A Gun Rights Supporter

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton on the shooting of Philando Castile.

Less than 24 hours after the shooting, Gov. Mark Dayton declared that police likely wouldn’t have fired had Castile been white. Dayton later said he stood by his statement even though it angered some in law enforcement.

Philip Smith, president and founder of the National African American Gun Association, said whether or not a black man is legally in possession of a gun might not matter in the tense moments of an encounter with an officer.

“They’re not getting any kind of the benefit of the doubt,” Smith said.

If we want an armed nation we are going to have to take people’s grievances seriously. Even if we do not consider them legitimate. Respect for all citizens is the hallmark of good government and a good country.

My attitude towards the events of the last week is Jeffersonian.

What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? — Thomas Jefferson

The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive. It will often be exercised when wrong, but better so than not to be exercised at all. — Thomas Jefferson

Was the shooter in Dallas a nut case? Probably. Was he expressing a legitimate grievance? Probably. Was his animosity to white police officers racist? Definitely.

My suggestion for how to start fixing this? End Prohibition you fools.

And then there is this commenter at another site who is some over the top but who’s views are not far from mine.

Let’s stop making excuses for the storm troopers the government is going to use to haul nonconforming critical thinkers to the fema camp. The balck man had a license to carry the gun. The cop shot him because he saw a black man with a gun and responded the way most fascists do when they are scared and peeing down their leg and feel like their ultimate and final authority is threatened. Pull out their weapon to enofrce their monopoly of force. End of story.

The only stupid thing he did was trust a cop with the knowledge that the cop was not the only one in the vicinity with the ability to defend himself. Do not ever tell the cops you have a gun. Don’t ever let them search you or your possessions without a search warrant. Who gives a shit if there was weed in the car, they were not hurting anyone. They had a broken tail light.

Stupid does have consequences. Stupid cops killing citizens does have consequenses, as all the dead cops in Dallas can attest to.

All that is going on reminds me of the lead up to 1776.

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism….