The ongoing controversy surrounding the proposed removal of the Confederate monument in Travis Park was at the center of Wednesday evening’s citizens to be heard session in City Council Chambers.
As speakers addressed Council members on the dais inside, about 10 individuals donning kevlar vests and assault rifles stood guard outside. They arrived as escorts for This Is Texas Freedom Force (TITFF) Vice President Brandon Burkhart, who addressed Councilmen Roberto Treviño (D1) and William “Cruz” Shaw (D2) – authors of the Council Consideration Request to relocate the monument – during his time to speak.
“I’m going to address you guys again, especially you two, Shaw and Treviño,” Burkhart said echoing through the chamber. “Do you guys see the problems that you’re causing? … Do you know the death threats that I’ve received?”
Burkhart, one of the lead organizers for the rally defending the monument on Saturday, criticized council members for failing to support San Antonio police officers who arrested one individual and stopped an SATX4-led street march during Saturday’s demonstrations. He reiterated that his organization was prepared to recall Treviño and Shaw, should the monument be moved.
“A lot of Texans are watching,” Burkhart told the councilmen. “We are prepared to move forward with a recall for you Treviño, you Shaw … if need be, because we are not going to stand by and let you remove a monument that represents veterans, not race.”
This is the second time that Burkhart spoke at a citizens to be heard session, but the first time that he arrived with a heavily armed security detail. Outside of the chambers with around 15 police officers standing nearby, Burkhart stated that a credible threat had been made against his life by members of the opposition.
“We have threats on my life, we have threats on a few of our members’ lives that said they were going to shoot us tonight when we came here to speak,” Burkhart said. “They’re trying to silence me, which is not going to work. We will come armed every time and we will come [with] even bigger armaments if we have to. If we have to bring a bigger security team with us, we will.”
Councilmen Treviño and Shaw told the Rivard Report after Wednesday night’s remarks that they would not be moved by intimidation tactics.
“I think it’s sad that somebody feels that they have to make an argument by instilling fear first into the conversation,” Treviño said. “I think it’s unfortunate that they would do it like that.”
“Using guns or threats of violence doesn’t solve anything,” Shaw said. “Like I said before: this is about an opportunity for the city to come together to … discuss peacefully. When you bring guns to an event, that doesn’t express peace. That’s violence, and San Antonio is better than that.”
Council’s Governance Committee will discuss whether or not to bring the councilmen’s relocation request to a full City Council vote on Sept. 13 or 20, according to Treviño.
Addressing remarks made Wednesday night both for and against removing the monument, Treviño said he would like to establish a more educational context for the monument so that people may be more informed about the history that built it.
“There are a lot of poorly informed folks,” Treviño said. “There [are] folks that think it’s Travis up on that statue. Now we hear that somebody thinks it’s Robert E. Lee. We really speak to this in terms of educational opportunity to make sure that we’re doing history justice.”
“I think it’s an opportunity for us to have a continued dialogue and to learn from each other,” Shaw said. “That’s what’s happening right now. I think both myself and Councilman Treviño are very sincere. We’re not doing anything out of hate or out of despise, we’re doing it because we care about San Antonio.”
This makes me genuinely nervous. Showing up with an armed posse is something I would expect from a cowboy in the wild west or a warlord in Afghanistan.
“But Texas is an open carry state!” I don’t care. This is meant to intimidate our elected leaders in our city. Regardless of where you stand on keeping the statue in Travis Park, we cannot allow this to become an accepted form of political speech.
Yeah, Texas may allow open carry, but threats are not constitutionally protected. Robert E. Lee was right, allowing these statues to exist has only continued to foster separation and dissent. They should never have been erected, or should have been torn down long ago. The Confederacy tried to break apart the United States and failed. We should no more have statues to their leaders than we do to the leaders of other enemies of the United States.
Missouri has a bust of Rush Limbaugh in their capital.
So there are statues of racist enemies of the USA paid for by the taxpayer. It’s not just the racists that committed treason.
The Rush Limbaugh bust is in my state’s capitol. It was put there and paid for by the Republican caucus – not the taxpayers of Missouri. It is considered an embarrassment and joked about as example of ultimate bad taste. When a majority control changes in our statehouse- I am sure it will be transfered back into the hands of the leader of the Republicans. Please note that most people in Missouri are decent and fairminded. Also note that Limbaugh was fired first here in Missouri when he began his hate spewing career 20 years ago. If he were to return- he would be given the same treatment today.
Missouri has a bust of Rush Limbaugh in their capital.
So there are statues of other racist enemies of the USA paid for by the taxpayer. It’s not just the racists that committed treason.
so now i guess we should gather up all the text books about the civil war, or any thing that some very loud group doesn’t like and erase it from history. maybe the holocaust, there’s something that has to bother lots of people. how about statues of any japanese person, maybe we could take all mention of the interment camps out of our history books, i’m sure that is quite an embarrassment to lots of americans, especially those in favor of it, nothing like gathering up thousands of actual american born and raised japanese americans and strip them of their business and land/homes and lock them up in prison camps for the duration of the war. are you one of the ignorant masses that actual believes slavery was the issue for the civil war. here’s a link for you to read to clear that up, if you can read.
https://freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com/2017/08/a-few-inconvenient-facts.html
How about reading the secession statements issued by the states who were in rebeellion. Every one of them cited slavery as the reason so if the war wasnt about slavery, ssomeone should tell the actual confederates. And as far as your “blowing up history” comment, you dont need a monument in a public space jn order to teach or remember history. Displaying nazi symbols in germany is against the law, there are no statues of hitler in germany but people still remember the nazis and the horrors of ww2. You can dress it up any way you like but these people chose to take up arms against this country, therefore they are traitors and not deserving of any memorial.
It is the equivalent of putting up a statue memorializing timothy mcvie
If Texas open carry makes you nervous, there’s 49 other States that might calm you down. Police know what’s allowed and is acceptable.
Use of “posse” is sensationalism.
You believe tough talknis so intimidating but most ppl understand you’re compensating for well, you know.
Hey Bob, you want to meet up downtown?
You just threatened a man. That’s not conversation. That’s violence. That’s not democracy. That’s not freedom. That’s the opposite.
Oh, puh-leeze. Bob just suggested it’d be safer for SA’s two city councilmen to move out of Texas. That’s a helluva lot more serious threat than someone who invites Bob to meet up downtown. Try using a little more common sense and logic.
Oh shut up.
always heard that when you violate some one elses rights to free speech and infringe on that right you loose yours, you better get rid of that ar 15 and stop playing rambo ,dude we fought for your rights in vietnam respec t our we come from tejano ancestors not hillbilly just arrived in texas like dan patrick and greg abbutt i,m an old combat vet of the vietnam war i been in dah chyt i dont have to impress any one or try to scare some one into doing as told this isnt communist russia wrong country and state
why don’t we tear down the alamo, or changed the name to something silly like they did highway 90 or durango st, you people are letting bullys and extremest’s destroy history. i’m anglo, i moved from another southern state to the west side in 1954, lots of friends and lots of history on my part, in my personal life, i saw some of the older mexicans from the westside almost crying being interviewed before and after that name change, this country needs to stop changing history to suit certain groups. the street names are ridiculous, this overbuilt city puts a new street or parkway in almost daily, honor someone by naming a new street after him. don’t rewrite our history books, the statues are memories of the life and death struggles of our ancestors that gave their lives for this country, you don’t know these people, most have no clue why the war was fought, they are led by the dissidents that are using them to destroy our country.
In their great vision they renamed a street with a Spanish name in favor of a Mexican. Who cares! No heuvos there. Now it would’ve taken something more to have changed the name of Commerce St.
Actually thoose “ancestors” gave their lives taking up arms AGAINST this country. Thats as ridiculous as claiming timothy mcvie blew up the murrah building to save america
https://youtu.be/6fZZqDJXOVg
It’s a good thing the guard in the picture is armed. That slob couldn’t run 25 feet!
3,000 ft/sec is fast enough. And, as long as you stay 25 ft away, you ain’t gotta worry, Snowflake!
These guys must really get off on having an opportunity to play dress-up.
I often wonder when I see these Jack Asses “If you are so fond of wearing “Cammies” and carrying Assault Weapons why aren’t you an Infantryman. I understand that they are “hiring”.
What I don’t get is why Brandon Burkhart goes by a whole different name on Facebook (Brandon Hewitt). The monument belongs in a museum. No one’s trying to destroy it or hide it away. “The Civil War wasn’t about slavery,” they cry, but Texas decided to secede precisely because of slavery.
From the Texas Declaration of Causes in 1861: “We hold as undeniable truths that the governments of the various States, and of the confederacy itself, were established exclusively by the white race, for themselves and their posterity; that the African race had no agency in their establishment; that they were rightfully held and regarded as an inferior and dependent race, and in that condition only could their existence in this country be rendered beneficial or tolerable.”
Monuments celebrating the losing side of a war belong in a museum. Period.
The Founding Document of The Confederacy -South Carolina’s “Declaration of Immediate Cause” lists Slavery as the only issue. Slavery (or terms related to Slavery) is mentioned no less than sixteen times. “http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/csa_scarsec.asp
Texas is the only state to secede because of slavery twice. Once from Mexico and once from the USA.
Now what is one supposed to think when they see these LARGE white dudes carrying loaded artillery prancing around town and showing us what macho hombres they are? It’s a clown show of sadly epic proportions. All credibility goes out the window when you have to sustain your cause with an AK47.
Or Bikelocks.
In Europe they have found that making fun of these types of people is more effective than anger. Food for thought for the next time these clowns show up
Surely there must be some racist redneck in that militia crowd that has a successful meth-lab operation who could afford to buy the statue for a pittance….He could re-erect it in front of his double-wide…or permanently affix it into the bed of his pick-up truck. Win-win situation….The public gets a symbol of slavery & racism removed from view, and a redneck gets some bling to glam up his truck.
They carry AR-15’s or M4’s not AK-47’s, stupid
Not sure what these rednecks are so proud of. The Confederacy was an act of treason to defend the institution of slavery.
I think that you understand perfectly.
Legality of open carry aside, why is this acceptable? Guns and knives have no place in civil discourse. When our SAPD defend this behavior, it is validated. This must end.
Here’s an idea: when a group applies for a permit to gather, guns and knives should be disallowed. Period.
We need to stop supporting hate in our culture. We have allowed it to fester in silence for far too long.
Having a gun is not a sign of hate. Oh, and you can’t really tell people they can’t have the guns or knives. Ever hear of the Constitution?
Oh, stop it. Neither the Second Amendment, nor any other Amendment, is an absolute. And if these guys aren’t part of a “well-regulated militia,” it doesn’t apply to them anyway.
The city I live in regulates the size of sticks used for picket signs. If violence erupts, you can’t do much damage.
Yes you can. It is illegal to have a 5″ knife or a throwing star (considered a type knife) on your person in Texas. Let that sink in. A throwing star is deemed a bigger threat than an semi automatic. Why? Don’t want to say it might have racist implications, but throwing stars are pretty much exclusive to Asian based martial arts. Not a huge voting population here.
Oh, the whining of white privilege. “I’m afraid I’m going to lose the power and privilege that are mine simply because of the color of my skin!” Ugh.
Well done, Councilman Shaw and Councilman Trevino, for not bowing to these ugly intimidation tactics. Keep up the good work! You’re making (the majority of) San Antonio proud!
When the truth of climate change finally sinks in for the deniers, those of a whiter shade of pale are going to suffer a lot more from the blazing sun than their darker neighbors. Just ask exceedingly pale Senator John McCain, who’s battling metastatic brain cancer from his previous bout with melanoma (skin cancer). “Master race” my foot, there’s nothing superior about being prone to flaming sunburn and melanoma.
What does it mean when they say they are prepared to recall Trevino and Shaw?
They will tried to get the election recalled. Of course you need a lot of people to sign on for that one and I don’t think these guys could even come close to work together and get the needed campaign to get a recall done. It was nothing more then a baseless threat.
It also means the speaker didn’t think logically before making his statement. The Council is made up of members elected within separate districts. I doubt that the speaker or any of those guys present with him even live in either of the districts of the council members he threatened. To have a recall election, people would need to live in the district to sign the petitions and only people living within the districts would get to vote!!
Who said that he was being logical? These folks operate with the premise that guns, threats, loud voices are all they need to convey their deeply held convictions (or brain farts). These old boys don’t worry me. It’s the quiet leaders (some of them very sharp) that concern me. Some are in the Texas Legislature writing laws, regulations, and policies not friendly for groups that are seen as “those people”. You know who you are….
And to boot, we only have a part-time legislature and the church goers only care about abortion and LGBT rights.
I’m incredibly disappointed that Council has not steered any of the current conversation towards (re-)removing the two Confederate cannons from Travis Park — which were not in the park from approximately 2011 to 2014 (based on Google streetview imagery and descriptions of the cannons being placed in City storage).
According to the City’s history of Travis Park, the Confederate cannons were abandoned at the Battle of Valverde (in New Mexico — along the Camino Real as part of the Confederate / Sibley campaign for California) and retrieved by Confederate Major Trevanion T. Teel after the war and donated to the City. The cannons were parked in Travis Park in the late 1800s (close to thirty years after the Civil War ended and apparently considered controversial at the time — the ‘scoff of a later generation’) and have been moved around to various points within the park over the years as mobile weaponry.
The Confederate cannons do not serve to memorialize the Civil War dead and should not have been reintroduced in Travis Park as part of recent City of San Antonio ‘revitalization’ of the park — work supported, in part, by Southwest Airlines and the St Anthony Hotel (part of Marriott International Inc.).
The cannons should be returned to the battlefield where they were used and abandoned by the Confederates in their retreat back to San Antonio; Fort Craig, New Mexico (Socorro County) National Park Service would likely be the best recipient. At Fort Craig, the cannons could help to serve as a reminder of how the Confederacy was defeated in New Mexico in 1962, including as aided by the ‘mostly Hispanic 1st New Mexico Volunteers commanded by Colonel Kit Carson’.
See:
Walking Tour of Historic Travis Park (City of San Antonio)
https://www.sanantonio.gov/portals/0/Files/HistoricPreservation/TravisParkWalkingTour-OHP.pdf
VALVERDE, BATTLE OF
https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qev01
Fort Craig National Historic Site (National Park Service)
https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/el_camino_real_de_tierra_adentro/Fort_Craig.html
Thank you for that excellent history lesson! And you gave some good suggestions for removing and contextualizing these weapons.
and still managed to get a key date wrong – 1862 (at least I’m consistent in typos)
This is not a monument to “Veterans”. It is a monument to racist traitors to the United States. It was erected at the start of the Jim Crow era. It has no place in modern society. We carry no civic responsibility to honor the dead of the side who defended slavery, bigotry, and oppression.
Well said. My words exactly.
Exactly Matthew! The idea that any apologist of secessionists and traitorous actors in our sad chapter of civil war history should be welcomed in a do-over celebration is beyond belief! The only time I want to see a confederate statue is in context to their treasonous actions and eventual loss.
ps – as someone not a resident of your fine state, my liberal self is lightened knowing itsninnsafe hands!
Just called Trevino’s office to thank him!
That’s what we all need to do! Thank you!
What a sad an embarrassing display for Texans. Tell this man to go home, and take his tiny intimidation tactics with him.
Right On! The councilmen should rebuke the men for their tactics and continue to stand up against their threatening tactics. If I were a councilman I’d personally make ridicule of those rednecks and tell them to shove it!
How can anyone in their right mind say a Confederate monument represents VETERANS? It represents the people who fought against the US not with the US. You lost. You’re either a part of this country or leave. We don’t need monuments glorifying the leaders who tried to destroy our country.
Exactly, if anything if commemorates the people who murdered our veterans. Remember, many Texans fought for the Union. It’s an insult to those who did right in the face of adversity. My Texan ancestor fought to preserve our great County not destroy it.
The black patch on that one guys arm it a 3%er patch. The guy that tried to detonate a bomb in OKC was said to have identified as a 3%er. Just FYI
Where are Homeland Security and FBI? These guys need to be on their watch list. The very top.
Why? For knowing and living their Constitutional rights? They didn’t make any threats. They were just there for additional security due to threats made against them.
Oh, baloney. It was straight-up intimidation, and everyone knows it.
You can’t talk logic with people that are hell-bent on destroying American History and ignoring 1st & 2nd Amendments.
Poor you! So put upon snowflake!
we’ve surveiled other Americans for far less! So, yes let’s look into his actions. Let’s make sure his weapons are all illegally purchased and properly registered.
Legally purchased
You actually believed that claim that Brandon Burkhart-Hewitt has received death threats? Who from, the mild-mannered people of color who usually are abused or shot if they look side-eye at law enforcement? I wouldn’t be surprised if one of his crew threatened him because he hasn’t taken the two (brown) councilmen hostage.
Thank you Counselman Shaw for standing up to the oppressors! These men obviously spend too much time playing war games on their XBox. I am a voting resident of Bexar county that is proud of our Mayor and Counsel. Do not back down. We stand with you.
To the folks who want to keep the statues…
Would you be ok to have a statue of President Santa Anna erected at the Alamo?
It was a war (fought in mexico) that we won.
Or to have a big Hitler statue were the WW2 Veterans are buried in Arlington. It is pratically the same thing.
Did you fact check the assault rifle status of those weapons? Some are disputing that fact.
Huh???
EXCUSE ME…WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO WITH THE GUNS?
WHATEVER they need to do to ensure the safety of everyone there.
I’m saddened and ashamed that this white supremacist terrorist activity is on display in my neighborhood. The only reason they showed up with weapons of any kind was to try to intimidate and instill fear in us. Thank you to my D1 rep; we stand with you.
And maybe Brandon Burkhart should be the one who is recalled. I’ll cast the first vote.
These bros need to calm down and take back their fatigues to Army Surplus where they probably got them from………………
These individuals to go sign up at their local recruiting office and go fight Isis. Problem is they don’t have the guts to carry weapons outside of Starbucks and McDonalds
They probably can’t. A lot of these guys join “militias” because they got kicked out of the military, usually for violence and racism or they could never pass the medical/mental exams.
I live outside of Charlottesville VA. It’s no surprise what we’ve had to bear in the past week from white supremacists, KKK, Nazi vermin and people like these overgrown children. I’m a believer in our Constitution and advocate for the 1st Amendment, but these hate groups must be stopped. From Donald Trump on down, their hatred is an evil that must be eradicated, by law or by force.
We are quickly becoming a nation of Shiites and Sunnis who can’t agree and hate each other, and we’re hurling toward major strife.
An innocent woman lost her life to these vermin (who continue to brag and be proud of themselves for her death) in Charlottesville. Don’t let scum like this intimidate you or your legislature. Do everything you can to stop them, please.
#OneLove
It’s going to take a lot more than the 12 of you to recall anybody. Self important ego maniacs. The South tried to break up the US. It’s called an act of treason. You ask that we celebrate that. Nope!
One man, one voice, one vote. A gun doesn’t make one’s voice or vote more important than any other, just like being a billionaire doesn’t make one’s voice or vote more important than any other. The “any other” opinion:
Did you ever wonder why there are no statues of Hitler in Germany? It’s part of their history, right? But Hitler is associated with evil. Same thing here. Confederacy = slavery. You can’t deny it. Every declaration of secession included the reason: the right to perpetuate slavery.
So every Confederate monument, statue and flag is a celebration of slavery. You cannot deny it. Therefore every monument, statue and flag on any piece of public property in this countryt (other than a museum) needs to be removed. NOW.
If these little boys like playing with guns so much, they should join our military and stop playing soldier – oh wait, that would take courage.
They’d have to go on a diet too.
We must repeal open carry! These nuts will be murdering us all!
Should you be bullied into keeping them?
lol why dont they go fight in a real war, instead of playing dress up.. Waying guns to scare folks that are even worried about them..
Poor fella, can’t seem to make the connection between his own behavior and death threats. That’s what a fourth grade education leaves you with pal. I suggest you educate up and join the rest of America.
Just curious – what proof did they provide that they had credible threats on their lives? Also, did they report those threats to the police? File charges? Get a restraining order? You know, go through proper channels before trying to do the EXACT thing to Council Reps that they SAY was done to them. I call b.s.
Good on Trevino and Shaw. Rightwingers think they can intimidate their opposition. This is not the 60s and we’re not going backwards. Take down these traitor monuments and destroy them. Only scum support the Confederacy which was nothing but a slave owning, racist apparatus.
Sociopathic psychopaths!
I for the life of me can’t understand why they want to place monuments around celebrating a war that they lost.
I’ve written (email) to our new mayor, and I think everyone here should write to him and our city council telling them that we want those statues removed. Losers don’t get monuments. Confederates never wanted to be part of a country where blacks and other people of color were free alongside whites. That’s what they fought against. Well, they lost. There’s no reason to honor them or their cause anymore.
Excuse me for butting in on this – I’m across the pond in Scotland and came upon this piece by serendipity. As a Brit where there are very strict gun laws – even our police remain (for the very most part) unarmed, I have watched and read recent events in the USA in shock and awe! Shock at images such as this and those seen in the horrific events over the weekend, that large groups of (white) men can gather, armed to the teeth playing at armies, but with real and deadly weapons: awe at those who stand toe-to-toe opposite them. Opposite in every possible way, for they are the brave, the courageous, the ones who deserve respect – whether they are elected members or ordinary members of the public seeking to oppose these bullies with their gratuitous displays of aggression and machoism. Your gun laws are a complete anathema to me and almost all Brits, but scenes such as this defy all possible justification.
I guess that’s why you still honour Kings and Queens and why our forefathers decided not too back in the 18th Century. George III rules and regulations were not to our liking.
Our Constitution was better.
You know, I’m no royalist, not by a long long way, but if given the choice of a monarchy or armed militia playing soldiers because ‘hey it’s in our great constitution’, then I’ll just settle for the crowned heads thank you.
Agreed, thank you.
Lynne thank you for your thoughtful and intelligent comments. I apologize for the knuckledragger responses…these people do not represent most Americans. Ironically these knuckle draggers are attempting to drag us all back to the 18th century, but it isn’t going to happen.
These statues are not of “Veterans” These are statues of traitors to the United States of America. The Veterans of the Civil war were the 360,000 United States soldiers that died at the hands of these traitors and their failed revolt.
Not traitors, never tried to overthrow the government, just leave…kind of like the “Patriots” in the Revolutions of USA and Texas. Plus the US government have declared the Confed’s were veterans, you can get a grave marker for you Confed veteran through the same process. Got my Confed ancestor marker the same way I got my dad’s and brother.
They were traitors, don’t forget the Confederacy started the war with their assault on Fort Sumter. That was treason. The secession was illegal as well, Texas v. White 1869. I think having all these statues around with “equal”status have made people believe in a movie fantasy of the Confederacy and not reality.
Intimidation, lack of history (although factual info doesn’t seem to be important to toy soldiers. First thing I noticed was the guy in the pic with the clown suit on with his 30 lbs of FAT hanging under his Kevlar vest. (eyes rolling upward) BTW nothing(throughout my lifetime) has pissed me off as when someone/s tries to intimidate me. One of the main reasons I am proud to be an American and the reason I stay in America, is that no one, i.e. gangs, militias, bullies, political “tuff guys”, and the rest have the right to intimidate me, my family or my friends…let’s argue, compete, vote, but none of this violent intimidation crap. Just a sign of a weak mind or very confused mind and, very possibly, a small “member”. Just sayin’.
So you must had ANTIFA, BLM, Brown Berets.. etc..
This is just the start, next all the memorials and monuments to the founding fathers will have to be removed, we’ll have to get rid of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, because the founding fathers had slaves, we’ll have to pave over every battlefield in the US also. We’ll also have to do away with everything the MLK said and didfor civil rights, because that will offend someone. No books no information, no movies, no documentaries, nothing of any sort can be allowed to be looked at or studied or read, because some whiny, sniveling worthless shit will get their feelings hurt if they even think anything still exists about anyone they don’t like. That should do the trick.
What you are doing here is called a “false equivalency” and is a logical fallacy. You can educate yourself here: http://trulyfallacious.com/logic/logical-fallacies/presumption/false-equivalence
It’s like saying that since Jesus and Hitler both had mustaches, then they must be the same. Just because people discuss race, it doesn’t mean they are saying the same thing or that their arguments are all valid.
Needed. ANTIFARTS put out threats against the speakers against removal. Antifarts, BLM watch out and damage vehicles of those who come to speak so they hired protection.
Calling bullsh*t
A bunch of little boys playing army. It’s amusing how incredibly silly and stupid they look.
What’s sad to me is that not a single person who has commented here, or anyone on either side (including the Councilman) know history. Instead of smoking behind the bleachers at school, you should have stayed in history class.
correct you are
There is some major compensating going on here to hide some serious masculinity issues. These guys are sloppy cowards and bullies who have some sort of expectation of compliance through intimidation. They are sadly mistaken if they think the other side of the isle isn’t as heavily armed.
Showing up with guns says not that you are about freedom, but that you are about intimidation.
These Jim Crow era statues are ALSO about intimidation. They were put in place to let black people know that they were still under the boot of racism.
Really…these gun toting extremists are just looking for a fight. They are prone to violence. They are bullies, and they should be publicly shamed for their lack of maturity and their strong arm tactics.
Perhaps, instead of removing the Confederate monument in Travis park, they could instead add a statue of Benedict Arnold. He was a veteran, too. He’d fit right in.
Threatening to kill someone while brandishing a firearm is a felony.
You just gave up your second amendment rights. Nice work.
You aren’t allowed to own guns anymore. And you are to blame.
I’m sorry but we’ve got a imperfect but pretty effective SYSTEM called DEMOCRACY that in its basic form intends to use the public to decide whether to change laws or make changes that effect the public. If the city concludes that the citizens want to get rid of offensive Confederate monuments, you DON’T get to wave a gun around and think you’re going to get your way by demanding it.
Our armed forces have risked their lives and thousands of them have died DEFENDING others from people JUST LIKE YOU. (Whoever is using the firearm to control the democratic process.)
These people should have been disarmed at gunpoint by the police immediately and they should have their right to posess firearms REVOKED permanently. They are domestic terrorists, not heroes.
I could see leaving the monuments intact, but only to be modified to serve as an example of what we do to eliminate traitors and armed militias when they get out of hand. The Confederate position on slavery and defiance of federal law should be properly described as a source of shame for those who killed reaal heroes. They were busy defending the rights of all people to be treated fairly and with the same standards regardless of color, race or religion.
The President should make an executive order declaring the only Confederate flag recognized is the white flag of surrender.
The public could be properly educated about the truth covered up by the existing monuments. If they stay, let’s at least put them to good use.
Oh look, terrorists! American Isis.
Allowing open carry is fine. But not in a group as they are doing. Do they have permit to form a group. No. Arrest them then take guns away. Guns were meant to protect yourself not to intimidate. Take the guns away and the big boys will run and hide. They think they are bad ass with them. Cowards and wimps.
> “Using guns or threats of violence doesn’t solve anything,” Shaw said.
How in the world does that compute? He’s talking about the guy __who’s life was literally threatened__.
Two things. The best suggestion I’ve heard so far is to relocate the Confederate statue to the SA Confederate Cemetery (who knew SA even had a Confederate cemetery?) Then add signage to give the historical context. But like most simple ideas, probably not simple to do at all. Also I’ve heard that there is in fact a Travis statue that is looking for a site. Logical to put it in Travis Park, no?
Second, pass out copies of this article to those guys in front of the court house (because of course they are seeking to educate themselves on the subject.)
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/16/regime-change-in-charlottesville-215500
TREVINO AND SHAW ARE THE RACIST TO ALL THEIR VOTERS IN THEIR DISTRICTS NO MATTER HOW OR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN, I FOR ONE FEEL THREATENED AS ONE OF THEIR VOTERS AND KNOW NOW THAT THEY ARE CROOKS TO THEIR CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO
Fools like this don’t help