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NRA board member blames victim for Charleston shooting
AP ^ | 6/19/2015 | MICHAEL GRACZYK

Posted on 06/20/2015 4:27:34 AM PDT by stevie_d_64

HOUSTON (AP) — A Houston attorney on the National Rifle Association's board of directors is blaming the deadly Charleston church shooting on one of the victims, saying the slain pastor had opposed concealed carry legislation as a state senator that could have saved him and his fellow worshippers.

Related Stories

1. NRA executive suggests slain Charleston pastor to blame for gun deaths Reuters 2. Slain Pastor Clementa Pinckney’s Mission Suited His Storied Church The Wall Street Journal 3. And The First Person To Blame The Charleston Shooting On A Lack Of Guns In Church Is... Huffington Post 4. White gunman caught in killing of 9 in historic black church Associated Press 5. South Carolina shooting victims united by their devotion to church Reuters

In an interview Friday with The Associated Press, Charles Cotton confirmed writing that "innocent people died because of (Clementa Pinckney's) position on a political issue." The post appeared Thursday in an online discussion board about concealed handguns.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Philosophy; US: South Carolina; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: associatedpress; charlescotton; charleston; churches; clementapinckney; demagogicparty; dylannroof; firearms; guncontrol; houston; huffingtonpost; huffpost; memebuilding; nra; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; reuters; southcarolina; wallstreetjournal
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To: Tamzee; All

Some people, like the one’s (in the media) misrepresenting the issue here...

They would probably say it is sad YOU “feel” like you have to do that...

I, and many others who study, become students of the law, know your limitations, and more important, your capabilities, you are ahead of the curve...

Unfortunately we have a lot of forces working against us on this issue...

We have done, I would say, pretty good over the years...There is certainly room for improvement, and that is what people like ourselves, and Charles Cotton actually do...

This is not really about blame, as some who work against us would like the in-attentive crowd in this country to believe...

That is why I keep telling people to put the big britches on, grow up, and be a mature, and fantastic Ambassador to the Second Amendment...

Be prepared for all the scrutiny to your position from both the people who do not know anything about it, the ill-informed, and those who will never understand it, or its tenants...

Texas has just grown up a bit, and passed into law an Open Carry provision for those licensed to Conceal Carry...

Without getting caught up in that argument, I would suggest we take the opportunity to do so, at appropriate times, and within your comfort zone, IF your state has that provision...

Be prepared for those contacts, and law enforcement being called to check you out, if it is not a common practice...

There are many law enforcement types that are not as well versed in the law, and your demeanor, and maturity does go very far if you do it right...

Game it out, role play with friends the kinds of things you might believe would be discussed...

I’ll be back in a little while after breakfast...

I think the groups ideas here are important...And worth the time this weekend...


21 posted on 06/20/2015 6:39:22 AM PDT by stevie_d_64 (I will settle for a "perfectly good, gently used" kidney...Apply within...)
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To: marktwain

There was a reason he went to the hostile media to make this comment...

I left him a voicemail this morning, and hopefully we might be able to find out the reason he did this...

I’m not throwing rocks, it might be interesting to see what the reasons were...

It will add to our knowledge base...


22 posted on 06/20/2015 6:41:57 AM PDT by stevie_d_64 (I will settle for a "perfectly good, gently used" kidney...Apply within...)
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To: Mr. K

“No, he did not BLAME HIM FOR THE SHOOTING he just pointed out the FACT that he could have defended himself from the shooting if he had a concealed carry weapon, but he was against that type of thing.”

The right to bear arms also includes the right to choose whether or not to bear arms. Just because someone chooses not to conceal or open carry doesn’t mean they are at fault when someone shoots them. In a functioning society a citizen should be able to walk freely without weapons and not fear for his/her life.


23 posted on 06/20/2015 6:42:12 AM PDT by Soul of the South (Yesterday is gone. Today will be what we make of it.)
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To: stevie_d_64

Actually, I think the Board members statement was very ill advised.

A lot of African Americans in the South view the NRA as an organization dedicated to keep guns in the hands of white people. Now, I have met, and shot with, a lot of African Americans who love the NRA, but the perception is they are not on their side. A large amount of African Americans view themselves as under constant attack by whites, and any statement will be viewed through that lens.

The NRA can not allow itself to become polarized. One of the reasons it has been so successful is they have followed a strategy of making the second amendment non partisan. Making a statement like “The pastor should have had a gun” will be spun to say “It was the black pastor’s fault he got shot”.

Remember, the other side ALWAYS lies. Don’t give them more fodder.


24 posted on 06/20/2015 6:47:35 AM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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To: marktwain

A board member should have more sense.

He caused damage, in a highly charged climate, to the stated mission of the NRA.

NEVER talk to the press, you have PR people for that.


25 posted on 06/20/2015 6:50:00 AM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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To: momtothree

Given that im unaware of AME churches being targets like temples or post offices

I can see why nobody carried

Funny though how blacks have these so important rights they should know they need

And ignore it

My church which is around 5% black

Has congregants armed


26 posted on 06/20/2015 6:53:47 AM PDT by wardaddy (#jon snow mattered)
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To: stevie_d_64

That’s like blaming the hot skanky gal for flaunting herself at and crawling all over some drunk guy at a bar and she is shocked she got raped. If churches and schools continue to wave neon flashing gun free signs in evil monsters’ faces, they wouldn’t be targeted. The pastor failed to protect his flock by not carrying. That said, bottom line, it was the killer’s fault.


27 posted on 06/20/2015 7:39:17 AM PDT by bgill (CDC site, "we still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
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To: stevie_d_64

“God may have made men, but Samuel Colt made them equal”;


28 posted on 06/20/2015 7:47:29 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$
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To: stevie_d_64
"Eight of his church members who might be alive if he had expressly allowed members to carry handguns in church are dead," Cotton wrote.

I wonder about that. They have do do more than just carry - they have to have the WILL to defend themselves. The reports of this shooting tell of the victims pleading with Roof to stop as he reloaded FIVE FRIGGIN TIMES! What am I missing here? My God, even someone with a pocket knife could have attacked the guy while he was distracted. Bare hands even - swarm the guy.

God knows, I feel for the families, but what has happened to the people in this country when they mill around bleating like sheep instead of being all over that lunatic.

29 posted on 06/20/2015 9:06:02 AM PDT by Oatka (This is America. Assimilate or evaporate. [URL=http://media.photobucket.com/user/currencyjunkie/me)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
Memebuilding / push the agenda / partisan media shills ping.

30 posted on 06/20/2015 9:31:26 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW)
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To: momtothree

Victims sometimes cause their own situation or assist in it.

Non seat belt or non motorcycle helmet wearers are constantly blamed by the nanny state for their demise. Why can’t we on the right, make similar accusations.

Politically it’s a one way street in this country.....the left has carte blanche to speak their minds and when the rights of center folks say something they are nationally vilified.

We better be ready to stick to our GUNS before we lose them.


31 posted on 06/20/2015 9:41:39 AM PDT by Vaquero ( Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.)
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To: redgolum

No. We need to speak our minds

See 31. Time to get tough


32 posted on 06/20/2015 9:43:46 AM PDT by Vaquero ( Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.)
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To: stevie_d_64

I read his post before he pulled it. His whole point was that if someone else had been armed it would have completely changed the dynamic of the situation.

In other words putting the shooter on defence.

He absolutely did not blame anyone.


33 posted on 06/20/2015 11:37:39 AM PDT by davetex (Location: The Alamo)
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To: davetex; All

“I read his post before he pulled it. His whole point was that if someone else had been armed it would have completely changed the dynamic of the situation.”

This validates what I thought. AP finding an out of context remark that they can run with, to support their disarmist stance.


34 posted on 06/20/2015 1:21:47 PM PDT by marktwain
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To: davetex; marktwain

Yeah, I saw this floating out there EARLY this morning, and thought holy crap...Literally...

I was posting this here, and on the Texas board, while reading it as well...Man, I never thought it would be Charles to break this media driven honeymoon situation with the truth...

I posted on TCHL and thought about it for a while and I posted if the admin thinks we need to pull it, I was ok with that...He pulled it, or someone did...

Heck I used to care about the whole moderator thing, and now it just doesn’t matter anymore...The PR heat coming down on the forum would have been too much, and un-necessary IMO...We know the truth anyway...


35 posted on 06/20/2015 3:28:58 PM PDT by stevie_d_64 (I will settle for a "perfectly good, gently used" kidney...Apply within...)
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To: Oatka

For lack of a better term...

Cattle cars come to mind...But that is so passe’, pishaw from the left attitude, that we might as well not even remember history, because we are going to repeat it, regardless of what we do...

In their collective frappin’ minds...


36 posted on 06/20/2015 3:31:34 PM PDT by stevie_d_64 (I will settle for a "perfectly good, gently used" kidney...Apply within...)
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To: davetex; All

Yeah, funny how quickly those of us who pay attention see these egregious ethical “words in other peoples mouths” instances...

Is the right guilty of doing the same thing...Sure...

Charles just pointed out the obvious, and did it in a way that did open himself up for this, but he’s a tough guy, he knows the score, and he probably suspected this would happen...

What I hope doesn’t happen is we lose the nerve to speak and write the truth...

This may go down in general as what not to do to some, even here, but we had damn well remember is to not ever give up your right to express your opinion just because some ninny fecklers might be offended and have other sophisticated media types run with it and take things out of context and make YOU look like a fool to their readership...

Screw their readership, and screw them...They mean nothing to the overall issue, and even though I champion being a good, mature, knowledgeable person when it comes to firearms and their use...

We need to actually back that Second Amendment up with ironically, the First Amendment...

Don’t ever let the two not work together...We need them both to maintain this Union...

I do not suffer fools, and the media, and race pimps are fools to the first degree...


37 posted on 06/20/2015 3:44:00 PM PDT by stevie_d_64 (I will settle for a "perfectly good, gently used" kidney...Apply within...)
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To: stevie_d_64

Very well said Stevie, I agree. A lot of different wing nuts out there have put words in Mr. Cotton’s mouth that he never said. I saw the damn post, I know what he said.

I have the utmost respect for Mr. Cotton and I think it’s a darn shame he’s being misinterpreted. (Outright lied about)


38 posted on 06/20/2015 5:09:02 PM PDT by davetex (Location: The Alamo)
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