Yesterday a bunch of pro-gun advocates showed up at state capitols to protest gun control measures. And yes, they were armed.

Must have been a buy one get one free sale at the flag store.

Courtesy of the AP: 

Gun rights supporters — many carrying rifles and ammunition — gathered at state capitols across the U.S. on Saturday to push back against efforts to pass stricter gun-control laws that they fear threaten their constitutional right to bear arms. 

From Delaware to Wyoming, hundreds gathered at peaceful protests to listen to speakers who warned that any restrictions on gun ownership or use eventually could lead to a ban on gun ownership, which is guaranteed under the Second Amendment. 

“If you have a building and you take a brick out every so often, after a while you’re not going to have a building,” said Westley Williams, who carried an AR-15 rifle as he joined about 100 people braving blustery weather in Cheyenne, Wyoming, for a pro-gun-rights rally in front of the state supreme court building. 

Dave Gulya, one of the organizers of a rally in Augusta, Maine, said about 800 people showed up at the statehouse — a gun-free zone — to make the point that “we are law-abiding.” 

Saturday’s protests were planned in dozens of state capitols less than three weeks after hundreds of thousands marched in Washington, New York and elsewhere to demand tougher gun laws after the February school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17. Organizers of those protests demanded a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and called for universal background checks on potential gun owners.

You know here's the thing.

If you want people to believe that gun owners are relatively harmless, perhaps you DON'T show up to a rally looking like this:

That is using your weapons in an attempt to appear intimidating, not to appear safe and protective of others.

As for these rallies, well Ammosexuals why don't you get back to us when you can actually demonstrate strength in numbers.

Boise March for Our LIves, March 24, 2018
3% Gun Rights Rally in response, April 14, 2018
Blue wave a'comin' pic.twitter.com/SaO5RMrBDm

— Sisyphus Idaho (@Sisyphus43) April 14, 2018

Because as of right now it appears you are greatly outnumbered.

Apparently the "War on Christmas" is kind of real in Nebraska, and the Atheists just won.

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

In Lincoln, amid the supposed “ war on Christmas ” bemoaned each year by the political right, it appears the atheists really have stolen Christmas. 

On Friday, a classic Christian nativity scene was erected in the rotunda of Nebraska’s capitol building. The state’s lieutenant governor, Mike Foley, was scheduled to attend. 

But on 18 December the nativity will have to be moved, to make way for exhibits organised by a coalition of atheist and humanist groups who last summer booked up all available exhibition space in the rotunda for the week around Christmas Day. 

From 19 to 26 December, therefore, the capitol will host an exhibition called Reason this Season, organized by Lincoln Atheists, Omaha Atheists and several other humanist associations. 

“It’s going to be a big shindig,” Chris Clements of Lincoln Atheists told the Guardian. “Our message is that it’s a secular government and religion has to stay separate from that. And it’s meant to communicate that atheists are not bad people – we can be good without God.” 

One of the main exhibits will be a table holding a miniature church, a miniature mosque and symbols from other religions including Judaism and Buddhism, separated from a miniature White House, Statue of Liberty and US Capitol by a model wall – a stark reminder of the separation of church and state that is enshrined in the first amendment to the constitution.

Man is this going to burn a lot of Fundamentalist asses in Nebraska. 

You know typically I am not this publicly confrontational about Atheism, preferring instead to have discussions here on IM about religion and non-belief, but I have to admit that this made me chuckle.

Ultimately it is important that non-deists get the conversation out into the public so that there can be an open dialogue.

I imagine there will be a lot of shouting at first, but ultimately allowing people to see that Atheists are not goat horned, child eating, demons can really only help in the long run.

Satanic group unveils concept for proposed monument to be placed in Oklahoma state capitol. Should blend right in with the Ten Commandments monument.

Courtesy of Philly.com:  

Will Satan be celebrated on the lawn of the Oklahoma State Capitol? 

A devilish group based in New York believes it should be perfectly OK. 

The group, which calls itself "The Satanic Temple," today unveiled its proposal for a monument it intends to erect next to another religious statue: a depiction of the Ten Commandments. 

According to The Satanic Temple's application, the proposed monument features a large pentagram and “a 7-foot tall goat-headed Baphomet that sits cross-legged flanked by a child on both sides. The lap will serve as a seat for visitors.” 

It would also include quotes from poets William Blake and Lord Byron. 

The monument, said the group’s spokesman, was designed to reflect the views of Satanists in Oklahoma City and could doubly serve as a tourist attraction. 

“The statue will serve as a beacon calling for compassion and empathy among all living creatures,” said spokesman Lucian Greaves. “The statue will also have a functional purpose as a chair where people of all ages may sit on the lap of Satan for inspiration and contemplation.”

Oklahoma state legislators in 2009 approved the installation of a privately-funded Ten Commandments monument. It was installed last year over the protests of the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. The Satanic Temple wasn’t the only group to apply for a monument; People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the satirical Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and a Hindu group have also requested a place near the Capitol steps. 

It will be interesting to see how Oklahoma lawmakers respond to this attempt to take advantage of the door opened by State Rep. Mike Ritze back in 2009.

Will they cry uncle and take down this Judeo-Christian monument?

Will they try to implement religious favoritism concerning monuments at the capitol?

Or will they allow a giant goat headed Satanic statue to share space with numerous other religious monuments, turning the Capitol into a kid of one stop shop for religious diversity?

Should be interesting to watch this whole thing play out.

P.S. By the way there is some evidence to suggest that this whole "Satanic Temple" is really a tongue in check group of satirists. Still if Oklahoma is going to allow one former cult that people orginally ridiculed to place a monument at their capitol, kind of hard to draw the line at any other.

Don'tcha think?

Satanists and Hindus apply to build monuments in Oklahoma. Oklahoma not happy.

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

Oklahoma lawmakers are appalled that Satanists would try to erect a monument in their state capitol, but their decision to include a monument to the Ten Commandments of the Christian Bible’s Old Testament may have placed the state on shaky legal ground.

Before any new monument can go into production, it has to be approved by the Oklahoma Capitol Preservation Society. Duane Mass, the architect who designed the capitol building and serves on the preservation board, rejected the idea outright. 

“That’s Oklahoma’s house. It’s not the Satanic club of New York’s house,” Mass said. Lawmakers expressed similar sentiments. 

“I think it is a joke,” said Senate Pro Tem Brian Bingman (R-Sapulpa) to the Tulsa World. 

“This is a faith-based nation and a faith-based state,” grumbled Rep. Earl Sears (R-Bartlesville) to the World, perhaps forgetting that Satanism is also a faith. “I think it is very offensive they would contemplate or even have this kind of conversation.”

Yeah how dare they demand religious tolerance from a  state demanding the tolerance to allow them to erect religious monuments in their state capitol.

The nerve!

Okay so if this is a "faith based nation" and the 1st Amendment protects the rights of those of faith, then perhaps the Hindus would have a better shot. After all they have been around for like several thousand years longer than the Jews and Christians.

Also courtesy of Raw Story: 

That’s where the Hindus come in. 

The fourth-largest faith group in the U.S. – and third-largest in the world – said it would like to join the religious displays to honor Oklahoma’s Hindus and raise awareness about their faith. 

The Hindu group said their planned statue of Lord Hanuman would be “big and weather-proof.” 

Hemant Mehta, who writes for the Friendly Atheist blog, said the Hindus’ request would likely put Oklahoma lawmakers in a legal and political bind. 

“If the Commission votes yes on the proposal, conservatives will flip out,” Mehta wrote. “If they vote no, they’re just inviting a lawsuit. This is beautiful.”

I don't know about everybody else but the Hindus had me at "big and weatherproof." 

Personally I think it would be all kinds of awesome to have a state capitol that was filled with different statues representing various religious faiths. Just think of the educational opportunities!

School field trips to the capitol would be far more instructive in that they would include explanations concerning the various religious faiths that are able to worship freely in America, and how we as a nation do not favor one over another.

Don't you think that would be awesome? Oklahoma?

When a good guy with a gun leaves it in the potty.

Courtesy of the Saint Louis Post Dispatch: 

According to a Capitol Police incident report, a Kahr CM9 9mm pistol – later claimed by House Speaker Tim Jones’ legislative assistant Dave Evans – was found on top of the toilet paper dispenser in a men's restroom in the Capitol basement Friday. The incident report states that the gun “was fully loaded with one round in the chamber and six rounds in the magazine.” 

Capitol police returned the gun to Evans after Jones’ secretary Lisa Bondurant called to report that it was misplaced. The incident report states that Evans didn't have paperwork for the gun with him, but he "offered a very detailed description of the weapon and the holster (and) was able to identify the weapon by the brand, caliber, color, size, the holster and the ammunition count and type that was in the weapon." 

Evans did not immediately respond to a call from the Post-Dispatch on Monday. 

No charges are expected in the incident. 

A law passed in 2011 allows Missouri legislators and their staffers to have guns in the Capitol if they have concealed gun permits.

Seriously, no charges?

You leave a loaded weapon out in public where ANYBODY could pick it up (You know bad guys have to take a tinkle once in awhile too.) and there is no consequence?

If some child had picked it up and shot himself or another person would there be a legal response then?

In my opinion if a person, regardless of any concealed gun permits, leaves that weapon where it can fall into the hands of a non-licensed individual they should immediately be stripped of their right to have a concealed weapon on their person at the very least.

Don't you think?