Obama didn't take their guns as promised by conservative media, so now we have an armed resistance to health care reform

"We will forcefully resist people imposing their will on us through the strength of the majority with a vote," said “Chris” the man seen sporting a hand gun and an AR-15 rifle in Phoenix, AZ as folks gathered to protest for or against health care reform as they waited on President Barack Obama who was in town to address the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention. “Chris” was only one of a dozen people who were armed according to Talking Points Memo.

Last week William Kostric showed up to protest outside of a health care town hall meeting Obama was holding in Portsmouth, NH, was photographed with a gun strapped to his leg and held a sign that read “It is time to water the tree of liberty” which many people believe to be a reference to Thomas Jefferson’s quote "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." (Windy City Watch 8.12.09).

These are not common and responsible gun owners exercising their Second Amendment rights, but political terrorists acting in a provocative manner in an effort to intimidate some and to taunt local and federal law enforcement officials. This is armed resistance in search of a cause.

Conservative media figures such as Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter, Mike Gallagher, and G. Gordon Liddy have been stoking fears of some gun owners by warning that President Obama was going to take their guns away (Media Matters 4.09.09). There have been a number of reports of people buying up as many guns as possible and stockpiling loads of ammunition as a result of this fear mongering.

Despite these warnings Obama has not taken their guns, as a matter of fact he recently signed a bill that would allow guns in national parks so it is safe to say he has expanded the rights of gun owners.

So what do you do if you have been worked into a frenzy about President Obama taking your guns and he didn’t do it? What do you do if you have prepared for an armed resistance by hoarding guns and ammo but there is no gun grab to resist?

You make up a reason, an excuse to take up arms and take to the streets. You target health care!

Only in America can an attempt by the President and Congress to make sure that EVERY CITIZEN is given access to affordable health care be met with armed resistance.

Let’s look at the quote from “Chris” again "We will forcefully resist people imposing their will on us through the strength of the majority with a vote."

Say what? These folks “forcefully resist” change that an overwhelming majority of Americans voted for in November of 2008?

Kudos to local authorities, the Secret Service, FBI and ATF in showing restraint in dealing with these kooks. not escalating any kind of confrontation with them, and not giving Second Amendment advocates any red meat to complain about, but enough is enough. If not addressed immediately this will only get worse.

Last week it was one guy with a gun, yesterday it was 12, who knows how many will show next time. President Obama has the best security of anyone in the world, but I fear further tolerance of these provocative acts will eventually lead to a violent confrontation between these political terrorists and those of us who have peacefully exercised our “strength of the majority with a vote."

Prof. Gates arrested for talking back to cops in own home, Kostric allowed to wait on POTUS with gun strapped to leg

On Tuesday, August 11, a man, William Kostric, shows up to protest President Barack Obama in Portsmouth, NH with a loaded gun strapped to his leg, holding a sign that carried what many consider to be a threatening message. Police and Secret Service agents made the determination that under the circumstances (local gun laws) Kostric would be allowed to remain in his position alongside other protesters awaiting the arrival of President Obama’s motorcade.

On Thursday, July 16, Harvard Professor, Henry Louis (Skip) Gates was arrested in his own home after Cambridge, MA police responding to suspected break-in call, charged him with disorderly conduct for getting into a verbal altercation with Officer James Crowley. The arrest was controversial because Gates was arrested after providing identification that proved he lived at the address and was in the house lawfully. Charges against Gates were eventually dropped but not before the situation quickly escalated into a heated debate about race and racial profiling.

In both situations law enforcement officials used their discretion in deciding whether or not either man needed to be taken into custody. It should be pointed out that these two events happened in different jurisdictions. Its very likely that the Cambridge police may have arrested Kostric had they been given the responsibility of protecting President Obama and that Portsmouth police as well as Secret Service agents may have left Gates home without taking him into custody had they responded to the suspected break-in.

Who knows? But the contrast between the handling of the two incidents is extremely unsettling for many of us concerned about race relations in this country, the safety of the first African American president, who has received more death threats than any other in our nation’s history, and the increasing ugly tone in our country’s political discourse.

The fact that a Harvard professor of one race can be arrested in his own home for exercising his First Amendment rights while a man of another race who is exercising his First and Second Amendment rights while waiting on the President, is left alone raises many questions that fuel the debate of racial profiling and how people of different backgrounds are treated by law enforcement.

Kostric was not just a citizen exercising his First and Second Amendment rights. He wore that gun for a reason and the slogan on the sign he was holding was meant to send a message. The sign read “It is time to water the tree of liberty” which many people believe to be a reference to Thomas Jefferson’s quote "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

It should be noted that Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh wore a shirt with the same slogan when he was arrested. It is baffling how anyone cannot see Kostric’s gun and this sign as anything but a provocative act intended to intimidate some or incite others to violence.

Many of us believe that an American citizen born of middle eastern decent, who was also a practicing Muslim would not have been allowed to protest former President George W. Bush with a gun strapped to his leg and holding a sign with a threatening slogan.

Law enforcement has discretion in these situations lets just hope they start employing a consistent standard so that we can all have confidence in their actions.

Political Terrorist William Kostric on HARDBALL