3 June 2020 — 1148 mdt
Missoula’s counter-protesters were wrong
to bring firearms to their demonstration
See Pete Talbot’s report at The Montana Post, and Seaborn Larson’s story at the Missoulian.
For several days, Missoulians have gathered outside the Missoula County Courthouse to protest the homicide of George Floyd. Yesterday, counter-protesters arrived, which is fine, except that some of the counter-protesters carried long guns.
Firearms have no place at political events in a democracy. We must settle our differences through debate, through the application of fact and reason, through peaceful assembly, or we degenerate into a failed state. The armed counter-protesters may argue that they were simply exercising their right to openly carry weapons, but given the circumstances that argument would be specious. They were packin’ to intimidate those protesting the death of Floyd — and their packin’ tells me they had no confidence in the power of their arguments.