talking gun safety.”

      Uh huh. That’s why the panel only presented one side.

      By her lights, Mandel is correct. She wants everybody to sit and listen respectfully to the Left’s preapproved experts. Science! Research! Studies!

      Me, I’ll sit in back and throw spitballs at the side that’s currently more obnoxious.

    Crawford in reply to gs. | January 22, 2013 at 6:28 pm

    gs, we get it. You don’t like seeing leftists called on their hypocrisy.

    Now, move on.

    Please.

    gs in reply to gs. | January 22, 2013 at 8:32 pm

    The Left obviously thinks they own the child-welfare issue. I’m not talking about the merits; I’m talking about the practical politics. The election demonstrated that their credibility with the voters is greater than I’d expected—and I was less optimistic about the outcome than most of us seemed to be.

    If social conservatives must link abortion and gun control—which, to repeat, is a really bad idea that I vehemently discourage—at least let women do the talking.

    gs in reply to gs. | January 23, 2013 at 2:10 am

    1. I just became aware of this:

    NBC/WSJ poll: Majority, for first time, want abortion to be legal

    “These are profound changes,” says Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducted this survey with Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart and his colleagues.

    “The dialogue we have had in the last year has contributed … to inform and shift attitudes.”

    Like Instapundit says, read the whole thing.

    2. I didn’t think the conservative position on abortion is as electorally weak as the poll indicates. Of course, the poll results need to be checked by other pollsters and their stability over time is as yet unknown.

    3. I have been suggesting at LI that GOP policy be to defederalize social issues.

9thDistrictNeighbor | January 22, 2013 at 1:44 pm

Give that man a C-GAR!

Glenview is still home to a small Navy base left from the former Naval Air Station (now a bankrupt shopping center with a large number of foreclosed houses), but that doesn’t explain the turnout.

The only thing worse than the condescending New Trier Democrat organization is the weak and dithering New Trier Republican organization.

http://chicagoist.com/2013/01/16/gingrich_chicago_is_murder_capital.php
“During an interview on CBS News, Newt Gingrich called Chicago “the murder capital of the United States,” adding, “If gun control works, Chicago ought to be safe.” Gingrich said:
“Chicago has very strict gun laws; it is also the deadliest city in America where 500 people were killed in Chicago last year,” Gingrich said…”

Love it!

A Soldier who has faced the hellishness of Islamist insurgents, false allies and that culture, land mines and live enemy fire, is not going to be afraid of a room full of Chicago political thuggery and Alinsky tactics.

[…] Much more importantly, as in 2009, at town hall meetings where Democrat officials thought they could similarly phone it in, individual citizens demonstrate just how out of touch with both the Constitution and reality their elected officials are: At William A. Jacobson’s Legal Insurrection blog, Anne Sorock spots a veteran who stands up our Second Amendment rights at a Chicago anti-gun forum: […]

“If only Routliffe had chosen to provide her readers with the panelists’ inflammatory remarks that led up to the combat veteran’s speech.”

No shock there…

Good. Some people clearly understand how risk management is processed in the real world. A world where criminal behavior is not prevented and rarely constrained by proscriptive laws, where realization of genetically-induced sociopathic or drug-induced psychopathic behavior is a clear and present danger, where over one million aliens illegal enter this nation annually, and where the federal government provides arms to cartels and terrorists to murder their competing interests.

    TrooperJohnSmith in reply to n.n. | January 22, 2013 at 4:45 pm

    When the revolution goes down, you need to be our rabble rouser. Or our revolutionary poet. Or both.

[…] Insurrection’s Anne Sorock captures a veteran who stands up to these anti-gun nuts in Chicago and makes a fantastic point. He asks them if the […]

Actually, if you examine most of the Founders’ writings on the 2nd Amendment, their attitude would be one of surprise that we haven’t already shot all the thieving leftist bastards.

[…] After you watch this, head over to Legal Insurrection and watch a veteran speak up for the Second Amendment at a town hall in […]

Goodman: “You didn’t hear my answer….that’s not what I said…I said it doesn’t matter what their reasons are, what matters is whether or not it’s relevant today.”

And you and your fellow commies get to decide if the constitution is relevant or not?
ESAD, you arrogant ass wipe.

TrooperJohnSmith | January 22, 2013 at 4:42 pm

Why participate in some orchestrated BULLSH!T panel put on by a bunch of effete Lefties who choose to lecture rather than communicate?

Never play their game on their court using their rules! They rig the game. If you go play, they win, automatically.

Ignore them. Like petulant children, ignore them. Have a REAL discussion next door at the Sizzler, or wherever, and advertise it like that. Whatever your do, don’t let them paint you with their media brush.

Use Alinsky on them: ridicule, marginalize, exaggerate, demonize and then ignore them.

    JackRussellTerrierist in reply to TrooperJohnSmith. | January 22, 2013 at 5:30 pm

    I agree 100%.

    Besides ignoring them by not showing up, another thing would be to send in a silent observer with a camera or at least a mic, record it all, then publish a point-by-point takedown of their vicious nonsense.

    No! We can no longer afford to ignore them. We’ve ignored them for far too long, and they’ve taken practically everything.

    We must go into their dens of agitation and confront them as citizens. Yes, employ Alinsky. Ridicule, marginalize, exaggerate, demonize them. But always use the truth. Always marginalize and demonize them by showing the hypocrisy and failure of their so-called “progress.” And know what you’re talking about.

    And yes, always, always, always ridicule them. They want to be respected. They want to be taken seriously. Never give them that. Never give them the initiative. Lampoon them.

    If this video gets legs, then I’d say THEY’RE gonna be on the losing side of it.

    I’m proud of everyone who participated, all those who documented it, and ESPECIALLY of Mr. Manly Man who stood up and spoke truth to power.

    🙂

I have found, recently, that the argument the left uses is the “well regulated militia” line. To that we must ask: where is our militia, well regulated or not, for a free state, if the government takes our firearms? They hate it.

    JackRussellTerrierist in reply to cruiszn. | January 22, 2013 at 5:32 pm

    Right. By quoting the 2A, they acknolwedge its bona fides. So, obviously the next question becomes your question.

    Excellent. 🙂

I really, really, really, despise “progressives”. They are a greater danger to the people of this country than any lone nut with an AR-15.

    Browndog in reply to Sanddog. | January 22, 2013 at 6:01 pm

    I quibble. Thrice.

    1) You missed a couple “really’s”

    2) “despise” is too kind.

    3) They are a danger to people in every country, as history shows. The problem this time, is there will be no America saving them, and certainly won’t be anyone saving us.

    When Obama said “change”, did he mean no longer an exporter of freedom, but an exporter of totalitarianism?

    You decide.

    sablegsd in reply to Sanddog. | January 22, 2013 at 6:49 pm

    Regressives. Regressive commiecrats. Do NOT let them self identify.

Glad to see some like minded folks here in the most densly occupied portion of Illannoys, and glad that somebody obtained documentation of the liberal proponents of “by any means necessary” using the Alinsky tactics of making their opponents follow the rules that they won’t.

“Open and honest discussion”? Right.

What we’re seeing here is the b*stard child of “Political Correctness” of the 80’s, all growed up into its own monster, meaning freedom of speech only applies to a liberal if you agree with their ideology.

Keep the faith and keep your powder dry, brothers and sisters.

The focus should not be on what the veteran said.

We used to call that “normal”.

The focus should be on the presentation, and what that—–(self-censoring) said…

We used to call that “abnormal, subversive, commie-talk”…

Is it now “mainstream?

    Henry Hawkins in reply to Browndog. | January 22, 2013 at 5:59 pm

    In urban America it is. Or on campus. Or in public schools. Or most of media. Or….

    That’s OK. I kinda like the idea of being a rebel now. I even have the pony tail.

    badwhisky in reply to Browndog. | January 22, 2013 at 6:43 pm

    The Presentor is obviously a libtard that believes the Constitution to be a living document controled by social relivance, subject to international norms and changible when cercumstnces dictate; he is wrong!

    The Constitution of the United States

    Article V – Amendment
    The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

    Sanddog in reply to Browndog. | January 22, 2013 at 6:49 pm

    I would hope he left that “discussion” with one thought in mind. To many of us, “Shall not be infringed” means exactly that. The government and the progressives can pass whatever laws they want but that does not mean a substantial percentage of the population will obey them. We are not all part of the leftist herd and they need to understand the ramifications of what they are trying to accomplish. It’s not going to go down the way they envision. There are rights the government can’t take away because they lack the authority.

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants. It is it’s natural manure. –Thomas Jefferson Paris, November 13, 1787–
—————–

Everyone knows this famous quot, few know that it comes from a letter which also says the following:

What country before ever existed a century & a half without a rebellion? & what country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon & pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants. It is it’s natural manure. –Thomas Jefferson Paris, November 13, 1787–
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. –The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776–

Just remind the leftists that every time there has been a riot in this country, the police are generally advised to “Play it Safe” and not endanger their own lives. I guarantee you, I’d want to be armed if I were in a neighborhood where the police had been told to leave the citizenry to their own devices.

And be sure and remind them that in most gun “crimes”, police officers will generally arrive on the scene in time to watch over the bodies of the innocent victim(s) until the coroner gets there.

Those last words uttered by the veteran, “The threat of tyranny, today, is no less than at the turn of the century in 1900, in 1800, or in 1700!” especially hit home with me. That’s the reason why I joined the NRA 3 weeks ago, signed up for the Basic Pistol course taught by a qualified NRA instructor, and will most likely follow that with, what is for me, the unprecedented step of purchasing a handgun.

That gun is a symbol for me of my rights and the encroaching tyranny of this Administration into my rights as an American. While the President won re-election, he would be wise to remember that 59 million people did NOT vote for him, and we will not go quietly. Exactly the reason why Harry Reid is treading oh so carefully on the gun issue in the Senate, because he knows we American voters can turn the Senate “Red” in 2014.

“real conversation” no, what they are saying is we are right you are wrong… just to many people with out a clue…

Progressives = Nazis without Balls…

Their idea of a conversation is to insult their listeners. Huzzah to that vet who stood up for what is right.

[…] Posting at Professor William Jacobson’s Legal Insurrection, Ann Sorock reports a Veteran stood up against hecklers and gun control activists at a New Trier Democratic ‘space for a real conversation’ rally to disarm the law abiding. […]

I had to sign up with this website just to express how much I love this video.

🙂

I’m amazed at the similarities between the Norman Rockwell painting and the photo of the veteran speaking at the forum.

What I want to know is why no one is discussing the missing Amendment. The Drug Prohibition Amendment.

[…] A military veteran delivered a passionate defense of the Second Amendment at a Chicago-area anti-gun “forum” Sunday, saying he went to war to protect all Americans’ inalienable rights — including the right to bear arms. He also argued the threat of “tyranny” is still just as real as it was in the past.–To read the full transcript, click here. […]

[…] Defend the Constitution (video): Veteran stands up for 2nd Amendment at Chicago anti-gun forum […]

legalizehazing | January 23, 2013 at 2:28 pm

Thank you for this video.

It was touching the support and response to the impassioned: The threat of tyranny, today, is no less than at the turn of the century in 1900, in 1800, or in 1700!

[…] Veteran stands up for 2nd Amendment at Chicago anti-gun forum […]

Phillep Harding | January 23, 2013 at 6:32 pm

The purpose of that “Write your questions down and we will answer them later” is to hide how many people actually want to know what. Agenda control.

[…] In·sur·rec·tion – Veteran stands up for 2nd Amendment at Chicago anti-gun forum submitted by VA […]

[…] Lee Goodman of Stop Concealed Carry was one of the panelists at the Chicago-area anti-gun forum featured in my prior post, Veteran stands up for 2nd Amendment at Chicago anti-gun forum. […]