A Necessary Ouch
He's tall, just like my brothers. He's a veteran, like my brothers. So it's been easy to be comfortable around him, his presence has almost seemed familiar. He's been part of my activist life for the last couple of years and participates in my precinct caucus. He's well-informed on many issues and engages well with the public at events like our anti-fracking protests. And then there's the gun issue.
If there has ever been an instance that invites a Jekyll-Hyde comparison, he has brought it. Over the last couple of weeks, especially and increasingly with our state legislature's actions on gun measures, he's gone apocalyptic. He's convinced that Obama is going to come and take all of his guns, and he will not hear any argument against that conviction. He's begun referring to the President as "this piece of shit" and now tells people that Barack Obama is a dictator. My refusal to arm myself with an AR-15 is, in his view, an admission that I'm choosing to be a victim (?) and willing to become Soylent Green.
A friend called me yesterday afternoon, concerned about this guy's comments posted to one of my facebook conversations. She asked if I understood what he was talking about when, in response to a perceived threat from Obama to take gun rights away from veterans, he said he might have to "fulfill his oath"; he followed that with a rant about being part of the "warrior class" that would push back. Another friend called with the same concerns and suggested that I might want to distance myself from this guy.
He's been 'unfriended' from my facebook page, and a couple of our mutual acquaintances have indicated support for that decision. I don't anticipate going to any events where he will be present. For all of his wild ranting, it still hurts to say goodbye.
= new reply since forum marked as read
some become toxic for mysterious reasons. This makes me wonder who's been selling him the snake oil...the NRA? Faux??
I have friends who feel very threatened as well, one of them a vet, another works for a gun manufacturer who makes assault weapons. The latter guy is afraid he's going to lose his job.
I do try to establish I'm not against guns in general but am in favor of gun control and background checks; we don't have any direct discussion about it which is probably why we're still friends.
