Here's a comment (sent by a "friend of ours") I think we need to take into consideration when reading this story:
I was at the Pentagon’s 9-11 Memorial last September 11 as a guest of Mark Levin’s.
President Bush was the keynote speaker.
It was not only normal procedure for the Secret Service to be out in full force three city blocks wide around the Pentagon.
They were in full combat gear with M-16 assault rifles locked and loaded what we call in the Army full battle rattle.
It is also normal operating procedure for the secret service to have the back window down with sharpshooters in the back following a convoy.
None of this was out of the ordinary. Normal operating procedures for protecting POTUS. Gateway Pundit is wrong on this one.
MR adds -- well, as I said in comments, there were alot of these comments at Gateway also, so I'd believe I fumbled here HOWEVER it does not answer the question as to where those muzzles were pointed. Safely, ok. At the crowd (as the original letter states) then my comment still stands. We're not likely to ever know for sure.
============================
This may be a strange comment but, as a guy who regularly carries and handles firearms, what these guys did -- pointing a loaded weapon at someone (especially someone non-threatening) is inherently dangerous, very stupid and against every rule of gun safety there is and HIGHLY unprofessional.
That said, the bigger issue is
WHY THE HELL DID THEY HANDLE THEIR WEAPONS THIS WAY? THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS THREAT. THIS IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD SEE IN CUBA, NICARAUGUA, VENZUELA, RUSSIA OR THE SOVIET UNION. WHO THE HELL DOES THIS POS POTUS THINK HE IS THAT HE NEEDS TO ARRIVE WITH BODYGUARDS' ARMS DRAWN? WHAT HAS OUR GOVERNMENT COME TO? WHAT HAS THIS COUNTRY COME TO?
WHAT IS BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA AFRAID OF?
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. HE OWES EVERY AMERICAN AN APOLOGY.
HE SHOULD RESIGN IF HE IS AFRAID OF HIS OWN PEOPLE.
RESIGN.
from Gateway Pundit with a huge thanks to Christian Soldier for the headsup.'
OBAMA SECRET SERVICE Pulls Guns On Conservative Tea Party Protesters In Bristol
The Obama caravan drives through Bristol, Virginia this week.
This came in the email after Dear Leader's town hall event on Obamacare in Bristol, Virginia:Hey Gateway Pundit. I attended the town hall event in Bristol,VA today.
Though very few were allowed inside, there was an amazing turnout outside of
people protest healthcare reform, among other things. I hope to send you
pictures soon of some great signs I saw. It was expected that those in
opposition to the bill would outnumber those in favor by 10-1, but I feel it was much, much more.
I do have a question I was hoping you could answer. During the motorcade
when the president was arriving, there were several vehicles following the limo
that contained the secret service. All of the vehicles had all the windows
rolled down, and back hatch open on the SUVs with the men holding their, I assume assault rifes, machine guns, drawn on everyone lining the streets. Needless to say it took my breath away at the sight of them, and made my friends and I dizzy with fear. I have seen the secret service before, but never like this. While they were intimidating, I never felt in danger. The guns were not drawn when the motorcade was leaving the event. But I turned on a local talk radio program as we were leaving and all the calls were about witnessing the guns being pointed at them and nothing else until the end of the program.
Having said all that, my question is, is this normal protocol during such
an event? It very well could be, but after I had to get over the shock of it, I
began to feel offended. We were all there peaceful, and have no problems with
Obama the man, we have problems with his policies and wanted him to know the
opposition was there to be heard, and know that a strong opposition did indeed
exist, and that so many people don't approve of his policies, with this bill in
particular.
So, is this normal, and I'm making a mountain out of mole hill, or did they
make an exception in this mainly conservative area?
Thanks.
Destiny Baker
NO Destiny. It's not normal for the secret service to pull their assault guns on conservative protesters as they drive through town.
Destiny sent this picture of the caravan driving through Bristol:
Here's a close up of the secret service vehicle with the guns drawn on the protesters:
postnote from Midnight Rider: This is what nascent tyranny looks like. Intimidation. If they come and take our guns then only THEY will have them to use in such manner.
Molon Labe. If they accuse you of being a member of a militia for it be proud that you have them that worried.
That's EXACTLY what the Founder's intended when they gave us The Second Amendment.
"When the government fears the people, you have liberty;
When the people fear the government, you have tyranny."
Thomas Jefferson
24 comments:
::sigh::: ...and why are you surprised?
Not really surprised, but really pissed.
Definitely not surprising but outrageous.
How long before they fire on Tea Party protesters?
MR, you should move up this post to the top...great job reporting, the Jefferson quote is timeless!
A breathtaking abuse of power.
as the vehicles are all armored bullet proof having the windows down actually is poor use of the vehicles and is not done.
so thier could only be one rational explanation for pointing weapons at peacefully protesting american citizens while on the move.
I do not beleive the professionals of the secret service would want to operate in that manner.
that leaves on answer intimidation desired by the top narcisist.
There have been a number of comments at Gateway stating this is the Secret Service Counter Assault Team and S.O.P.
However --
Guns at ready I can sort of understand (port arms or straight in the air if you will)
Guns pointed at unarmed non-threatening citizens is still inexcusable. ESPECIALLY if it makes those citizens feel intimidated.
THAT'S no accident.
But, you have to remember MR, the current administration views those citizens as potential domestic terrorists.
Honestly, I believe the administration would like nothing better than to have an incident at a dear leader gathering, it would give them the reason they are hoping for to really crack down and that is why we have to do all we can to keep such an incident from happening.
I think the real question here is WERE THE GUNS ACTUALLY POINTED AT THE CITIZENS, or were they as you see in this photo:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/11/06/2008-11-06_obama_gets_his_first_threat_briefing_as_.html
If they are actually pointing guns at people, then that is, indeed beyond the pale.
One of the things Gateway commenter Tom W. points out is that these guys are Patriots who do a job which requires them to risk their lives for the President of the United States and ultimately the Constitution. He says we need to be careful before we criticize them.
I would have to agree.
Frankly, I don't get this story. I am dumbfounded. It seems beyond the pale to me. But, perhaps, I am misinformed.
if they actually had muzzles pointed at the crowd I am hard pressed to believe they did this according to thier own sop.
it had to come from a higher power outside the actual members of the secret service
Wow, the only thing creepier would be buzzing the Statue of Liberty in a giant low altitude jet and scaring the bejeez...oh, right..
Rumcrook,
I agree.
One would think there would be some protest from the ranks.
Are they too Patriotic to speak?
This is why I don't know what to make of this story.
the answer to that is, this didnt happen like whats presumed and speculated, or the secret service is like any profesional org. keeping thier yaps shut becuase thats what profesionals do.
incremental steps in ratcheting up orders of actions not the norm and viewed as un necessary or unprofessional are usually met at first with annoyed resignation and internal argument but not taking it outside the "family"
professionals dont air dirty laundry, and they usually hope this is the last of the escalation of disturbing orders.
unfortunately the types of people who take charge of proffesional orgs from the outside and are willing to make changes that are bad,~~~ usually dont stop.
The more I read Gateway comments the more I'm not sure what to make of this either. What we have is the description of an eyewitness who said she saw it as they drove by.
I am not impuning (sp?)(long day) that description but it could be faulty ALTHOUGH she also says the local radio station was talking about it. Wish we had a recording of that.
I would agree with Tom at Gateway -- those in the Secret Service who put their lives on the line every day knowing they could take a bullet for a real schmuck like Obama are Patriots.
This coulld be poor professionalism, a change in SOP or not at all as it seems.
Wow, America is starting to like the countries I have lived in, namely, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the UAE! ;-)
To the people that voted him in--GREAT JOB GUYS!
When a government feels like it has to point its guns at innocent, unarmed civilians it starts to sound like a dictatorship, we have a recent example of that--IRAN! We had an example in the past, SOVIET UNION!
People should have thought more about the values the forefathers built America on and less about the economy before they voted in 2008. Oh well, still ain't too late.
As for the secret service being patriots...there shouldn't be any doubt about that. But as runcrook pointed out, the orders come from above. I am not sure how it all works but I would assume the president has authority over the secret service? Correct me if I am wrong.
Oh and as someone else pointed out, if they were trying to protect Hussein, why have the windows rolled down and not rolled up?
I can't imagine that this is normal SOP:
All of the vehicles had all the windows rolled down, and back hatch open on the SUVs...
If there had been a threat against BHO's life, shouldn't the whole entourage just have left town?
Keep forgetting about that whole windows rolled down business. That really doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Arms ready, sure. Windows down? not so much.
AoW -- you would think if they had a threat THEY WOULD CANCEL THE EVENT.
Windows down makes no sense. And "with the men holding their, I assume assault rifes, machine guns, drawn on everyone lining the streets" is the most troublesome part.
Rule # 2 -- never point the gun at something you are not immediately willing to destroy.
Rule #1 -- Always point the firearm at the safest direction possible (i.e. not at a group of unarmed bystanders)
Rule #3 -- Do need keep your finger inside the trigger guard unless you intend to shoot
Do we know if they obeyed rules 1 through 3?
P.S. Can't wait to go to the shooting range tomorrow :D
Ugh... I meant "Do not" instead of "Do need" for Rule #3.
#1 -- every gun is always loaded
#2 -- Never point the gun at anything you are not willing to immediately destroy
#3 -- Finger off the trigger until you are ready to pull it
#4 -- Know your target and bullet stop & the path to them
#1 -- Check!
#2 -- Broken so it would seem
#3 -- Can't really tell
#4 -- The answer to this one could be really scary
& Total I'm am so with you on the Range date!
Well - Destiny's question was answered by the "friend"...
It is 'normal' to train loaded weapons on peaceful US citizens --
In other words-SOP...
I agree with you MR-:
"...pointing a loaded weapon at someone (especially someone non-threatening) is inherently dangerous,....HIGHTLY unprofessional."
US citizens are seeing things they have never seen before because more and more are getting involved...
C-CS
The question about why the Secret Service Counter Assault Teacm would drive around with their windows down seems obvious to me;
if there were an attack, they don't want to have to wait for the windows to go down before they can start shooting.
Doesn't that make sense?
Pointing weapons at unarmed, non-threatening citizens does NOT make sense.
But, we can not tell from the photo provided, can we?
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