Yesterday there was a "I will not comply" rally in Olympia, Washington, to protest the passage, by voters, of Initiative 594, which expands background checks on the sales of guns between private owners. This riled up the state's gun-rights-supersede-everything-else crowd, and approximately 1,000 people showed up, mostly men, mostly white, and all of them toting weapons. They gathered at the Capitol to demonstrate that they thought this 594 initiative, approved by citizens in a popular vote, was just a gal-durned bridge too far.
I personally stayed far away from this rally, because it makes me nervous being around hundreds of angry gun slingers. But that's just me. I only read about this in our local papers, The Seattle Times, and The Olympian.
More below the orange squiggle.
The worst thing about this rally, to me, was not this group's defiance of a law approved by the people, but that when Gabby Giffords was mentioned by a speech maker, she was booed. Gabby Giffords name was booed. A woman who was shot in the head and almost killed by a gun nut, she was booed on the very anniversary of the massacre of little kids at Newtown, Connecticut.
These people have no shame, no compassion, and apparently, no belief in following the Law of the Land, which should be sacrosanct in this country, as it's the only thing keeping us from devolving into chaos.
This is my first diary, ever, even though I've been on Dailykos a long time, and I'm a bit nervous. But hearing that our beloved Gabby Giffords was booed at a gun rally was just a bridge too far for me.
10:51 AM PT: Thanks so much for the recs! I feel honored.
12:26 PM PT: Gabby Giffords is a hero of mine. I admire her courage coming back strong after the trauma of being shot in the head, and knowing others, including a nine year old girl, died from that same vicious assault. She is a priceless advocate of sensible gun control, and a real profile in courage.
Thank you all so much for the Rec List! I feel light-headed. Really.