First off if you haven't already check out this post by the gun control loons, http://csgv2.blogspot.com/2012/01/pro-gun-activists-find-humor-in.html. I know plenty of you are going to disagree with me on this but the reality is that no matter how ineffective these "vigils" are from a crime stopping or self defense perspective, and lets face it a candle won't stop or even slow down a criminal intent on breaking the law, they are good for one thing. Many, maybe even most, people seem to think with their hearts rather than with logic so tell me how those of us who support expanded gun rights gain anything or sway any opinions in our favor by criticizing the brady bunch and their kind for choosing to hold gatherings like this?
Not only do we do our cause no good by criticizing such events but it is quite likely that our more moderate supporters may in fact be turned off on the gun rights community by such actions. In addition to this, there are many victims, regardless of how they became victims or how they feel about gun rights, who would and do take comfort in these public display's of sympathy regardless of why the Brady's organized it. For some public gatherings like these are how they prefer to express sympathy and/or solidarity with the victims. Many gun owners have chosen instead to donate to Officer Crouse's Memorial fund to help his family. Neither method is inherently wrong regardless of the motivations, what matters in this instance is that we not loose supporters by being jerks and that we at the very least respect his family's loss and help how we can. Some relevant links will be posted at the bottom of this post.
http://csgv2.blogspot.com/2012/01/pro-gun-activists-find-humor-in.html
http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/302238 - an article with a little info on Crouse and his life
http://www2.wsls.com/news/2011/dec/12/virginia-tech-community-rallies-honor-officer-crou-ar-1539310/
http://fredtalk.fredericksburg.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=0&Number=1667805&an=&page=0&vc=1 - Information on the memorial fund
http://www.vt.edu/in-memoriam/fund-information.html
More information on the fund
Ok this gent did a much better job of articulating what i was trying to say than i did - feel free to read what he has to say http://www.the-minuteman.org/content/2012/January/15/Open-Response-Joan-Peterson-Barron-Barnett
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