Gun Advocates Stare Down the Barrel of a ‘Nonviolent Coup’
‘Puke and Shoot’
by Donna Ladd
Within six hours of Florida's descent into election limbo, gun zealots launched a paranoid online campaign to convince
their candidate, Republican George W. Bush, to withhold any concession of the presidency. In a letter posted at
http://www.keepandbeararms.com on Wednesday, November 8, site director Angel Shamaya claims to have had a "detailed call"
with the Texas governor's office. "We have grave reason to believe that a nonviolent coup is being attempted to wrongfully
deprive you of the Presidency," Shamaya wrote.
The letter concludes: "[W]e are counting on you to defend the liberties we hold so dear, and most specifically our sacred
and foundational individual right to keep and bear arms."
Not surprisingly in an election where many Southern and Western voters say they worry Democrat Al Gore would appoint
anti-gun justices to the Supreme Court, pro-gun sites hold up Bush as their anointed savior of the Second Amendment.
Alongside Shamaya's letter is a link to a postelection warning by J.J. Johnson, who achieved his 15 minutes of fame in the
months after the Oklahoma City bombing for being a token black militiaman. Johnson writes on his Sierra Times site
(www.sierratimes.com) that the close split in the election shows "who is on which side" in the cultural war: "Rural vs. Urban,
Young vs. Old, Black vs. White, Gentile vs. non-gentile, etc."
Johnson suggests America is on the verge of armed battle: "In other countries, it's at this point that the shooting starts
and the blood begins to flow in the streets. Perhaps that explains that upset feeling in your stomach today." He advises:
"Join the PTA and get in the face of some liberal puke that wants to teach your children to be gay. When they insist, give
junior a day off from school and take him to the gun range instead."
Gun sites also kept close tabs on congressional races. At least 80 percent of the NRA's candidates for Congress—well over
340 politicians—either won or kept their offices. The association's House base is overwhelmingly in Southern and Western
states, but the liberal Northeast is not immune. In Connecticut, the group's choice for the 2nd District seat, Rob Simmons,
upset Democratic incumbent Sam Gejdenson by 2 percentage points. And the NRA endorsed eight New York House
candidates, all of whom won.
Presidential might-be Bush draws an A rating from the NRA's Political Victory Fund (www.nrapvf.org) and an enthusiastic
endorsement from the NRA. Despite Gore's at least moderate support of the Second Amendment, he draws a flat F from
Charlton Heston's group. Only a handful of candidates, including Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi and
Senator Rich Santorum of Pennsylvania, merited an A+, a grade reserved for a legislator "with not only an excellent voting
record on critical NRA issues, but who has also made a vigorous effort to promote the Second Amendment."
The gun lobby lost two major state initiatives Tuesday in Colorado and Oregon, both now requiring background checks on
all gun-show customers. Web postings by gun advocates revealed their dismay over those state votes, and their fear. "The
private-transfer loophole is the last stronghold for keeping some of our guns off government lists," wrote one poster to
http://www.keepandbeararms. "Sad day for Oregonians and Coloradoans. Makes me want to puke and SHOOT."
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0046/ladd.shtml
‘Puke and Shoot’
by Donna Ladd
Within six hours of Florida's descent into election limbo, gun zealots launched a paranoid online campaign to convince
their candidate, Republican George W. Bush, to withhold any concession of the presidency. In a letter posted at
http://www.keepandbeararms.com on Wednesday, November 8, site director Angel Shamaya claims to have had a "detailed call"
with the Texas governor's office. "We have grave reason to believe that a nonviolent coup is being attempted to wrongfully
deprive you of the Presidency," Shamaya wrote.
The letter concludes: "[W]e are counting on you to defend the liberties we hold so dear, and most specifically our sacred
and foundational individual right to keep and bear arms."
Not surprisingly in an election where many Southern and Western voters say they worry Democrat Al Gore would appoint
anti-gun justices to the Supreme Court, pro-gun sites hold up Bush as their anointed savior of the Second Amendment.
Alongside Shamaya's letter is a link to a postelection warning by J.J. Johnson, who achieved his 15 minutes of fame in the
months after the Oklahoma City bombing for being a token black militiaman. Johnson writes on his Sierra Times site
(www.sierratimes.com) that the close split in the election shows "who is on which side" in the cultural war: "Rural vs. Urban,
Young vs. Old, Black vs. White, Gentile vs. non-gentile, etc."
Johnson suggests America is on the verge of armed battle: "In other countries, it's at this point that the shooting starts
and the blood begins to flow in the streets. Perhaps that explains that upset feeling in your stomach today." He advises:
"Join the PTA and get in the face of some liberal puke that wants to teach your children to be gay. When they insist, give
junior a day off from school and take him to the gun range instead."
Gun sites also kept close tabs on congressional races. At least 80 percent of the NRA's candidates for Congress—well over
340 politicians—either won or kept their offices. The association's House base is overwhelmingly in Southern and Western
states, but the liberal Northeast is not immune. In Connecticut, the group's choice for the 2nd District seat, Rob Simmons,
upset Democratic incumbent Sam Gejdenson by 2 percentage points. And the NRA endorsed eight New York House
candidates, all of whom won.
Presidential might-be Bush draws an A rating from the NRA's Political Victory Fund (www.nrapvf.org) and an enthusiastic
endorsement from the NRA. Despite Gore's at least moderate support of the Second Amendment, he draws a flat F from
Charlton Heston's group. Only a handful of candidates, including Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi and
Senator Rich Santorum of Pennsylvania, merited an A+, a grade reserved for a legislator "with not only an excellent voting
record on critical NRA issues, but who has also made a vigorous effort to promote the Second Amendment."
The gun lobby lost two major state initiatives Tuesday in Colorado and Oregon, both now requiring background checks on
all gun-show customers. Web postings by gun advocates revealed their dismay over those state votes, and their fear. "The
private-transfer loophole is the last stronghold for keeping some of our guns off government lists," wrote one poster to
http://www.keepandbeararms. "Sad day for Oregonians and Coloradoans. Makes me want to puke and SHOOT."
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0046/ladd.shtml