Pro-gun advocates found our Saturday post and offered about 30 comments, most of which couldn’t be published. Retake responds and also reprises the last week where much was done in the Roundhouse.
Roundhouse Update: If you aren’t subscribed to the legislative alerts, we encourage you to sign up now. The action is getting crazy and we now have 32 Priority Bills for this session. Our 2020 Legislative Priorities page has links to one-page bill summaries for each of those priorities and on the right of the page provides each bill’s status: the committees from which they’ve won approval and the next scheduled hearing. To get alerts, click the “Get Legislative Alerts” on the right side of the page.
Update on Pro-Gun Rally. The post we published about the pro-gun rally wound up being circulated to those who organized and/or attended the rally. They had quite a few comments, but I approved just one because they were filled with comments calling me a pansy, a liar, and guilty of libel.
I was going to offer up a point by point refutation of their assertions, but I figured that would just trigger more comments. Frankly, it reminds me of the days I’d engage in “debate” on Facebook. Pointless. The folks at the rally rely on an entirely different source of information than we do and so their “facts” are our fake news and our facts are not accepted by them. In that context, no meeting of the minds can occur. But I did want to quickly comment on some of their claims.
- They claimed their protest was non-violent and that no threats were made. What they miss is that for many of us the mere presence of 200 folks, dozens of them armed, many with assault weapons, is felt to be a threat. You do not have to verbally threaten someone for your weapon to feel like a threat.
- They wondered if I had bothered to talk with any of them, and I did not. I simply am not comfortable debating folks who are armed. If they had wanted to engage in dialog, they should have brought signs and left their guns at home.
- They claimed that they have every right to bear arms in NM. We know this, don’t like it, but understand that they have those rights.
- They claimed I was wrong in calling the rally an NRA rally. They are correct. I was wrong. Despite many NRA signs, the rally was actually organized by a women’s pro-gun group.
- They claimed I was guilty of libel for re-posting a quote from the New Mexican. That is not libel.
I won’t be publishing comments from the pro-gun camp. It simply serves no point. We know their perspective and I don’t want to use our site to promote those views or spend time in pointless debate, especially when most of the comments were either nasty or incoherent.
A Look Back at Last Week
What a week. At this point, we’ve coordinated advocacy for about 20 hearings and every vote has gone our way, not one bill tabled or voted down. But the toughest work is ahead, so stay tuned.
In addition to reporting on Roundhouse hearings last week, we also reported on the PRC hearing, Valerie Plame, Bernie & Elizabeth, and the DNC’s efforts to undermine progressive candidates. Our posts are offered below. I especially recommend the post from Friday on the visionary energy and climate bills currently being debated in the Roundhouse. Also, I’d recommend the video from Dahr Jamail included in the Thursday post, below. Dahr will be featured on next Saturday’s Retake Our Democracy radio show on KSFR, 101.1 FM, every Saturday at 8:30 a.m. The radio show will only include 29 minutes, but the podcast will include a full hour. Go to KSFR.org to the Programs menu to find the Retake Our Democracy podcasts.
Sanders & Warren: We Have a Plan
Tuesday January 28. Sanders is surging, leading in Iowa, New Hampshire, and California, and closing fast in Arizona. Warren has also surged and could continue to do so. We encourage you to support them both and offer ways in which you can support either campaign from home. We strongly ask that no matter how strongly you feel about either candidate, we not begin a battle among progressives. Further, we suggest that should neither progressive candidate win, no matter how nefarious the DNC efforts to derail these excellent candidates, we need to unify behind whoever emerges as the Democrat nominee. Just too much at stake.
Click here to read the complete post.
Roundhouse Wins, NM Supreme Court Decision on ETA & DNC Undermining Warren & Sanders
Thursday, January 30. Talk about a packed post. We reported on how ten Retake Priority Bills have passed through committees, and the pace is quickening with hearings slated for Saturday already. We report on how the DNC is at it again & progressives are not happy. We include a report on the NM State Supreme Court ruling on ETA-PRC. And finally, the post includes a short video of Dahr Jamail discussing the state of today’s efforts to mitigate the climate crisis and the need to consider adaptation because victory over climate change is not in the cards.
Click here to read the full post.
Visionary Roundhouse Transition Plan Emerging
Friday, Jan 31. Something is happening here, what it is, is getting very clear & it is something about which New Mexicans should be very excited. NM just may be about to pass legislation needed to launch a just, sustainable transition. This post described how 14 bills taken together could be viewed as a kind of plan for a just transition. As noted in the post, these bills will not appreciably slow the rise of the seas or the heating of the planet, but they represent a significant effort on the part of this state. The post examines each of the bills briefly.
Click here to read the full post.
The Face of Trump: Scary Pro-Gun Rally
Saturday, Feb. 1. According to many of the pro-gun rally attendees, I was unfair reporting on what transpired. I’d encourage those of you who were there and who read this post to please comment on whether you felt I reported unfairly. But for my part, I’d just as soon move on. This was just one rally and the pro-gun folks will be back to the Roundhouse armed and ready to offer their comment on legislation they oppose.
Click here to read the full post.
In solidarity,
Paul & Roxanne
Categories: Uncategorized
The gun rally sounds super stressful for you, Paul. Also triggering for you in a very real way. I’m sorry you had to deal with it/them and hope you’re OK.
I think you handled that the only way possible.. I have the exact feeling about being in the vicinity of guns. I walk away – it is a method of intimidation. There is no reason to allow for intimidation on this site.
It is a sad commentary that our culture holds up extreme media as viable. Not only did I leave FB, but I make sure my information comes from the likes of the AP Wire – known legitimate sources of information. As long as Britbart and FOX are sought out because of slandering Democrats, there truly is no hope for those viewers to be of an open mind. Nor would they be willing to put themselves in our place for a moment. A wonderful organization for those willing to listen to other Americans and have decent discussion regarding issues is “Better Angels.” I highly recommend a listen on occasion.
I was at the Capitol with a young man of color. Seeing hundreds of people carrying firearms with the majority of them being white was extremely unsettling for him. It was an example as to why we need to ban open carry in New Mexico — today and not tomorrow.
Thank you for your article of unity. I have listened to all candidates extensively – in hour long discussions for months. In fact, I find that all are progressive (except perhaps two – one of which isn’t doing well). With minor differences, the agenda’s and the writings show quite an extensive progressive vision from environment to health, gun safety, to defense. So I am very willing to support any candidate that rises to the top. I am grateful for these candidates to be loud and clear about a much better direction!
Thanks for your description of the gun rally. Almost immediately afterward came reports and photos of another one in KY or TN, huge guns, camo pants, masks. Wearing a mask does not make you the lone ranger. It makes you the bad guy.
Paul, it doesn’t surprise me that you only allowed one comment to be forwarded. Your assertion that, “I was going to offer up a point by point refutation of their assertions, but I figured that would just trigger more comments” but instead avoided dialog so that you wouldn’t have to face any opinion at odds with your own. This isn’t journalism you’re practicing, it’s indoctrination.
I respectfully disagree that this is indoctrination. As I stated, the pro-gun folks get their facts from an entirely different source than where we get ours. We’ve opened the post to discussions of this nature in the past and it has led nowhere. Plus the vast majority of the comments that were not approved were full of accusations of lying, cowardice, my being a pansy, and things like that. I simply won’t publish those kinds of comments. But I am not in the least reluctant to have civil discussion. My wife and I participated in an all day session of a program called Better Angels where five Trump supporters and 5 progressives discussed an array of political issues and laws for an entire day. That was productive. Just allowing a bunch of hostile comments that almost never referenced anything other than commentary on my character.
Paul, thanks for the video “Fix the Senate.” It was very enlightening! Eric has done aa insightful analysis.
This sir, IS libel, “I won’t be publishing comments from the pro-gun camp. It simply serves no point. We know their perspective and I don’t want to use our site to promote those views or spend time in pointless debate, especially when most of the comments were either nasty or incoherent.” As I said, you are practicing indoctrination. My post was neither nasty nor incoherent, yet it wasn’t allowed.
Paul, We agree that there is a real threat from gun owners. It is a public safety threat that may only get worse if progressives fail in their efforts to promote the real change we need. With the DNC and those in power trying to prevent us from gaining traction, it’s going to take all of us to ensure that the candidate for president is the person chosen by the American people and not by Super Delegates.
We were invited and refused to take part in the NM Pre-Primary Convention because last time the establishment stole the nomination from Bernie Sanders. We’re not going there again. The announcements from the DP of NM stated that certain members were automatically chosen as delegates without being elected. As long as this continues, free and fair elections are a fantasy. Hopefully, a big turnout on June 2nd will have the desired effect.
People who want constructive dialogue or mutual understanding do not wear masks or carry guns. People who carry guns do so 1) to uphold the law; or 2) to intimidate those they oppose.
Paul, when they try to engage, they take your time away from the very important work you and other ROD volunteers are doing. If these gun people want dialogue towards middle ground, they can put down their weapons and seek a respectful meeting. Until then their armed presence achieves what it is designed to create: fear and resistance.
Just 2 days ago in Montana, a GOP member of the legislature there stated that all democrats, progressives and socialists should be shot. This is not empty rhetoric. It is irresponsible and meant to intimidate.
When there is a shooting in the roundhouse, the permission for open carry will be withdrawn. Its just a matter of when and who. The ‘why’ is established. As a citizen of this state, it is incredibly inappropriate that intimidation is what greets anyone seeking to meet with their legislators or attending a public hearing. These are the conditions with a democratic governor, and two democratic majority chambers.