Tag Archives: liberalgunclub

Trump, the NRA and Inauguration Day

There’s a narrative the NRA is pushing that I want to break down. Unsurprisingly, they are reveling in Donald Trump’s victory, calling it “a stunning political upset–led by America’s gun owners.”(1) Their bold assumption is essentially that the election constituted a national referendum on gun rights, as embodied by themselves.

Indeed, during times when many Republican leaders shrunk from association with Trump, the NRA provided complete, uncritical support. While establishment icons from the Bush family to Colin Powell, Mitt Romney and even the Koch brothers turned against a candidate who bragged about sexual assault, smeared a Gold Star family and changed policy stances at the slightest breeze, the NRA never wavered. As I wrote in October, they stood almost alone by refusing to even acknowledge issues that made so many high profile conservatives spurn Trump. Of course, this seemed particularly odd, given his mixed record supporting their main focus, the 2nd Amendment.

If there is any reason for them to take credit, it is Hillary Clinton. While Democrats, in general, spent the last twenty years viewing gun control as a losing issue, Clinton mistakenly sensed a change in the air and attempted taking advantage of the one place she could be perceived as politically Left of Bernie Sanders. Clinton and the NRA leadership may have little in common, but one thing shared is their overestimation of the firearm factor.

Instead of guns, the single greatest element in the 2017 presidential election was sheer dissatisfaction with the status quo. Angry voters from every direction sought a standard bearer. Clinton tried haphazardly to bear that mantle, which fell much more naturally around Sanders shoulders, enough that it took a rigged primary system to make her the Democratic nominee. Trump, on the other hand, harnessed this groundswell and rode it to victory, even trampling roughshod over his own party elites. The point is, Democrats apparently didn’t hold Sander’s weaker record on gun control against him and at the same time, Republicans rejected candidates with much stronger pro-2nd Amendment claims.

The NRA oversells their value in Trump’s win and by the same token, paints all opposition to him as anti-gun. They do this using conflation. On the cover of America’s 1st Freedom for January, images of gun control promoting billionaires George Soros and Michael Bloomberg hover above a crowd of placard waving anti-Trump activists. An article inside then declares: ‘“Not My President” protesters symbolize a looming threat to gun rights–one that didn’t accept defeat on election day.”(2) However, for all their alleged symbolism, if you look at the anti-Trump signs being carried, they say nothing about firearms at all. Instead, the messages read: “LOVE TRUMPS HATE” and “REFUSE TO ACCEPT A FASCIST AMERICA” and “UNITED AGAINST HATRED.”(3)

There are many issues uniting Americans who despise Donald Trump. Gun control simply isn’t one of them. If anything, the wave of racist attacks and actions unleashed by his victory has made the Left more conscious of their vulnerabilities, as seen by increased gun sales to women and minorities, greater interest in groups such as The Liberal Gun Club and even just my own personal experience of more Lefty Portlanders seeking information about firearms and Concealed Cary Permits.

This Friday, January 20th, Donald Trump is scheduled for inauguration as President of the United States, while again, protests oppose him nationwide. With Republicans primed to control every branch of government, the NRA needs enemies justifying scare tactics in their fundraising. Now that Obama and Clinton are removed, they will continue using anti-Trump activists instead. Don’t believe it.

As Trump is sworn in, I will be out on the streets of Portland with thousands of others who refuse to accept naked authoritarianism at the helm of State power. He cannot take office without a great cry against his lies, contempt for women and minorities and complete disregard of the Constitution. The tone must be established that armed Americans have a duty and presence in opposition, despite how the NRA portrays reality. I will be proud marching among comrades from every background in this and implore everyone who cares about creating a just, equitable future to join with us.

(1) America’s 1st Freedom, January 2017, p. 33.

(2) Ibid.

(3) Ibid. p.32.

Trump, Safety Pins and Resistance

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This being my first writing since the election of Donald Trump, I’d like to admit being very wrong. Again. Like most observers, the chance of him even becoming the Republican presidential nominee seemed so remote, I completely discounted it. From an article last March, I apologized about that oversight, making note of how unprecedented it was that, in this day and age, a high profile politician could come so far while promoting nakedly racist policies, as opposed to the more socially palatable (yet just as fundamentally racist) economic agendas embraced by both Republican and Democratic elites.

Then, in late October, I predicted Trump’s defeat “which looks increasingly certain (barring some new sensational Clinton revelation), will only cement the 2nd Amendment alongside misogyny and comb-overs in American political consciousness.” In all fairness, however, the FBI re-opening Clinton’s email scandal was hardly new or sensational. The main disturbing revelations were long exposed, serving perhaps just enough of a reminder to tip the balance against her.

Not wanting to sound alarmist or overly demonize Trump voters, I’m well aware the White Nationalist element among them is not a majority. Many simply picked him as being the only candidate opposing Clinton, a status quo politician backed by the reviled economic 1%. Still, that’s no excuse. It’s an unacceptable decision to spite Wall Street hedge fund managers by actively sacrificing the vital interests of vulnerable fellow citizens and immigrants.

Now here we are. Trump the president-elect. Fascism represented among his senior staff. Racist attacks on the rise nationally. Nearby in Oregon, a black woman was beaten by brick wielding white men who allegedly praised Trump during the assault. It’s pretty much the kind of worse case scenarios that prompted me to become a gun owner in the first place. Already, I’ve been contacted by more Portlanders than usual seeking firearms training and information about concealed carry permits.

It remains to be seen if the true face of Trump in action will indeed swing federal power down in the worst ways, with mass deportations, religious registries and press censorship. Until then, his election emboldens bigots on a local level to increasingly abuse minorities. This must be strongly countered by every means available. It’s all very well and good to signal solidarity using safety pins, as many Americans are these days, but a symbol is only effective when backed with substance against violence. Many lynch mobs and racist attacks have been thwarted when opposed by armed resistance. Less so if sewing supplies are the only recourse.

Countless brave people from our shared history have successfully confronted fascism and state terror. In the coming months and years, we may be tested just as surely. The spirit of Harriet Tubman and Eleanor Roosevelt and the Abraham Lincoln Brigade live on inside everyone who chooses such paths. With those inspirational legacies, we still have hope for the future.

The NRA Quadruples Down on Trump

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Actually, quadruple is an understatement, as the most recent issue of America’s 1st Freedom contains six individual articles promoting Donald Trump, one cover mention, another showcasing his VP, plus a bonus endorsement insert and special letter by Wayne LaPierre. It looks like a shotgun marriage, but with the blushing NRA handcuffed to it’s bombastic groom with shackles of lurid prose.

Reading each piece felt like a recitation of the grim vows to this unbalanced, manichean ceremony. Despite painting candidates in tropes of Good vs. Evil, in all reality, the articles contain very little about Trump, other than his supposed role as an antidote to their real foil, Hillary Clinton. While Clinton has left an anti-gun trail decades long that any Google equipped researcher can easily follow, none of their pro-2nd Amendment sentiments attributed to Trump predate his presidential campaign.

It’s easy to see single-issue logic operating. One candidate who eagerly embraces armed voters, even though a relatively recent convert. Opposed, stands a politician proud to call the NRA her enemy. An endorsement choice looks obvious. Check the ammo box for Trump. Cycle the action closed.

This simpleminded endorsement is a complete insult. Everyone turning the pages of America’s 1st Freedom knows by now what singular destruction Trump has wrecked throughout the Republican Party. I looked in vain for any mention of his controversies at all. Even to assure NRA members that, despite what they have heard about Trump, he can still be counted on support 2nd Amendment rights, and why that should outweigh everything else, even bragging about sexual assault. At least acknowledge what a fraught decision voting for Trump will be among many members. It’s as though the article deadlines were ten months ago.

By ignoring the true spectrum of reality in this presidential campaign, the NRA is locking American gun politics into potential disaster. Through sheer incompetence and a vile personality cult, the Trump campaign has tainted everything associated with it. Countless Republican defectors, desperately trying to save the reputation of their brand, recognized that long ago. Riding it down Dr. Strangelove style into oblivion, which looks increasingly certain (barring some new sensational Clinton revelation), will only cement the 2nd Amendment alongside misogyny and comb-overs in American political consciousness. It’s still not too late for a divorce.

Open Letter to the NRA

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An Open Letter to the NRA from Member #217380171

10/13/16

Dear Wayne LaPierre and all at the National Rifle Association,

As a socialist, I may not fit the stereotypical gun owner stereotype, yet you might be surprised how many armed Americans reject right-wing politics. In fact, long before the NRA entered its modern incarnation, it was leftists who proudly defended the 2nd Amendment as applicable to all citizens, no matter their race, identity or gender.

While representing a minority within the NRA, I am still among many members appalled by your endorsement of Donald Trump for president. The man is an obvious opportunist, with no clear lifelong commitments other than his own personal gain. An individual who has repeatedly demonstrated sheer incompetence for public office, degraded nearly every vulnerable section of American society, and, as recently revealed, even bragged about using his fame as a tool for committing sexual assault.

I’m sure the rational went something like this:

Best case scenario, Trump wins and remembers NRA voters fondly, at least until his stance on gun control changes again. The worst? Surely something along the lines of current developments. A campaign flailing wildly against scandals smearing it bow to stern. Personal behavior so shamefully conducted that a politician as widely reviled as Hillary Clinton can leap ahead in the polls and appear ethical by comparison.

Therefore:

I demand the NRA retract its endorsement of Donald Trump and issue a strongly worded condemnation against his racism and misogyny.

That endorsement has potential to forever taint the NRA and everyone else who advocates for the basic right of self defense. I am not suggesting an endorsement of Clinton, who I absolutely distain for many reasons, yet maintaining the course in this situation is unacceptable. Missing the opportunity to distance gun politics from such a repugnant figure as Trump would be a huge mistake. This is a simple human decency issue. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Ross Eliot
Portland, Oregon

Trump and Armed Vigilance

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trump0715

First of all, I’d like to admit that I was wrong. Terribly wrong. As recently as five months ago, during casual political discussions, I spoke breezily about the unexpected longevity of Donald Trump’s candidacy and what a fascinating window it shone onto disaffected elements within the Republican Party. My observation always concluded, “But he can never be president.”

While Trump remains far from actually winning the presidency, I was still wrong. Of course, what I meant, was that an establishment candidate must inevitably triumph, with vast superpac resources and party backing. Rank and file Republican voters might briefly flirt with entertaining, yet absurd personalities like Ben Carson or Trump, but someone on the order of a Jeb Bush would necessarily become nominated. That’s how the game works. Or worked.

For now, we can skip over the litany of inconsistencies, incredible claims and bizarre statements by Trump that would have shattered any other serious campaign and have already turned most party power brokers against him. By this point, his opponents are well aware of them and most supporters simply don’t care. However, for a weblog about firearms and social violence, the calls to action uttered by Trump himself require serious scrutiny.

Irresponsible rhetoric is nothing new to American presidential politics, from caustic personal insults during the 1800 Thomas Jefferson .v John Adams campaign, to John McCain’s joke about bombing Iran in 2007. Trump possesses no reservations against using similar language regarding political opponents, but ups the ante by encouraging rally attendees to physically attack protesters, even claiming he will pay their legal bills if arrested. Crowds are listening.

Besides a reluctance to distance himself from the endorsement of KKK leader David Duke, Trump’s gatherings have become noted for assaults, not to mention hand-raising “loyalty oaths,” which many perform in a classic Heil Hitler salute. In one amazing incident, Trump campaign officials didn’t even bother relegating one of their neo-Nazi volunteers to stuffing envelopes in a back room, but let her be interviewed on television, with fascist tattoos prominently displayed. For an election cycle already over the top, it’s beyond parody.

Now, many people observing these incidents immediately take a predictable worse case scenario and compare the situation with 1933 and Hitler’s rise in Germany. I am hesitant at making such a leap, but still, the potential for civil disorder appears to be growing. No matter who becomes nominated by either party, 2016 will surely be a very bitter election. Trump has already threatened supporters will riot if his bid is thwarted at the Republican convention.

Assuming, it is indeed Trump on the Republican side, what might his adherents do if he looses the general election? Will people who consider this man their saving grace from alleged hordes of Mexican rapists, simply concede defeat, after being urged to take matters into their own hands? Or, conversely, should he win, take that victory as license to exercise violence against Trump’s declared foes among minorities?

I hate to think of what might be possible under these conditions, which is the reason I became a gun owner in the first place. Historically, whenever skeptics asked why I keep an AK-47 handy, my response, as a historian, was generally: lynch mobs. While some comfortably imagine such terrible outbursts only occurred long ago in America’s past, per just one example, it was 2007 when a racist crowd attempted murdering two Latino men, just several miles south of my home in Portland, Oregon.

Though Trump has clearly mastered redirecting class resentment along ethnic and religious lines, his supporters shows signs of being uncontainable. The 2016 presidential race is already leagues off any map into uncharted territory. If frustrated or euphoric right wing voters use violence against vulnerable members of society, it may very well fall on common people to make hard choices. Turn away in shock, or respond with prompt action.

Far too often in US history, individuals have taken the easy path and let mobs carry out extremist justice, from Gold Rush era purges against American Indian to the Zoot Suit riots against Latinos and Blacks of 1943. Should Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again” signal a return to the days of unaccountable pogroms, armed citizens must be ready to counter them. If dark days lie ahead, at least we can choose not to enter them helplessly.

A Name for an AK

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Several years ago, my friend Ann encouraged me to order an AK-47 parts kit. She had been building them in her garage for some time, in fact, I’d written an article about the process for my old gun politics ‘zine AGCR. Soon enough it showed up. A decommissioned Romanian rifle with the stamped receiver cut in sections. It reeked of cosmoline. A capital letter G stood out boldly, engraved on the rear sight block.

For me, that was a bonus. It stood for Garda, a special section of the Romanian military created as a citizens militia. Nicolae Ceauşescu, the longtime dictator, originally founded it in response to Soviet Russian crackdowns on freedom movements throughout Eastern Bloc countries during the late ‘60s. This put Romania in an uncomfortable position, wholeheartedly accepted by neither side during the late Cold War. The Garda persisted, conscripted mostly among young people and issued AK-47 rifles, ostensibly providing a loyal armed force to maintain civil order in times of crisis.

Over time, Romania became an increasingly bitter country, wracked with economic troubles and autocratic rule. Then in 1989, as other Communist states folded through relatively peaceful transfers of power, Ceausescu’s regime hung on. The Garda proved reluctant to fire against their own neighbors and significant numbers turned on the government. Weapons intended for entrenching a totalitarian ruling class instead took part in tearing it down. Little wonder I thrilled at holding such a piece of history.

Ann and I pressed out its barrel, then removed the stock and other components, before fabricating a replacement receiver from sheet metal. We installed a new trigger group, pistol style grip and muzzle compensator. After much grinding and welding, it functioned reliably at last. The old Romanian AK had turned into a US legal semi-auto firearm. Around then, Ann informed me that every home built rifle needs a name.

I pondered this. It was early autumn of 2011, and while commercial fishing in the Gulf of Alaska over the summer, repercussions after the Arab Spring democratic uprisings played out over our deck speakers via satellite radio. One by one, repressive governments collapsed, from Libya to Egypt, shaken by a mix of mass demonstrations and in other cases, armed resistance. Just as enormous halibut succumbed under our sharp knives, dictators like Gaddafi and Mubarak fell from power.

Of particular interest was Tunisia, where the unrest began. My shipmate Anissa, came from a Tunisian family, and together we learned how it started, after a street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi, set himself on fire to protest unjust treatment by government agents. Just two weeks following his sacrifice, Ben Ali, the national leader for over two decades, was forced into exile.

Inspired by these events, movements against authority spread, eventually to the US just as fishing season ended. Like others in my fleet, I proudly joined the domestic occupation movement, personally waving a Tunisian flag in solidarity with their cause. The choice seemed obvious. I named my immigrant AK-47 Bouazizi.

Recently, I took the final steps toward dedicating it. After years with the name simply painted on a standard wooden stock, I carved a custom one from oak. The traditional ones are quite short, designed for soldiers wearing cold weather gear, so I cut this one almost two inches longer, making it more comfortable to shoulder. On one side, I engraved the name in Arabic letters, and on the other, using Old German script. Then across the top, I added Tunisia’s crescent and star. With metal shavings and glue, I inlaid the patterns, then sanded everything flush once it dried, creating a nice faded effect. A couple layers of stain and lacquer later, I screwed it solidly in place. Complete at last.

My rifle memorializes historic stands against tyranny and injustice across continents, cultures– and the power of common people to throw off oppressors. It will be many years before the true course of Romanian and Tunisian destinies play out, but brave people who took incredible chances to forge it for themselves should never be forgotten. I am honored to commemorate one of them. Mohamed Bouazizi didn’t die in vain.

Cascadia and the NRA

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One of the side benefits to joining the NRA (see my embarrassed confession in a previous weblog post) was the offer of a free duffle bag. Who doesn’t need a way to carry more stuff around? At any rate, it showed up the other day, a cute mini-duffel that looks like it might make a decent range bag or handle enough gear for an overnight. The only glaring problem was its logo. This leftist certainly wasn’t going to be caught with N-R-A in giant white letters on his luggage! The only question was, which patch to sew over it?

I’d recently gotten some Cascadia liberation patches from cascadianow.org and selected one for cover up duty. It wasn’t hard to choose. I used the rainbow gay pride version of the classic tri-color, superimposed with a Douglas fir tree. One could hardly imagine a better counter against socially regressive messages from the NRA. However, it’s not as oppositional as some suppose.

A major intellectual thinker behind the modern Cascadian successionist movement was the writer Ernest Callenbach (1929-2012). In 1975, this Berkely professor published a book called Ecotopia, concerning his vision for the Pacific Northwest breaking away from the US and forming an independent nation. As the title suggests, this new country focused on bringing ecological balance back to the bio-region, with a great deal of economic equality and various other progressive values as well.

However, Callenbach didn’t buy into, what at the time, was a relatively new crusade among liberals, that of gun control. In his imagined society, the military was largely replaced by militia units and citizens were expected to form the bulk of self defense forces. Firearms abounded, but as with the examples of Switzerland, Israel and Canada, greater social equality translated into low interpersonal violence, despite their availability.

Ecotopia

Several years ago, I corresponded with Callenbach in the course of a book review for my old ‘zine AGCR, and questioned him on that front. He explained that he came from rural Pennsylvania and grew up in countryside where everyone had firearms and there was little crime, so for him, it never made sense to blame guns, and carried that idea into his writing.

In the end, I thank the NRA for their bag, but am proud it now represents a much more noble ideal. That the citizens of Cascadia should be free to choose their own destiny, whether it remains part of the greater US or not, with equality and respect for all. Armed or unarmed. Gay or straight. Douglas fir or Pacific red cedar.

Country,Hip-Hop and the NRA Lifestyle

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One feature of the NRA’s regular magazine, America’s First Freedom, is a column called “NRA Country.” It highlights contemporary country music artists who adhere to the so-called, “NRA lifestyle.” No, I didn’t know what that means either. Fortunately, they provide a definition on their internet page. It more or less boils down to being patriotic, respecting the military and, naturally, supporting the 2nd Amendment, while showing background photos of exclusively White people waving flags or engaging in sporting activities. In other words, it portrayed a carefully cherrypicked version of America.

This is no accident. A curious aspects of the NRA is how doggedly it reinforces its own stereotypes. That causes problem for everyone who takes the right to be armed seriously. A hazard often encountered defending gun rights is how enmeshed the 2nd Amendment has become with regressive social politics. Of course, the NRA bears major guilt for this because of their strict party line Republican support and non-firearm related conservative causes.

You might think, when linking themselves to a subject like modern musical acts, the NRA might relax a little bit, but no. Only country music. Well, why not tweak perceptions and include other styles? There are Americans musicians from rockabilly to electronic noise who enjoy shooting. Why not, say, hip-hop?

An obvious reason is that firearms are lyrical staples among gangsta rappers, which in some people’s minds IS hip-hop, and the NRA would dislike association with a sub-group known for celebrating gun use while drug dealing or amidst gang warfare. However, is country music really much better? The artists they feature may be clean cut, but as a genre, country isn’t all ballads about hound dogs and pickup trucks.

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(above) Move along, just karaoke murder music, folks

Take two prominent examples. Even a mainstream singer like Dwight Yoakum wrote a song called “Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room” which approvingly describes stalking an unfaithful lover and shooting her in the head. Then there’s Garth Brooks, whose upbeat song “Papa Loved Mama” tells the story of a truck driver who murders his wife for cheating on him. In NRA country, is it morally worse to kill a person you love or just someone who owes you drug money?

As far as I can tell, the NRA doesn’t necessarily pick artists who write songs about guns, only those whose image appears consistent with the “NRA lifestyle.” That shouldn’t disqualify rappers. (1) Take, for instance, the Mississippi artist David Banner, who previously put on shows for US troops, (Respecting the Military, CHECK), testified before Congress about controversial subjects in hip-hop music, (Patriotism, CHECK) and is also a gun owner. (2A CHECK!!!)

Banner has been quoted, saying “…I love guns . . . because I don’t plan on doing anything but protecting myself with my gun. My thing is that I don’t want anybody to be able to tell me that I can’t protect myself.” (2) Now, Banner isn’t seeking out endorsements from the US firearms establishment, but there have been other rappers who did.

Back in 1995, a crew called Smif-N-Wessun released their first fill length record to warm reviews and, soon enough, a cease-and-desist letter from the lawyers of firearms manufacturer, Smith and Wesson. Interviewed ten years later, Tekomin Williams, from the group, still sounded bitter.

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“That just let you know, even in this day and time, or that day and time, hip-hop’s still not appreciated in some places. . . If anything, they should have supported us, as many guns as they got floatin’ in the hood or they sellin’ to us. If anything, they should have been our number one sponsor. You know what that could have done for their sales?”

Perhaps a spotlight from the NRA’s magazine might have been just the thing to smooth over their legal dispute. However, we’ll never know, as long as the NRA continues to portray itself as an institution supporting only right wing politics and White music.

Colt Ford, a country singer/rapper who the NRA has, in fact, featured, doesn’t count.
Rodrigo Boscunan and Christian Pearce. Enter the Babylon System: Unpacking Gun Culture from Samuel Colt to 50 Cent. Random House Canada, 2007. p. 141.
Ibid. 33.

Occupy the 2nd Amendment

A Leftist View on Gun Politics by Ross Eliot, former Editor and Publisher of American Gun Culture Report

Tag Archives: liberalgunclub

Trump, the NRA and Inauguration Day

Trump, Safety Pins and Resistance

The NRA Quadruples Down on Trump

Open Letter to the NRA

Trump and Armed Vigilance

A Name for an AK

Cascadia and the NRA

Country,Hip-Hop and the NRA Lifestyle

O2A & the NRA