-
If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership The benefits pay for the membership many times over.
NES Protest on Beacon Hill
- Thread starter SKS Ray
- Start date
![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
No date yet.
Chuck
NES Member
Then they need reminding who they work for. I'm already a member of GOAL as well as the NRA -- perhaps we should be redirecting our NRA dues as additional donation to GOAL if the "national" organization doesn't see fit to spend time in our little liberal state.
On the bigger issue, I'm in. And I'll be carrying a sign: HEY YOU WITH THE MICROPHONE, HAVE YOU PAID YOUR 1ST AMENDMENT FEE?!
Asking PETA for help on a gun rights rally? How about Teamsters?!
-= chuck
Last edited:
CRSIII
NES Member
Fixed it, cuz I love it!
Michael Graham from 96.9 WTKK is very much Pro 2A. He's also a columnist for the Boston Herald. I'm sure he'd give accurate coverage of the event. Perhaps we could even get him to plug the event on his radio show or better yet broadcast live.
Yep. Graham and TKK. +1 for an excellent idea.
Thanks Derek.
I should have PMed you first and asked about posting this thread with NES involved. I got caught up in the moment though.
![[grin]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/041.gif "Grin [grin]")
Firstly - I'm in for a protest depending on the day and would be happy to pitch in with logisitics.
However, I think some of the other posters have some good points. We need a MASSIVE crowd to make this work for us instead of against us. We would need significant lead time and we need to hit EVERY club in the state and beg & cajole them to send a busload of people. We need the help of GOAL and NRA to reach all the people that aren't plugged into NES.
Sadly, I'm not sure how much impact it would have on the legislators even if it went off perfectly with record crowds. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to support it and give it a try, but put me down as skeptically enthusiastic.
I tried to think about what WOULD get their attention. Tell me what I'm missing and where the holes are in this, but here's my bright idea for the night. Find a legislator with a high grade from GOAL who is facing a serious challenger this November (or conversely, a promising challenger facing a "F" legislator). And then send all the enthusiastic NESers out to that district for a day. With all the people on here so gung-ho for a demonstration, we could canvas entire districts for a pro-gun legislator. We would keep/gain a pro-gun vote in the General Court and I think that would be much more likely to get the attention of other legislators.
However, I think some of the other posters have some good points. We need a MASSIVE crowd to make this work for us instead of against us. We would need significant lead time and we need to hit EVERY club in the state and beg & cajole them to send a busload of people. We need the help of GOAL and NRA to reach all the people that aren't plugged into NES.
Sadly, I'm not sure how much impact it would have on the legislators even if it went off perfectly with record crowds. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to support it and give it a try, but put me down as skeptically enthusiastic.
I tried to think about what WOULD get their attention. Tell me what I'm missing and where the holes are in this, but here's my bright idea for the night. Find a legislator with a high grade from GOAL who is facing a serious challenger this November (or conversely, a promising challenger facing a "F" legislator). And then send all the enthusiastic NESers out to that district for a day. With all the people on here so gung-ho for a demonstration, we could canvas entire districts for a pro-gun legislator. We would keep/gain a pro-gun vote in the General Court and I think that would be much more likely to get the attention of other legislators.
Rockrivr1
NES Member
I'll be there no matter what date or time. Once a date is set I'll canvas my gun club and their web site. If everyone does that I'm sure we can drum up a good amount of people ourselves.
But as a number of people have said, unless we get backing from GOAL and/or the NRA, we will not pull the numbers that will get anyone's attention. A front page article in GOALs monthly paper and an article in the NRA's monthly magazines will need to be put out. A thought might be to have one of our more creative members build a web site for this particular rally and have that web site listed in the articles. Some donated radio promos would be a key plus as well.
I'd even be willing to buy an add in Shotgun News with this information as well. We should also get our local gun shops to post flyers about the rally and put it into their email distributions. Four Seasons does an email distribution and I bet a number of other gun stores do it as well. I bet they'd post this for us without to much of an issue.
But as a number of people have said, unless we get backing from GOAL and/or the NRA, we will not pull the numbers that will get anyone's attention. A front page article in GOALs monthly paper and an article in the NRA's monthly magazines will need to be put out. A thought might be to have one of our more creative members build a web site for this particular rally and have that web site listed in the articles. Some donated radio promos would be a key plus as well.
I'd even be willing to buy an add in Shotgun News with this information as well. We should also get our local gun shops to post flyers about the rally and put it into their email distributions. Four Seasons does an email distribution and I bet a number of other gun stores do it as well. I bet they'd post this for us without to much of an issue.
Which is why i said that EVERYONE needs to be ALL IN
![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
look, we all get sick days, personal days, vacation days.
lets get this organized and make it happen with ALL of us... no more "i'm in if i can get the day off" GET THE DAY OFF G-D dangit!
I think it's a great idea.
1) There should be a specific point of protest, not just a general "we like guns, screw you!"
2) If it was fronted by GOAL it would be better than " a bunch of intenet gun nuts " which is how it would be portrayed.
Matt
1) There should be a specific point of protest, not just a general "we like guns, screw you!"
2) If it was fronted by GOAL it would be better than " a bunch of intenet gun nuts " which is how it would be portrayed.
Matt
Historical footnote:
I was at 2 of the 3 rallies in 1998/9.
At the Boston Commons/Statehouse we had 5K participating. Capitol Police were "worried" about us and barred us from the statehouse property, so the rally was outside the gates (this was after we marched from the Boston Common). Then we marched around the statehouse and then inside the halls near the Governor's office. After that was over, we dispersed to visit our individual State Reps/Senators. My State Rep asked me what the rally was about, they were totally unaware of 5K people outside (less came inside). [My State Senator at the time was a War Vet and staunch 2A person.] I wore a suit that day and fried out there in the hot sun. I won't do that again . . . I'll wear business casual next time and a hat (if a sunny day).
News media basically ignored us, reporting less than 1K present IIRC. More media coverage on the ~30 that showed up for the anti-gun rally on the statehouse steps before us that day.
The rally in Carver was interesting, Rep. Suzanna Gratia Hupp's story of the murder of her parents in Luby's Café in TX was riveting. [She recently took a role in SAS and she should be a tremendous asset to the cause.] I'm not even sure that the media was present for this rally.
I didn't attend the one in Hudson, so I have no info on that one.
---------------------------
So what does the above mean?
- Budget items are "fast tracked" . . . before we could organize anything, it will be passed (or we hope defeated)! That's the reason they do this stuff this way . . . in a blink of an eye the deed is done and the public is mostly unaware.
- Just like a good court case, any effort needs to be "focused" to be effective. Best left to GOAL to set it up and organize it. Right now, I think they are busy doing the "back room" work to prevent these changes from passing, so they don't have time right now to be sitting on the forum. [I'm surmising this, I haven't called them right now.]
- We need a LOT more than 5K people to show up to make a dent in the politicians minds.
I was at 2 of the 3 rallies in 1998/9.
At the Boston Commons/Statehouse we had 5K participating. Capitol Police were "worried" about us and barred us from the statehouse property, so the rally was outside the gates (this was after we marched from the Boston Common). Then we marched around the statehouse and then inside the halls near the Governor's office. After that was over, we dispersed to visit our individual State Reps/Senators. My State Rep asked me what the rally was about, they were totally unaware of 5K people outside (less came inside). [My State Senator at the time was a War Vet and staunch 2A person.] I wore a suit that day and fried out there in the hot sun. I won't do that again . . . I'll wear business casual next time and a hat (if a sunny day).
News media basically ignored us, reporting less than 1K present IIRC. More media coverage on the ~30 that showed up for the anti-gun rally on the statehouse steps before us that day.
The rally in Carver was interesting, Rep. Suzanna Gratia Hupp's story of the murder of her parents in Luby's Café in TX was riveting. [She recently took a role in SAS and she should be a tremendous asset to the cause.] I'm not even sure that the media was present for this rally.
I didn't attend the one in Hudson, so I have no info on that one.
---------------------------
So what does the above mean?
- Budget items are "fast tracked" . . . before we could organize anything, it will be passed (or we hope defeated)! That's the reason they do this stuff this way . . . in a blink of an eye the deed is done and the public is mostly unaware.
- Just like a good court case, any effort needs to be "focused" to be effective. Best left to GOAL to set it up and organize it. Right now, I think they are busy doing the "back room" work to prevent these changes from passing, so they don't have time right now to be sitting on the forum. [I'm surmising this, I haven't called them right now.]
- We need a LOT more than 5K people to show up to make a dent in the politicians minds.
I'll be there (I think I might know someone I can borrow a pair of assless leather chaps from).
If I call in sick, I'll also have to borrow a 'Gimp' style latex/leather suffocation mask so the Chief of Department doesn't spot me on the evening news.![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
(Vacation days are out of the question).
With regard to the question of a date for this...
When does the legislature have to act on this?
When do they recess (I think it's pretty soon)?
If it's released and due to be voted on before recess, that doesn't leave much time or room to hold a protest... we could have a few days prep time at best.
If it's after recess, we're in better luck.
More time to get organized...
More time to put the heat on various elected officials...
More time for GOAL (and us), to get the word out (pamphlet the shops and ranges).
Not that it will help any (it won't, but since it's Patricks 'grassroots' website, it might get someones attention), leave a message here...
http://devalpatrick.com/issue.php?issue_id=7583294
and let the ass know how you feel.
Which is why i said that EVERYONE needs to be ALL IN
look, we all get sick days, personal days, vacation days.
lets get this organized and make it happen with ALL of us... no more "i'm in if i can get the day off" GET THE DAY OFF G-D dangit!
If I call in sick, I'll also have to borrow a 'Gimp' style latex/leather suffocation mask so the Chief of Department doesn't spot me on the evening news.
(Vacation days are out of the question).
With regard to the question of a date for this...
When does the legislature have to act on this?
When do they recess (I think it's pretty soon)?
If it's released and due to be voted on before recess, that doesn't leave much time or room to hold a protest... we could have a few days prep time at best.
If it's after recess, we're in better luck.
More time to get organized...
More time to put the heat on various elected officials...
More time for GOAL (and us), to get the word out (pamphlet the shops and ranges).
Not that it will help any (it won't, but since it's Patricks 'grassroots' website, it might get someones attention), leave a message here...
http://devalpatrick.com/issue.php?issue_id=7583294
and let the ass know how you feel.
WTTK
Jay Severin also. Maybe we can get Margery Egan to do another story on the protest. She`s on the air between Graham and Severin. Like I said, I was at the protest that she wrote about. I remember seeing her wandering around and interviewing the Black guy with the cowboy hat.
*******
Jay Severin also. Maybe we can get Margery Egan to do another story on the protest. She`s on the air between Graham and Severin. Like I said, I was at the protest that she wrote about. I remember seeing her wandering around and interviewing the Black guy with the cowboy hat.
Since the legislative session ends on July 31, 2008 and it takes many months to put together a decent rally, I would suggest that if the GOAL Board decides to hold another rally perhaps the time would be early next year when GOAL files our legislative package.
Here is also a reply I got when I e mailed the GOAL site:
Hi Ray,
We appreciate the fact that you want to help get a protest going at the State House. However, the example you used, of our rally in 1999, took nine months to plan! As the legislative session is due to end on July 31, we have virtually no time to plan a rally in time to affect the governor's bill.
You may have noticed that there are fewer rallies being held in Boston these days. That is because they are becoming a less effective tool for legislative reform. The legislature does not respond to them the way they used to.
That is not to say we are opposed to rallies! As we make our plans for 2009, it is one of the items the Board will consider.
GOAL STAFF
With enough time we should be able to get something big going. Its something to think about and plan, especially with the elections coming up and considering what we could be up against.
Hi Ray,
We appreciate the fact that you want to help get a protest going at the State House. However, the example you used, of our rally in 1999, took nine months to plan! As the legislative session is due to end on July 31, we have virtually no time to plan a rally in time to affect the governor's bill.
You may have noticed that there are fewer rallies being held in Boston these days. That is because they are becoming a less effective tool for legislative reform. The legislature does not respond to them the way they used to.
That is not to say we are opposed to rallies! As we make our plans for 2009, it is one of the items the Board will consider.
GOAL STAFF
With enough time we should be able to get something big going. Its something to think about and plan, especially with the elections coming up and considering what we could be up against.
It may behoove us to put the word out on some national forums as well. I mentioned it in passing in Sig forums and received a few responses. You would be suprised how many MA gunowners don't belong to GOAL or visit this site. The only reason I found this forum was because of the link from the GOAL site.
JMHO
JMHO
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2007
- Messages
- 6,022
- Likes
- 757
Can someone please lock this. It's not going to happen within this short period of time. Good idea. No time for implementation.
Why? A forum is a discussion board, and this issue can still be discussed, can't it? I never understood why many people feel the need to request that threads be locked... Please don't take this the wrong way, my post is not meant to sound ill natured. I just want to have a better understanding that's all.
Similar threads
