Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Cause for concern?

Read a few articles recently about Antifa either learning to shoot or starting to arm themselves, having already had some experience.  The latest is here.

Background:

I have carried for defensive purposes for about thirty years.   Never had to display or fire my sidearm.  Carried a Ruger Security Six for quite a few years, most recently upgraded to a 1911.  I try to go to the range two or three times a year, some years more often, infrequently less.   I practice drawing and dry firing using Massad Ayoob's eight point system. I know the law, I know the tips, I am comfortable with my firearms.  I would consider myself adequately prepared in the event of a situation.

Antifa, however, has a history of initiating violent attacks, generally anonymously and generally from ambush.  In spite of what you may be reading in the media about how Antifa's violence is in response to  the alt-right and white supremacist violence, this is patently untrue.  Antifa initiated the violence in Charlotte, NC by throwing bricks at the marchers.  Antifa routinely attacked people arriving and leaving Trump rallies during the election.  Rarely were any of them prosecuted and rarely did the police step in.

In Charlotte the police routed marchers through an Antifa protest and during the Trump rallies the police in many cities had a policy of stand back and ignore.  Other situations were treated similarly when Antifa attacked people arriving for various right wing events.  Inauguration ball attendees were attacked with acid; Proud Boys had urine filled bottles thrown at them and then were physically attacked after a Republican party event in NYC (which has resulted in no Antifa arrests but multiple PB arrests and charges). You may have heard of "bike lock guy" who would dart out of a crowd of masked Antifa members, hit someone with a U-lock, and then hide in the crowd.  He put a man in hospital with brain injuries and received community service when he was identified through video.

This history becomes more troubling when reports start to surface of Antifa groups arming and training themselves.  The one that sticks in my mind is the Socialist Rifle Association but there seem to be many more.  These people have a right to keep and bear arms (although it is interesting that they choose to exercise this right given the outright hostility of the left and the Democratic party to that right, apparently it is acceptable so long as the "correct" people are armed.) but given the media's lack of interest in their violent activity (and given that when the media is not disinterested they actively support Antifa) is isn't much of a stretch to assume that given any violent altercation between Antifa and, for example, me, I won't receive much sympathy or coverage of my side of the story from any of the mainstream media.  Antifa is going to shoot people, I think that's a given.  The media is going to explain to us how, as they have done for all the other violent assaults perpetrated by Antifa, it was really the fault of the other group for provoking the violence, and left leaning prosecutors will prosecute those who defend themselves but not Antifa members.

The pattern is already set given the narrative and actions of media and prosecutors over the past two years, the only question is who dies and who goes to jail.  Antifa is edging is towards a new civil war and it will be ugly if it happens.  Local and state governments could have prevented this by cracking down on the violence of Antifa from the start but they were sympathetic to their goals and chose to overlook and excuse the violence.  Now it may be too late.




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