Can this thing be weaponized?
Since posting my previous post, I’ve been thinking about Governor Ralph Northam’s decision to declare a state of emergency to keep a lid on the upcoming gun-rights rally. I’m sure it was not a decision lightly taken. The Governor is in a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don’t situation — criticized by one side for clamping down on the rights of law-abiding citizens, but subject to even worse criticism, if gun violence breaks out, had he failed to act. I get it.
Here’s the thing. There’s a lot of hysteria surrounding this issue. The media has played up crazy, unsubstantiated rumors and worrisome threats circulating in extreme right-wing social media. But deranged right-wingers are not the only people who are capable of over-reacting. What, exactly, is the menace that Northam sees? Were the worrisome words trash talk designed to impress other right-wing nut jobs, or is there legitimate reason to think the people intend to act upon them? Obviously, it is better to err on the side of caution on such things. But do the threats rise to the level of a state of emergency?
Northam could help himself if he held a press conference featuring a Virginia law enforcement officer in charge of evaluating the threats. Who, specifically, are we worried about? Name organizations! What are we afraid people might do? And perhaps most importantly, how are the measures associated with the state of emergency tailored to deal with those threats? For example, Northam has mentioned worries about an attack by drone. How does squatting on gun rights protect people from drone attacks?
The more credible information we put into the public domain, the better. Right now, I’m betting that the gun-rights enthusiasts, even the law-abiding ones, are not responding well to the state of emergency. But if law-enforcement authorities presented believable information that right-wing militants are seeking to create chaos and carnage, I think most gun-rights advocates would be very supportive of the Governor’s action. And the more cooperation the authorities get from the protesters and their organizers, the better.
Update: From the New York Times… “The F.B.I. has arrested three men suspected of being members of a neo-Nazi hate group, including a former reservist in the Canadian Army, who had weapons and discussed traveling to a pro-gun rally next week in Richmond, Va., in anticipation of a possible race war.”
That’s what I’m talking about — this is the kind of information we need. I’ve come around. The alarms are justified. We absolutely cannot have a repeat of Charlottesville-style violence. I’m comfortable with the state of emergency.
— JAB
