The Far-Right Continues To Attack The Parkland Teen Survivors

Today it was reported that an entire website has been started with the express purpose of trolling and hating a teenage shooting survivor who has dared to call for more gun regulation. It is only the latest of a long list of such attacks by Conservatives and pro-gun forces against him and the other teens who survived the Parkland shooting....

If a person survives a plane crash, then publicly calls for better air safety, do people attack their character? What about if their child dies in a building fire and they advocate for better building codes? Or their friend dies in a multi-car crash so they call for better speed enforcement?  What is the response from lawmakers and pundits?  Usually it is very understanding.

Are any of these survivors lambasted as "soulless liars"? Or compared to Hitler? Or told that they should be learning first aid instead of talking out? Or pronounced that they should have been smacked more as children? What sort of person says such awful things to victims, survivors, or their families?

And what if they are saying these things about child survivors who saw dozens of their friends killed and injured, and had to run past their bodies to escape? 

Yet I see this all the time when the issue is gun violence-related. Survivors and victims are ignored by the Conservative gun-loving crowd ... until they call for sensible regulation to keep the shootings from happening again.  And then the gun crowd comes out shooting, so to speak, attacking the character of those survivors who dare to speak out.  The right-wing hate machine starts up.  It happened to my friend Colin Goddard after he survived the Virginia Tech shooting and advocated for stronger laws.  It happened to Lucy McBath after her 17 year old son, Jordan Davis, was shot to death and she called for justice and change. It happened to David Wheeler, who lost his 6 year old son in the Sandy Hook shooting and testified for change. And so on....  Anyone who speaks out about gun violence and calls for change is immediately trolled, smeared, and threatened. It's even happened to me.

Sadly, we are seeing it again.  This time, they have come out to troll and hate on the survivors of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.  The fact that these are children makes the attacks even more pitiful.

These teen survivors are brave, well-spoken, and passionate, and we need to respect them, not tear them down.

There have been so many attacks on these teens by the far right that I've started to lose track. So I decided to make a sort of laundry list of them, here, though it is by no means complete (for instance, I didn't bother going to all the pro-gun blogs to see their reactions) and is just a sampling.  Read them and tell me if this is a sign of an intelligent reaction. When the facts don't support the extremists, they resort to name-calling, conspiracy theory, and outright hate speech.

How have the teens handled it?  Far better than many adults would. In fact, I'm impressed how they cope with the constant attacks and remain focused on the need for change.  In the words of teen survivor David Hogg, when asked what he thought of the attacks on his character and the conspiracy theories:

“I don’t care,” Hogg said. “I don’t. I have bigger, more important things to focus on than these stupid conspiracies that aren’t true in any way, shape or form, have no validity, and don’t hold their weight. At all … these people are going to keep trying to take us down but that’s how we know what we’re doing matters … whenever someone tries making a change that matters, and a change for the better, there’s always someone that tried stopping them.” 

And the teens have been wildly successful in their effort: The nation's largest-ever one-day march and rally; State legislation pushed forward; Conversations on gun violence in nearly every living room. Their passion, honesty, and progressive attitude is very much at the heart of it all.

Here's the list I have so far (which I will update when I find more), more or less in chronological order, of some of the major attacks on the Parkland teens. As you can see, a great many of them target Emma Gonzales and David Hogg, the two most outspoken teens:

• A GOP staffer, and many more extremists after him, falsely declared that teen survivors Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg are "crisis actors" who weren't at the shooting, aren't students at Douglas, and are merely acting the part of survivors. The conspiracy theory may have started on online bulletin boards, but soon spread, even by Donald Trump, Jr.  Then NRA board member Ted Nugent echoed the "crisis actor" conspiracy theory.
• A far-right journalist called teen survivor David Hogg "clueless," a "pawn" for the FBI and "anti-gun" forces, and coached into saying what he has.
• A far-right blogger suggested the Parkland teens are too mentally undeveloped to have an opinion on gun violence or any matter of political importance.
• An ex-GOP lawmaker and Trump campaign organizer accused the teens of having been "hijacked" and coached by left-wing groups and are unable of organizing their own movement.
• NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch accused the teens of being "too immature to make policy about firearms" and being used by "pro-gun control organizations."
• Former GOP senator Rick Santorum suggested that the teens should take CPR classes instead of focusing on gun violence, in essence blaming the teens for their friends' deaths because they didn't know first aid. The students and others pointed out that CPR cannot save a shooting victim, as it will not heal bullet wounds or stop bleeding.
• A fake photo was created and spread of teen survivor Emma Gonzalez tearing up a copy of the
  
  Constitution and making her look pale and dark-eyed. The actual image was of her tearing up a shooting target, as part of a photo shoot with other Parkland teens.
• A GOP congressman and his team mocked teen survivor Emma Gonzalez and her Cuban heritage.
• A GOP representative compared the Parkland teens to Hitler Youth.
• FOX News commentator Laura Ingraham mocked teen survivor David Hogg on Twitter for having been rejected by some colleges, citing a far-right online publication that did the same. Hogg retorted by calling for companies who have ads during her show to boycott the program. The outcry forced an apology by Ingraham and at least a week off the air. To date, at least 17 companies have pulled their ads from her program. (update 4/13/18: now up to 26 companies)
• A GOP candidate called teen survivor Emma Gonzalez a "lesbian skinhead" and David Hogg a "bald-faced liar."
• TV star and Trump supporter Roseanne Barr tweeted a doctored photo of teen survivor David Hogg that suggested he was giving a Nazi salute. After being called out on it, she deleted the tweet.
• NRA board member Ted Nugent once again commented on the students, calling them "soulless" liars and "mushy brained." After a backlash against him for his statements, Nugent doubled down on his statement, once again saying they have "no soul," and said his critics were engaging in "hate speech" against him and were "dishonest, lying idiots."  (see Nugent's own history of hate speech and other deplorable behavior, HERE).
• Internet rumors were spread accusing the Parkland teens, or even Emma Gonzalez specifically, of "bullying" the shooter, suggesting they were to blame for the shooting.
• Michael Flynn, Jr. (the son of the Trump cabinet member who pleaded guilty) tweeted the teen survivor David Hogg wasn't "smacked" enough by his parents as a child, after Hogg refused Laura Ingraham's apology.
• A Conservative pundit wrote that teen survivor David Hogg needs a "rhetorical spanking" and called him a "bully" and "dictator."
• A far-right journalist called the Parkland teens "demagogues" who are "making our public debate even more poisonous and less civil."
• An NRA spokesman and YouTube star taunted the teens by saying "no one would know your name" if the shooting had never happened or if the shooter had been killed by a guard, and that their story would be "completely and utterly ignored."
• A website was created for the purpose of trolling teen survivor David Hogg, created by a conspiracy theorist tied to the infamous hater, Alex Jones, the conspiracy site Infowars, and the anti- and fake-science site Natural News. The trolling webpage, which I won't link here, is filled with name-calling, conspiracy theory, and vitriol against this brave teen.
• A GOP candidate for the Massachusetts House and current county commissioner, Ronald Beaty Jr., has attacked David Hogg with a Twitter rant (after blocking Hogg), calling the boy "inept", a "twit", an "insect", a "clown", an "opportunistic rat", "a communist pig", a "fascist wannabe", and a potential "drug addict or worse." And he's made fun of his name, calling him "HoggBoy and "The Hoggster." It should be pointed out that Beaty served time in a federal prison in the 90's for making death threats against President H.W. Bush, Sen. Ted Kennedy, and others, and as a result cannot own guns himself.
• A Conservative TV show host on a Sinclair station posted a tweet threatening to "ram a hot poker up David Hogg's ass." He was subsequently forced to resign from the network.
• Multiple far-right bloggers spread false information in an attempt to make people think that David Hogg was not actually at the school at the time of the shooting.
• The new NRA president, Oliver North (remember from the Iran-Contra scandal?), accuses the Parkland teen activists of being "civil terrorists" and suggests they are oppressing NRA in the same way that racists oppressed blacks during the civil rights movements of the 60's.

This sort of hatred, trolling, and conspiracy theorizing isn't just rude and disgusting, it's dangerous. Weak-minded (and armed) people who listen to this may believe it and act out violently as a result. It's happened plenty of times before (remember the "Pizzagate" shooting?).

I think you can see how toxic these extremist Conservatives are to their own cause.  I applaud the Parkland teens for their courage, and thank them for trying to make a new trajectory for our communities and nation away from gun violence.

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More Pro-Gun Threats And Insults

[WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS PROFANITY]

A certain population of pro-gun activists seem to think it's okay to threaten and insult those of us who are working to limit the availability of guns to criminals. 

I get such threats all too commonly.  I've posted some examples before, back when I stopped allowing anonymous comments to this blog, showing how they threatened to do me harm, come to my home, and even insinuated raping my 5-year old (at the time) daughter.  Not too long ago, one calling himself "Takedown" left a comment reply on a news site to me, saying "stay the hell away from central Oregon we might shoot your ass."

Another, calling himself "PleaseBeSmart" left a comment on a news article about the recent Rally to Prevent Gun Violence, saying "I'm really glad you see an armed threat though, because that's exactly what it will be if push comes to shove."

Here's an insulting email, full of profanity, left recently at the Ceasefire Oregon email in-box, from an Oregon resident, Mike Springer, which he sent from his work email at Benchmark Land Surveying, unhappy with the recently-proposed Oregon Assault Weapons Ban, HB3200:

As if pillows, knives, cars, or baseball bats have ever been used in a mass murder!

The really interesting part with Mr. Springer is that he was an elected official.  He was the Grant County Surveyor from 2008-2012 (I don't know if he was re-elected, but he at least tried to be).

His personal profile at his company site states that "He enjoys traditional archery, hunting, Tae Kwon Do and biking."  Apparently he enjoys spewing profanity and insults, too.  I question whether someone with his aggressive and unstable behavior should be allowed to possess guns.

Is this how we expect our elected officials to act?  Is this the sort of insulting language we expect of them?  I think the people of Grant County, Oregon, need to re-think who they elect to lead them. 

One Oregon legislator, Ginny Burdick, has introduced a number of public safety bills, including some that limit guns.  She is a cosponsor of HB3200, in fact.  Because of this, she gets huge numbers of robo-emails from the gun lobby here and its supporters.  Many of those, unfortunately, are profane and threatening.

She has gotten so many, in fact, that she recently postponed a town hall meeting about gun rights at a college campus.  According to Burdick:

"I've had town halls crashed by the extremist gun lobbyists before," she said. "They do not make life pleasant when they do that. They're disruptive and rude, and I didn't want to subject the students at Portland State to that kind of behavior."

But here's the kicker:  as if threatening and rude emails weren't enough, the gun extremists stalked the Senator and filmed her at her home!  They then showed footage of her at home on public websites, accusing her of lying about why she postponed her town hall.  Talk about creepy!  But that's the pro-gun extremists for you!  They have no shame. 

But threats aren't limited to local extremists.  They come even from the NRA, and not just from NRA board member and extreme insurrectionist nutcase, Ted Nuget (who even threatened President Obama). 

Recently, NRA President David Keene, who's own son shot at someone in a road rage incident, said in an interview:

"Around the country, the tide is turning on these questions," Keene told influential conservatives at the New York Meeting. "It's going to be a very rough and very ugly battle, as many of you have already seen.""Fortunately, our enemy doesn't have any guns and they don't know how to use them," he added. 

Of course not.  You don't hear threats of violence from gun violence prevention advocates, so why would he bother to say so?  Clearly this is a veiled threat of violence, planting a seed in the heads of NRA followers (the ones who have guns and know how to use them) for this "very rough and very ugly battle."  After all, as Wayne LaPierre infamously said, "The guys with the guns make the rules!"

Want to see more threats and insults?  They're easy to find.  Here's plenty more at the "Things Pro-Gun Activists Say" blog.

Will the gun guys do something stupid or violent at upcoming rallies?  Surely not!  Not according to the extremist group here in Oregon, the Oregon Firearms Federation.  Anything violent or threatening done by a guy with a gun at one of their rallies must be (get this!) the fault of an "anti-gunner!"  From their most recent "OFF Alert":

[T]here is every reason to believe the anti-gunners may attempt to seed the crowd with someone who will do something to embarrass gun owners and create opportunities for the gun grabbers.If you see someone doing something stupid, don’t assume he is one us. Step in and take action. The politicians and the media want an incident and there is no reason to believe one won’t be fabricated.

Talk about paranoia and psychological displacement!

The gun guys only do themselves a disfavor by making threats and insults.  They harm their own cause.  I guess I should be glad, since they expose their true feelings this way, to help me in MY cause.


UPDATE (3/13/13):  According to a New York Times article on intimidation of Oregon lawmakers by pro-gun advocates, particularly of Burdick, another shameful political link was revealed.  The slimy pro-gunners who stalked Burdick at her home were "friends" of Jeff Reynolds, the chairman of the Multnomah County Republican Party.  From the article ("Politics by Intimidation"):

On the evening of March 4, two men sat in a car across from her home and videotaped her. They showed her driving into her garage and taking out her garbage. Having “proved” that Burdick did not have a scheduling conflict, they then put together a short video of Burdick at home. Jeff Reynolds, the chairman of the Multnomah County Republican Party, who also claims to be a citizen journalist, posted the video on a Web sitehe runs. 

When I spoke to Reynolds, he conceded that the videographer was a friend but refused to divulge his name. He said the video had nothing to do with the gun issue. ....

The extremist tactics of people like Jeff Reynolds and his videographer friend are clearly part of the reason why — they’ve helped delegitimize the Oregon Republican Party.  

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Playing "Wyatt Earp" With Their Guns

Time and again I see statements by pro-gun extremists and the NRA suggesting that, if there were just more guns on the streets, criminals would be too afraid to commit crimes for fear of being shot.  But they don't just couch these statements in the language of self-defense.  They talk about vigilantism.  They talk about "helping" the police in times of crisis.  Even though most gun carriers lack conflict mediation training, have no requirements for proficiency with firearms, and are accountable to no one beyond the law, they still propose that they play "Wyatt Earp." 

I've been in a shooting.  I know that the mind doesn't work the same way it does when you can focus at a shooting range or sit and imagine what you'd do in a conflict.  Even highly-trained police only hit their target about 15% of the time in a firefight.  Do you think the typical citizen with a gun can be even that accurate?  Or make snap judgments about who's the guilty one and who isn't?  Or decide when someone should live or die?  I don't want to be anywhere near one of these yahoos when they decide to take the law into their own hands.

Here's one recent example where a man witnessed a purse robber, then took matters into his own hands to chase the guy down and then shoot him dead.  Is the robbery of a purse from an old woman worth killing someone over?  Is this sort of vigilante justice what we want in America?

Oh, sure, the gun guys deny wanting to play "Wyatt Earp."  For instance, when I've brought this up before, one Anonymous commenter suggested:

[T]hose of us with CCPs do not want to be Wyatt Earp. If we did we go into Law Enforcement. My wife and I carry so as to protect ourselves. Period. My first thought if someone is shooting is to protect my family first and foremost. If we can leave and escape safely we will do so without drawing or shooting our weapons. However, if the threat is immediate and life threatening to my family or I than I will remove the threat.

Another, "18Echo", commented:

No one that is carrying openly or otherwise is "playing" at anything. Your statement is insulting. We all understand the potentially lethal ramifications of carrying a firearm. None of us are looking for a gunfight, as your Wyatt Earp comment implies nor are we looking to do the job of the police. In fact, all we want is to go about our lives in peace.

I hope they were telling the truth.  Probably most who carry don't have the desire to "play police."  But enough do that it worries me. Sorry, 18Echo, but you'll see how wrong you are when you read below.

This all came up again when the California Brady Campaign released an email alert about the Open Carry protesters there.  As you'll see, these gun extremists have no problem picking a fight with otherwise peaceful people, in the hope of causing a riot and getting an excuse to "play Wyatt Earp":

Open Carriers to Bring Long Guns to Occupy Protest After Being Asked to Leave

--CA Brady Campaign Urges Families to Stay Away from Todos Santos Park in Concord on Saturday, December 17th

CONCORD--According to their website, Open Carriers plan to bring long guns to an Occupy Protest (where they had previously been asked to leave) scheduled at Concord’s Todos Santos Park on Saturday, December 17, from 12 – 1 pm. From the following statement on their website it appears they are attempting to police the protesters’ behavior. The California Brady Campaign is concerned that what was previously billed as a gathering of gun owners to make a political statement about their gun rights, is now becoming a vigilante activity of attending other groups’ events. This dangerous provocation could lead to clashes resulting in accidental or intentional shootings.

(From website): “Apparently the last time we showed up to the occupy movement for a moment "took away" from the message of the occupy movement and the leaders of occupy asked Concord PD to ask us to leave. Well officers said sorry that is also free speech. Maybe Open Carry can show that we have the ability to protect ourselves and our community in case of riots. We do not need civil unrest conducted in our communities which hurts small business even though we encourage free speech.”

After the State Legislature passed, and the Governor signed, a bill to ban the open carry of unloaded handguns in California, groups of Open Carriers have staged gatherings around the state displaying unloaded long guns and ammunition. Long guns, such as rifles and shotguns, are designed to be fired braced against the shoulder, in contrast to a handgun. The protests are directed at the signing of AB 144 (Portantino), which refers only to handguns.

Said Dr. Dallas Stout, President of the CA Brady Campaign: “This vigilante behavior is irresponsible and dangerous because they are putting the community at risk in protest of a law that was sponsored and championed by law enforcement. Especially after the recent massacres in Cupertino and Seal Beach, to have Open Carriers walking around with lethal long guns and live ammunition intimidates and scares people.”

The CA Brady Campaign is urging people for their own safety to stay away from any location where the Open Carry meet-ups are taking place; and urging business and restaurant owners to enact their private property rights and forbid any guns on their premises for the safety of their employees and customers. Upon learning of any Long Gun Open Carry meet-ups the CA Brady Campaign will send out a news release to warn the community in advance.

These pro-gun extremists call their group "Responsible Citizens of California," but picking a fight so they can shoot peaceful protesters hardly seems "responsible" to me.  There is no doubt about it: these are armed bullies who wish to threaten and harm peaceful people, and they need to be called out on it.  If they think they're helping their "cause", they are sorely wrong.  It's easy for the rest of us to see their radical extremism on display.

And for the rest of the pro-gun crowd who has the daydream of playing "Wyatt Earp," think again.  Keep your daydreams in your head.  Leave your gun at home.  Don't endanger the rest of us.  America doesn't want vigilante justice.

UPDATE (12/16/11 ):  These same Open Carry protesters showed up at a mall today and ate as a group at a BJ's restaurant which had already announced that they weren't welcomed (but didn't turn them away). Open Carry of handguns (but not long rifles) becomes illegal in California on Jan. 1:  http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_19555955

Anonymous Comments Will No Longer Be Allowed

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE

My last blog post was about bullies in the gun lobby and how their followers have taken up the same tactics.  Sadly, this is something I see almost every day in the comments that come through.  It's a sad side-effect that people who promote non-violence, like myself, have to deal with on a regular basis.  It's not really surprising, I guess.  You can't expect people to be peaceful and civil if they spend so much of their mental energy and time preparing to kill people (self-defense included).

Many of you on the pro-gun side who visit here say you value debate on issues, and yet so many of you post foul and threatening messages, especially as "anonymous".  It's cowardly.  Folks on the pro-control side don't post such horrible comments.  Consider this small sampling, all posted as "anonymous" at New Trajectory.  The top one came in this morning:

Anonymous:

"No possession of mine is worth the value of a human life, including scum-sucking dope-head career criminals."

Glad to hear that. There are many local people who already know who you are and where you live.

You wouldn't mind if they showed up and took all your shit, right?

Do you have any cute daughters?

  

Anonymous:

Should'nt be too hard tracking you down. I have some topics to discuss with you.

See you soon.

Knock knock

  

Anonymous:

Hey Fag-boy...

Do your children know what a faggot you are? Do they know you drink man-juice?

Do your kids know you butt-fuck corpses?

Take it all in stride fag-bot. CFO is not a legitimate threat. CFO is just you in your mom's basement jacking off into her underwear.

You sick little fuck is simply a source of entertainment for us, and deep down, you know it.

But if walking around town inside a cardboard box makes you feel better about yourself, knock yourself out fag-boy.

Anonymous:

Good thing you live in Oregon Baldi or we would have to beat you into submission, so you could be taught that our rights are not to be infringed.

Anonymous

Hey Baldr, should I refer to you as a fat fucking dick-head or a fat fucking douche-bag cunt???

I had allowed anonymous comments for those who did not have profiles that fit the options.  But, clearly, those who would abuse that option have overwhelmed those who would not.  So, from this point forward, no anonymous comments will be allowed.  If you can't man-up enough to put your ID on a comment, then it isn't worth posting anyway.

Pro-Gun Extremist Hero Jailed For Gun Crime

Yesterday I got another anonymous threat posted as a comment to this blog, this time threatening to hunt me down at home.  Yawn.  This dufus didn't even know what city I live in.  To Mr. Anonymous, please note that, like all comments sent to me, I now have your IP address.  This is yet another example to me that people who spend their time and mental energy preparing themselves to kill people are all too often only a shade away from being criminals themselves.

The pro-gun crowd likes to pretend that only hardened criminals and gangbangers are shooting up our communities, insisting that those who have concealed weapons permits don't murder people.  They portray themselves as absolutely law-abiding, patriotic, and only interested in self-protection. 

And yet, all the time, I see reports of previously law-abiding gun owners who commit gun-related crimes, including murder, with those guns they supposedly purchased for self protection.  This includes concealed carry permit holders. 

According to the Violence Policy Center, more than 100 people have been killed by holders of handgun-carry permits since 2007, including nine law enforcement officers. "They shoot each other over parking spaces, at football games and at family events," says the center's Kristin Rand. "The idea that you're making any place safer by injecting more guns is just completely contradicted by the facts."

It doesn't help the pro-gun extremists' case when one of their own is arrested for a gun crime.  Representative Curry Todd was arrested this week for driving drunk while carrying a loaded handgun in his car.  This is particularly interesting since Todd was the sponsor of a bill to allow concealed carry guns in bars in Tennessee.  He swore that those who have concealed firearms would never be the sort to get drunk while carrying.  'Cuz, you know, people wouldn't drink in bars!  What could possibly go wrong when you combine guns and alcohol in bars?

Adam Dread, a Nashville attorney who formed a coalition to fight Todd on the law, called the arrest "poetic justice."

"He spent all his time arguing that as a permit holder that we don't violate the law, we're responsible and of course we would never drink when we had our guns, and then be arrested for the very thing that he was out there clamoring about is a little bit of poetic justice if you will," Dread said in an interview on NewsChannel5.com.

And, gee, wouldn't you know that Todd is also the chairman of the newly-formed House Firearms Taskforce?  He promptly resigned from that position.  Apparently the taskforce has now been cancelled.  Hmm. 

"This is only the latest example of the dangers of guns carried in public and underscores the futility of trying to predict who will act responsibly and who will ultimately endanger public safety,” says Kristen Rand of the Washington, D.C.-based Violence Policy Center.

If one of the heroes of the pro-gun movement can't keep himself clean of gun crimes, what does it say for the others? 

Image taken from HERE.

Finally, Back to Blogging!

You may have noticed I haven't been blogging much in the last few months.  I have finally crawled out from under a very lengthy scholarly article for my job, which turned out to be around thirty-thousand words long -- nearly a small book!  Once a co-author finishes a small section, I'll finally be able to send it off to the publisher (I had been invited to write for).  That, combined with family issues, seriously restricted the amount of time I had for blogging.  Too bad I'm not paid to do the gun control activism!  There have been SO many issues related to gun violence it has been almost painful to keep from spending my time bringing them to you.  Barring unforeseen events, I should be able to get back to it now.

I haven't been idle, though.  A small part of my time has been spent planning an event for this weekend, for Ceasefire Oregon, which will coincide with the Eugene Celebration, a yearly festival in downtown Eugene, Oregon, where I live.  More on that this weekend.

Every once in a while I peruse the pro-gun blogs to see what they're writing about, so I've done a little of that.   It's the usual stuff about how great guns are, how horrible our liberal leaders are, and the usual nonsense about how the government and us "anti-gun cultists" are out to get them.  One blogger posted a racist joke, likening Michelle Obama to Cheeta the chimpanzee from Tarzan.  Of course I called him out on it, and he tried to deny the connection, as obvious as it is. 

Another few bloggers attacked an article about the ASK program (a program which advocates for parents to ask about guns and other dangers where their children play).  They belittled the commentator who had advocated for ASK, suggesting that she wasn't concerned about other dangers, like heroin usage in the home (!?) or sex abuse (!),  that it's unnecessary because kids will avoid guns just because you tell them to, and actually advocating that you lie to the parents and tell them that you don't have a gun in the home if you really do!  I left a comment refuting the ignorance of this blogger.  Within a few hours (at 3:30AM!) I get an email from him trying to lure me into a debate about it and warning me that if I didn't do so he would label me a "troll" and bar me from his site.  When I finally got around to his site a couple days later, he had posted about me, making fun of my name, suggesting I was fat, belittling my family's training in kung fu (which I had commented on at another site), and labeled me a "troll" because I hadn't gotten back to him, then saying he'd barred me from commenting (even though he's the one who's trolling around at all hours).  Well, all I can say is that there's a name for someone who tries to  intimidate people, calls them names, makes fun of their names and weight, and makes arrogant and belittling remarks:  BULLY.  Gee, I wonder why no one posts comments on his site other than his extremist pals?