"You cannot bring a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It's that simple."

[MayReasonRule]

"You cannot bring a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It's that simple."

— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@mrsbettybowers.bsky.social) 2026-01-25T15:42:09.280Z

[OC375]

1. Meal Team 6

Wait till they show up in MN, get beaten, and then more show up, etc… Going to be a hot spring.

[Whyisthisstillclose]

2. "yeah, but that stellar citizen was on OUR side"

The stupidity burns almost as much as the hypocrisy.

[CincyDem]

3. I'm going to wait for the NRA's statement defending Pretti's unequivocal 2A rights.

Waiting…

Waiting…

Waiting…

Waiting…

[milestogo]

7. There have been some remarks:

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, a top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, posted on social media that if a person approaches law enforcement with a gun, there’s a good change that officer will be justified in shooting that person.

The NRA reacted to the prosecutor’s comments, calling them dangerous and wrong. The gun rights group said prosecutors should not demonize law-abiding citizens and should wait until a full investigation is complete.

https://www.fox10tv.com/2026/01/25/nra-slams-federal-prosecutors-post-about-minneapolis-shooting-dangerous-wrong/

[enigmania]

67. Of course he's an (R) or an avowed hypocrite.

[MayReasonRule]

15. Here Ya' Go...

[COL Mustard]

22. Fuck the NRA

Damn them to Hell, along with all their guns & ammo. Let them shoot the Hell out of Hell all they want.

[70sEraVet]

36. NRA talking out of both sides of its mouth

From "....politicians like Tim Walz has incited violence...", to "we urge the political voices to lower the temperature..."

Urging the lowering of temperatures while pouring the gasoline.

Screw them. They have been making their money by scaring white people with the prophecy of a race war.

[Klondike Kat]

42. Growing up in farm country

I've seen loads of manure, but nothing like the load that the NRA just shoveled.

[popsdenver]

71. Let us not forget

that in the 2016 Election, the NRA was instrumental in treasonously laundering Tens of Millions from Russian Oligarchs/Putin into "campaign donations" for Republican Candidates across the nation.........

[GiqueCee]

47. LIARS!

Tim Walz's toenail clippings are better than any of you lying rancid scumbags. Decades ago, I was a member of the NRA, back when it was a responsible sportsmen's association that promoted firearms safety. Then Wayne LaPierre happened, and I cancelled my membership. Now I wouldn't cross the street to piss in your face if you were on fire.

[MadameButterfly]

53. I grew up collecting medals from the NRA for my marksmamship

and was very proud of them.

[Emile]

49. NRA even know they disarmed him before murdering him?

[Skittles]

62. victim perceived as a liberal

that's the only "fact" they need

[lonely bird]

59. The NRA is a criminal organization

Period.

[NBachers]

63. Any statement with the word "Robust" in it is immediately disqualified.

[COL Mustard]

20. I hope you're not holding your breath....

You'll pass out if you do!

[delisen]

4. Did ICe Killers scan Alex's face and already know all about him?

Would they have known he had a legal concealed carry permit and that he was also not a threat.?

[Gaugamela]

16. Excellent questions. How did the one agent know to look for the gun? Why did he immediately

run clear of the scuffle as soon as he had it? Why does he look around to see who might be watching instead of turning toward the gunfire, which he seems to be expecting? Why do the others start firing the moment the gun is seized?

[Blue Full Moon]

21. Negligent discharge of a weapon

[Gaugamela]

29. What? Eleven times?

[paleotn]

23. You're assuming they're that organized and that intelligent. Chances lean strongly towards no.

[Ferryboat]

5. This regime is hoping and praying that some useful idiot

Last edited Sun Jan 25, 2026, 12:14 PM - Edit history (1)

gives them what they need to escalate.
We need to have discipline, do not give them what need.

No visible firearms if you feel the need to carry. Bad idea, don't do it. I understand the desire, myself I'm a strong proponent of the 2A. But it is a really bad idea.

Throw no bricks, only insults and snowballs. I like the idea of water balloons.

Document any encounter, gather the receipts. Useful to counter the 'official narrative'.

Any other suggestions?

[thinkingagain]

13. I agree don't give them reasons to escalate

That being said this guy did not, other than trying to help others.
If he had a gun it was concealed. Never once displayed.
Water balloons - with dye mark the vests with color.
Before you go out make a statement of your intent.
That could get posted if something happens to you.
( arrested, detained or worse)
Statement such as
“I am a peaceful law abiding citizen, I am exercising my amendment rights to participate in a peaceful protest.
I have no plans to cause any problems,
I will possibly film and record what is going on around me. “
I am sure it could be worded better.

[Seinan Sensei]

33. The only thing they can stop a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a camera

Maybe

[Bengus81]

40. Yeah...but it takes nothing to "escalate" those fuckers. Look cross eyed at them and they

spray chemicals in your face. This shit is straight out of the Viet Nam protests on how to gin up peaceful protesters into a riot.

[thinkingagain]

54. Agreed

Best we can do is continue to be as peaceful as we possibly can
And believe our own eyes and ears

[TBF]

17. Yes, I've seen that argument on Bluesky - they have their Palantir database

it absolutely could've been a "hit" so to speak.

[MayReasonRule]

18. Historically, Strategic Surreptitious Strike Strategies Play A Major Role Against Overwhelming Force

What we do in the shadows is at least as what we do in the streets.

[Maru Kitteh]

46. Love Matt Berry. nt

[hay rick]

19. The discipline you describe is not possible.

I assume there will be incidents, probably multiple incidents- sooner rather than later.

My belief about these murders:
The important part is getting away with them and getting some people to accept and repeat the lies of justification. Those who do not buy the lies will see that there is no legal recourse and either get discouraged or get radicalized. What would a third ICE murder in Minneapolis or Maine this week look like? Would the outrage be diminished?

If there is a retaliatory murder in the near future, troops may or may not be sent in. If they are not sent in the administration will call it a demonstration of restraint- but the murders will continue. I think they don't want to send troops in at this time because they are not really ready and they want to do something closer to the November elections. Interfering with those elections is surely the administration's most important tactical objective this year.

[Blue Full Moon]

24. They are going to do it regardless

[paleotn]

32. And fail in their mission. It's is and always will be about public perception.

They're losing that battle badly. Particularly with this latest incident. In fact, it gives Dems the political heft and cover to strip ICEhole funding from the new appropriations bill OR shut down the government. Who's responsible for shutting down the government you may ask? Well, the regime loaded it with extra funding for a group that's murdering US citizens on the street. We ain't voting for that!! See how that plays? Not to good for Donnie Dumbass and his band of goons.

[Blue Full Moon]

34. They don't care about public perception.

[paleotn]

38. That is where you're wrong. They do. They have to.

That's what makes governments work in the west. To a great degree everywhere. Even Putin worries about his perception among the Russian populace. But that's particularly true in a nation with no history thus no genetic memory of authoritarianism.

The only thing holding this regime in power is R's perception that Trump controls their base of voters and they can't win primaries without that. When they discover they can push back hard on Trump and still win, or that not doing so means they lose the general, Trump is doomed. That calculus is based on how many "bridges too far" this regime is taking. Quite a few of late. Even THINKING about actually canceling 2026 elections and it's game over. They'll impeach and convict his ass with votes to spare.

One of several reasons he dropped the whole Greenland thing when some here thought invasion was a done deal. There are limits and much of that is based on the perceptions of the people.

[AllyCat]

37. Agree that they don't care about public perception and Dems?

That old saying: Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

[paleotn]

39. Then why is Donnie so in a twist about opinion polls?

You give these people far more power than they actually have. That's defeatist. Stop it.

[AllyCat]

43. And yet, 7 democrats just handed ICE thugs another $10B

To keep killing and abducting people.

That’s pretty damn defeatist.

[paleotn]

44. Seen what's happened in the Senate on that legislation?

And I'm not talking about Dem congress critters. I'm talking about your statement. Don't run for cover.

[AllyCat]

56. I've seen their overall actions so far.

Congress is not coming to save us.

Have a nice day.

[paleotn]

26. And it's a miracle no one has.

I get white hot with anger but cooler heads like yours must prevail.

[COL Mustard]

27. Leave the guns at home. Full stop.

Don't throw ANYTHING. Evan a water balloon, or an egg, or a rotten tomato can be considered assault.

Do all the peaceful protesting you want, but for Pete's sake, stay nonviolent even in the face of their aggression.

[Bengus81]

41. Then they'll claim that a protester being ONLY twenty five feet away was impeding an arrest

There will always be a reason to keep the shit flying--just like Trump has ORDERED them to do.

[Klarkashton]

52. The pigs fire all kinds of shit at protesters that aren't doing a goddamn thing.

A judge told them to stop it in Minnesota and the bastards appealed it.

It makes no difference if you are peaceful or not.

[Beringia]

64. Yes, knowing what we know, never bring a gun or anything else to throw at them

[artemisia1]

6. Don't RW nutriders open carry at their demonstrations? They truly are schizophrenic (in the split-mind sense) not an

attack on those with the actual illness. RW'ers schizophrenia is one of character.

[Emile]

8. Ruby Ridge

[Emile]

9. What's really bad, they disarmed him before murdering him.

[Kid Berwyn]

11. That makes what they did premeditated.

They had no reason to shoot anyone yesterday. The federal government of the United States turned their murder of a legally armed protester into an opportunity for NAZI Gnome to say brave ICE were only protecting themselves from an armed man who attacked them.

That is NAZI.

[dalton99a]

14. +1. It was murder.

[Seinan Sensei]

28. An execution

[RoseTrellis]

12. Need to be extra cautious

If you choose to carry at these protests, which is your right, you really need to be extra cautious to not present yourself as a threat to LE. Really no different than informing the cops responsibly if you get pulled over.
Don’t give them an excuse to execute them - resisting arrest can be fatal

[Kid Berwyn]

10. Police then escorted that killer to safety across state lines.

Who knows what today would be like had the little NAZI murderer and his enablers been held to account.

[WokeAintWhatIAm]

25. How soon the fools forget...

https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-michigan-gretchen-whitmer-gun-politics-8aff3b8db0c03a80946e054d602f70fe

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Among the armed protesters who rallied at the Michigan Capitol against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s coronavirus lockdown this past spring were some of the men now accused in stunning plots to kidnap her, storm the Capitol and start a “civil war.”

October 10, 2020

[Initech]

30. The assholes have been convincing us for 4 decades now that 2A is absolute.

Now they're telling us that it comes with an asterisk if you use it against the most tyrannical government in US history? They can go fuck all of the way off.

[allegorical oracle]

74. As I recall, guns were all over DC on Jan. 6, 2021, including the one that Ashley Babbitt

was brandishing at the door into where members of Congress were hiding for their lives. She's now a martyr mourned by djt, himself. "Laws for thee but not for me."

[WokeAintWhatIAm]

31. Michigan in April 2020 y'all

https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/6688ba4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1999+0+3/resize/980x653!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fafs-prod.storage.googleapis.com%2Fmedia%2F57f6bf24f4144634befb8d35c0f3bf1d%2F3000.jpeg

[sop]

35. Exactly. These mask-wearing imbeciles were protesting Covid-19 mask mandates and shutdowns.

[BidenRocks]

45. A little rain and their Levis will chafe and wear them down.

I noticed they are all so fucking brave while standing before street clothes wearing soft targets.

Take on ICE big talk! Or stfu!

[sop]

48. The MAGA Covid-19 goons look just like today's ICE goons.

[niyad]

66. Dear Goddess, I remember that image!

[mzmolly]

50. There was no protest. There were people outside in an area

that has multiple restaurants and other eateries.

I hate this admin.

[underpants]

51. Thank you. They tried to establish that yesterday and of course the media went right along.

[usonian]

55. Wilhoit's Law

Frank Wilhoit: “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition …There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.” This seems increasingly true.

[CNYHarris]

57. US Capitol attack insurrectionists had weapons, including firearms

Fact Check: US Capitol attack insurrectionists had weapons, including firearms

https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/us-capitol-attack-rioters-had-weapons-including-firearms-2025-01-16/

[dlk]

58. Many of our "freedoms" are merely illusions

The execution of Alex Pretty was a traumatic reminder.

[FormerOstrich]

60. From the hill top....

They are trying to take your GUNS away. They are trying to take away your right to carry.

Again....loudly. And Again, louder.

you get the picture I'm sure....messaging baby....messaging

[gulliver]

61. This is not a good comparison.

I realize it is intended to highlight hypocrisy, but, as I've said before, in these times, hypocrisy means absolutely nothing. Relying on people feeling "shamed" when they are called out as hypocrites, no matter how legitimately, is futile. That kind of foul call only works at lower social temperatures than we're in.

The Rittenhouse comparison is apt, but I don't see how that puts Pretti in a good light. Personally, I think they're both irresponsible idiots, Rittenhouse being the bigger idiot of the two. Rittenhouse displayed his gun, and that provoked the end result. Unacceptable as it was for Pretti to be carrying a concealed weapon at a peaceful protest, legally or not, he didn't display it.

My read of what happened is that Pretti's decision to carry the weapon made him very vulnerable to random misfortune in a situation where random misfortune (due to the inherent chaos of reality) was more likely to occur. He's far less culpable than Rittenhouse.

[ChicagoTeamster]

65. It's still within the 7 yr federal statute of limitations to charge him

[Jack Valentino]

68. Apparently the moron MISSED the protest inside the Michigan Capital Building in 2020,

when gun-toting open-carrying anti-vaxxers basically took over the building----

but luckily no one was shot, and the Capital Police didn't interpret this
as an opportunity to "take someone down".....

oh wait, he said you can't take loaded guns to 'ANY sort of protest that you want'----

clearly they mean that you can take loaded guns to RIGHT-wing protests,
but NOT to left-wing or DECENT-wing protests!!!!!!

Got it.

[Initech]

69. These fucking scumbags cheer on murderers and psychopaths every time.

Hell, they decided that a classroom full of murdered children was just an excuse to take away guns.

[hadEnuf]

70. The NRA has only ever given a shit about right-wing Republican gun rights.

All American's gun rights? No way.

You may also notice that the Republicans & MAGAs constantly refer to Democrats or others who do not support their Reich as "un-American" this and "un-American" that. Always "un-American".

So why would the NRA protect gun rights for people who are not "Americans"?

See where this is going?














'










'

[Martin68]

72. The Republican double standard is too obvious to ignore. Legally armed Democrats will be killed.

[Aussie105]

73. 1791.

The second amendment was written.

In 1791, the firearms landscape was dominated by smoothbore muzzle-loading weapons, primarily flintlock muskets, pistols, and fowling pieces.

So, to be totally accurate, only those weapons are legal.
And should only be in the hands of a well regulated militia.
And only be used in protecting the security of a free state.

The second amendment doesn't mention licensing of gun ownership, open and concealed carry, or when carrying a licenced firearm in public can get you killed.

Mmmm . . . I must be missing something there.
Must go back and read that second amendment again!
It must be there, I mean no one would distort the Constitution like that, would they?