Sic Semper Tyrannis

OPINION — Mark Twain once said, “If you don’t read the papers you’re uninformed. If you read the papers you’re misinformed.” Since AlGore had not yet invented the internet when Mark said that, he didn’t include websites and social media, but the sentiment applies equally well to those. And it seems the mainstream media outlets try harder every day to misinform us.

Take, for example, the rally for gun rights held by the Virginia Citizens Defense League in Richmond on 20 January, which was Martin Luther King Day. That event has been held for many years, and usually draws a few hundred participants, but because of the extreme anti-gun legislation traveling through the Virginia legislature of late the rally grew this year. A lot. Conservative estimates put attendance at 22,000+, but some claim there were 100,000 present. People from all over the country showed up to support the pro-2A crowd, and to oppose infringements proposed by Virginia governor Ralph Northam and the primarily democrat lawmakers up there.

Well, during the weeks leading up to the rally, the mainstream media was just about wetting its Prada pants in anticipation of another Fort Sumter. Assuming Prada makes pants. I have no idea. But I digress.

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Above: The flag of the State of Virginia

CNN tried to smear the pro-gun rally by insinuating the protestors were mainly rednecks and white supremacists, and claimed the purpose of holding the rally on MLK day was to incite violence. Which would’ve been great for ratings, I guess. Maybe no one told them MLK actually owned guns for self-defense, and once applied for a permit to carry a concealed weapon after his house in Alabama was bombed, but was turned down even though he met the criteria for the license. Armed supporters took turns guarding King’s home and family for several years. I don’t suppose that would fit their narrative. Better to tell people all the gun supporters are knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing, Confederate-flag-waving, racist rednecks who spend their free time driving around shooting at religious lawn statuary and shouting the N word. So that’s what they do.

Unfortunately for the MSM, a large number of those who showed up in Richmond to demonstrate for freedom were not knuckle-draggers. Or mouth breathers. Or racists. Or rednecks. Or white. A large number of them were inconsiderately black, Hispanic, Asian, and even female. If you can imagine.

But the MSM probably could’ve overlooked such glaring faults on the part of people protesting draconian gun laws, including confiscations and restrictions that would make the founding fathers hurl. They could’ve used carefully selective language, and carefully edited videos, and carefully manipulated quotes to advance their dishonest agenda. What they couldn’t overlook was the complete and utter lack of violence at the rally. A rally that was supposed to be ground zero of the commencement of American Civil War II, The Sequel, starring Rednecks Gone Wild, with special appearances by the KKK and other White Supremacists, opening with the Storming of the Virginia Capitol. The MSM was anticipating the violence like your puppy waiting for you to come home from work so he can anoint your shoes with the wee-wee of joy. And it didn’t happen.

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Above: Memes about the Virginia pro-gun rally

Governor Northam must’ve also thought the rally would get violent. He and his Dem cronies permanently banned all guns inside the Capitol and declared a state of emergency a few days before the event, citing his belief that armed militia groups would storm the grounds. He had police scouring AlGore’s internet for clues about plans for mayhem, and had a chain link fence built around Capitol Square. One lawmaker hid in a safe house before the rally, and the presence of Virginia State and Capitol Police was beefed up significantly in anticipation of the festivities. And nothing happened.

The rally was peaceful. Completely peaceful. Many of the attendees carried guns, but not a shot was fired. The MSM was there in force, drooling on its microphones, awaiting disaster so they could air it live and uncensored, to show what barbarians these gun owners are. I’m sure they had hearsed and rehearsed their phrases of dismay at such heinous behavior, practicing their frowny faces in the mirror for days. And the gun owners were nice. What a letdown.

There were, to be fair, a few white supremacists arrested a couple of days before the rally, ostensibly because they were caught planning to disrupt the peace. There were also some antifa members caught planning to attend the event dressed as NRA members, and they reportedly intended to shoot some police officers in order to start the ball rolling, but that didn’t happen, either. All the people planning violence were, it should be noted, opposed to the purposes of the rally, and only wanted to make the gun owners appear violent.

In a final, extremely rude slap in the face to the MSM reporters who went to the trouble to attend the beginning of CWII, the attendees even policed the grounds after the rally and picked up all their trash. It was unconscionable.

Didn’t make any difference. The Virginia house passed another unconstitutional gun control law the next day, ignoring the will of the people. Because that’s what tyrants do.

I’m thinking they should check their state flag. It depicts a citizen with his foot on the chest of a supine king, and sports the motto ‘sic semper tyrannis.’ Thus always to tyrants.

Peaceable people will only stay peaceable for so long . . .