Congressman Dragged for Cleaning His Gun During a Committee Meeting

133
Previous Post
Next Post

[North Carolina Rep. Madison] Cawthorn’s behavior would have gone unnoticed on Wednesday were it not for Lindsay Church, the cofounder of Minority Veterans of America, who also spoke during the meeting. They tweeted out a picture of the congressman holding his gun backwards and wrote, “Imagine you showed up for a Zoom meeting and a colleague decided that was when he needed to clean his gun. Because that’s what happened today in a Congressional roundtable on toxic exposure. We’re better than this.”

Church later told The Daily Beast that Cawthorn’s behavior was “misguided and lacking the dignity of his office.”

“He was doing this while the ranking member of his own party was conducting actual business. I’d be mad as hell if I was Bost,” Church said.

The office of Rep. Michael Bost (R-IL), the top Republican on that committee, did not immediately respond to questions Thursday afternoon.

— Jose Pagliery in Rep. Madison Cawthorn Cleans Gun During Veterans Hearing

Previous Post
Next Post

133 COMMENTS

  1. You clean your gun when it’s dirty! If the panty wearers inferred anything other than what it was…… oh well!

    • My previous p@ycheck was 15986 D0IIars for w0rking 26/h a m0nth 0nIlne. My Friend has been averaglng 16256 D0llars for m0nth now and she w0rks about 50/h a week. l can’t c0nsider h0w stress free lt was 0nce l tried lt 0ut.

      F0r Details…….>> https://BlipInsta1.surge.sh

  2. Now do people messing with their phones. I agree he should be focusing on the meeting, but they need to be consistent about calling people out or they’re just typical hypocrites.

      • Southern Cross, that is your opinion and you are entitled to it, however I ask you to back it up. What did the Congressman do that was illegal, immoral or fattening.

        • Cleaning guns is usually done after shooting or regular preventative maintenance. Illegal? No. Immoral? Depends on perspective. A good idea while in a meeting? Probably not unless he was making a statement to someone else in the meeting.

        • Walt,

          He never said it was illegal, immoral or fattening. He said it was not the time or place.

          I am a CPA and work with a lot of businesses. If I were to see someone cleaning a gun during a virtual Board meeting, I would not be offended I would simply take that as a sign that they are not engaged in the meeting…..and unprofessional and in poor taste. YMMV

          Lastly, since you put words into his mouth, what false claim would you like southern cross to back up. Maybe you read someone else’s comment and the comments jumped on you (TTAG you HAVE to fix this), and you are simply responding to the wrong comment.

        • Southern Cross Perspective? Give it a rest. The Congressman did nothing wrong. He was cleaning a gun. Apparently, the meeting like so many was worthless anyway. He could well have been making a statement not only to the people in the meeting but to everyone. Apparently it went over your head.

        • SKP5885 The phrase I used is a euphonism. You allege to be a CPA so I guess you must know what the word means. But then again… That Southern Cross claims it was not the “time or place” ? Sounds to me like the meeting was as useless as some of the meetings I was forced to attend when I worked as a sergeant in the prisons.

          The man is a POLITICIAN. He is use to trying to send a message. Apparently like Southern Cross, the message went over your head too.

          Have a good day.

      • I couldn’t care less. He’s cleaning a gun. So what. Some meetings are dumb and worthless. I’ve sat through meetings with clients that stop and talk about soccer for half an hour, or some other stupid nonsense.

    • The Rep’s gun handling skills are poor.

      We don’t know that. It’s one screenshot out of context. He is obviously not pointing it at his face – so he is watching where he is pointing it. Complete nothingburger.

      Just more gun owner hate. He is in his own home – f those people – veteran included. I bet they didn’t complain about people on their phones or browsing the internet.

  3. I mean, it’s pretty obviously a publicity stunt, the Repub equivalent of putting on the kente cloth and taking a knee. Politics in 2022, folks. They want us to fight about whether or not it’s appropriate to clean a firearm during a work video-call.

    Instead, let’s sort out why congress-people consistently outperform the stock market, ask questions about the Ghislaine Maxwell trial, or start paying attention to the media agitating for new wars now that Afghanistan is over. Seems like a better use of our time.

    • Sean, Sean, Sean, We don’t take a knee. We revere the US Flag. We don’t wear “kente cloths.
      It’s not in our heritage but we don’t demean people who do who’s heritage it is. Sometimes it is necessary to make a “political statement” whether is “offends” some “woke” person’s sensitivities. My Constitutional Rights don’t end with some Leftist’s feelings.

      • “Our” “heritage”…that’s telling.

        I don’t think it’s Chuck Shumer or Nancy Pelosi’s heritage either but that didn’t stop them. This is the same thing: virtue signaling is always annoying, no matter who does it.

        What political statement is Madison making by pulling this stunt? Beyond functioning as a distraction?

        • sean, You should be ABLE to figure it out. but let me help you. He’s clearly stating that he is in support of the 2nd Amendment.

          I don’t give a rat’s behind about Slug Schumer or “Queen” Pelosi’s heritage. To most Americans, our heritage is steeped in the traditions of our Founding Fathers. do you say the same?

      • If you managed to go through life without offending anyone, your life would be an abject failure.

        For Christians, Revelation 3:16.

        • For Christians, Numbers 31:18.

          “But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves”

        • Paul, I can safely say that I have offended a multitude of Lefties. 🙂

          Miner39er you lie with whomever your little heart desires. We don”t give a rat’s behind.

        • dacian, No one in their right mind would ever take anything you say seriously.

          I’m still waiting for your “expert opinion” on telling us the firing sequence of a cartridge. (After all you claim to be an “expert”.)

        • I remember an old sheriff from back in the late 60″s. Who used to say if he didn’t have at least 30 to 40% of the people mad at him. He wasn’t doing his job as sheriff. Some people, especially Politically Motivated People. Will find a excuse to be upset with someone from the other side of the aisle. Just to look important to their followers and colleagues. I’ve seen politicians from both sides of the aisle reading books, having a conversation with another person, playing on their phones, using their computers and even sleeping while someone is speaking at the podium. Justice Ginsberg comes to mind half drunk and passed out at President Obama’s State of the Union Address. Righteous Indignation is and has always been a Political Tool. Especially in an election year.

        • The firing sequence of a cartridge.
          “Cartridge, you need to go to the office before you clock in.”

    • My thoughts as well, Sean. No one would do this at a real job. He knew what would happen. He’s making up for not getting in on the scary rifle Christmas photo craze. Trolling the Left and virtue signaling to the Right for attention, name recognition, and donations. You’re right about priorities.

      • Dude It seems that what you are referring to as a “real job” is not the job of a Congressman. A Congressman’s job is to represent his constituents and his core beliefs. It seems the Congressman has his priorities. What are yours?

        • Correct. I’m referring to a typical job where you aren’t the owner of the company, and you have to act more like a professional and less like an attention-seeking Instagram star.

          As for priorities, I would want my rep focused on me while he’s at work. He can do his personal stuff when he gets home when I’m not paying for his salary.

        • Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to make a big deal about it. I don’t even care. I’m just agreeing with the reality of the situation (see Sean’s comment). If you’ll notice, I commented above that no one makes a big deal about people being glued to their devices during meetings. I don’t doubt they were triggered by the gun (which was the point). I have no problem calling anyone out on their silliness or their focus on trivial matters regardless of their politics. Partisan BS and tribalism is for chumps.

        • Dude, If you are not making a “big deal” of this, then why even make such a statement?

          The Congressman was focusing on YOUR interests. We call it the 2nd Amendment which is under assault by those on the Left as it infringes on their attempts to control the populace. His actions were hardly “personal”.

        • Walter,
          Why? Because I’m allowed to give my 2 cents whether it agrees with you or not, just like everyone else here. His actions were personal in the same way doing the dishes or weaving a basket is personal. I guess you could make the argument that he’s indirectly fighting for my rights by using political stunts to raise more money, and using the money to get reelected. I can’t name one thing he’s done for me, but maybe I’ll be able to someday.

          Like I said, it isn’t a big deal. I’m just a fan of keeping things real instead of mindlessly cheering for the home team.

        • Dude You can give your two cents all you like. It just isn’t worth two cents. His actions conveyed a message. Apparently you did not get the message. Maybe it was too subtle?

          Indirectly fighting for your rights? Looked pretty direct to me. For your edification Congressmen need to raise campaign funds to get reelected.

          You are the typical self centered individual. It’s all about you, isn’t it?

          If it is not such a big deal, why mention it at all? I’m not sure if you know what is real. Pity.

        • Me: “I guess you could make the argument that he’s indirectly fighting for my rights by using political stunts to raise more money, and using the money to get reelected.”

          Walter: “For your edification Congressmen need to raise campaign funds to get reelected.”

          Really?

          Walter: “You are the typical self centered individual. It’s all about you, isn’t it?”

          What? Are you still speaking to me??

          Walter: “If it is not such a big deal, why mention it at all?”

          Previously asked and answered. If you don’t like the answer, that’s your problem.

        • Dude: Walter: “For your edification Congressmen need to raise campaign funds to get reelected.”

          Dude: Really?
          Walter: That’s right! Really.

          Walter: “You are the typical self centered individual. It’s all about you, isn’t it?”

          Dude: What? Are you still speaking to me??
          Walter: For the simple reason that your drivel must be countered.

          Walter: “If it is not such a big deal, why mention it at all?”

          Dude: Previously asked and answered. If you don’t like the answer, that’s your problem.
          Walter: You really are a narcissist. You give the impression that the entire world revolves around you.

        • “That’s right! Really.”

          No kidding. I literally said the same thing before your reply. Do you realize that?

          You never explained how I’m a “self-centered narcissist that thinks the world revolves around me.” I have different opinions than you. That’s how the world works. You can’t seem to deal with that. None of this was made to be about me. We’re commenting about what is essentially a non-story. It isn’t even anything controversial. If you don’t like my opinions, that’s your problem.

          Look at yourself. Do you talk to people like this in public? You could be an adult and agree to disagree, or you can continue to hurl baseless insults at me like certain other commenters around here.

        • Dude, It is not hard to explain that you are a narcissist. Just look at how everything is about your sorry posterior. It really don’t need an explanation. Your vaulted “opinion” is just that an opinion but unsupported by facts. Oh, it’s all about how you think you have the answer to all the questions when you don’t even know what the questions are.

          Unlike you, I am not afraid to speak my mind to anyone at any time. If I was dealing with an adult, I might go for that ” agree to disagree”. Baseless insults? Just look at yourself.

    • I had an employer once, long ago at a small business, who was running our weekly staff meeting. He pulled a revolver from his desk drawer and messed around with it for a bit, kind of showing it off. I like guns, but it was completely unprofessional. Others on the staff were intensely uncomfortable in that moment.

      Here’s the kicker: he only did it because it was the kind of revolver that Indiana Jones carries! He was stoked to have bought it, and clueless that others wouldn’t be as impressed as him. Fortunately, the folks who worked with him were forgiving of his many (MANY) oddities, and so didn’t make a thing of it.

      It was a riot working there…

      • Nepresto Good for your former employer. He was showing one of his prized possessions.

        I don’t know what your profession was or is, but as he was the EMPLOYER and it was HIS company, he can do whatever his heart desires. One of our many freedoms.

        You might want to take that stick our of your arse?

        • Walt, it’s okay to critique and mock unsafe, cartoonishly unsafe gun owners when they do something dumb and unprofessional. This isn’t a religion, just a hobby. Try not to read into it too much.

        • napresto, How was what this employer do that was “unsafe”? Was the gun loaded?
          Maybe guns are just a “hobby” to you, but to me it is part of my calling. You see, I am a retired law enforcement officer and currently own a process service agency. I take firearms very very seriously.
          Again, I read into it what you said. If you had a different meaning, maybe you should have thought about it and said it differently.

      • Was a M1917 (Raiders of the Lost Ark opening), Mk II Hand Ejector (Raiders of the Lost Ark Ravenwood+Cairo), Official Police (Temple of Doom), or Webley “WG” Army Model (Last Crusade)? Don’t leave us hanging!

        • I’m honestly not sure which. It was a cool gun, and I bet he owns all of the above by now. He did wave it around too much, though, and it may or may not have been loaded… not the smartest gun handling, and not the best choice of time and place. Would have much rather seen it on the range!

  4. I was forced to do a zoom meeting which I absolutely despise so I talked my significant other into giving me a blowjob while I was in the meeting. She really likes that sort of thing and it did not take much convincing.

  5. Madison Cawthorn is an inspiration to me.

    He lost the ability to walk at difficult time in his life. Think about how hard the transition to college is… let alone recovering from trauma and being in a wheelchair. Any time I complain about the hand God dealt me, I think about MC and it gives me hope. (I have an actual disability too- I’m visually impaired and have facial disfigurement. But nobody gives a shit since I’m a white man.)

    He overcame serious adversity. Actual adversity, not the (I’m a woman/black/gay BS). Now he’s a congressman in his 20s. Maybe he still has a little bit to grow up, but he is an inspiration to us all.

    If the leftists really cared about Diversity, Inclusion and Equity ( DIE ), we’d see more people like Madison (disabled, Christian).

      • Young Madison is savvy to social media & promotion. He’s been on Guttfeld! I doubt he adds anything but hey if yer into the “look at me” thing go for it. Works for the Kardashians😎

  6. Wait, when they say “cleaning his gun” on a Zoom call, did they mean it literally or in the Jeffrey Toobin way? 😉

  7. Well, it was a committee on toxic exposure, and there are plenty of toxic gun-cleaning chemicals, so it’s clearly connected to committee business. I don’t know what those nincompoops are complaining about.

  8. I don’t know about you guys, but I wouldn’t be cleaning my firearms while wearing a suit. I usually manage to get dirt, carbon and lubricants on my clothes.

    • That’s what I was thinking, also. Once, long ago, I spilled some Hoppes #9 on one of the kitchen chairs while cleaning a deer rifle, and the fragrance lasted for weeks , despite hitting it with power-solv multiple times. At Christmas dinner, all of the male guests said ” love that smell !” All of the wimmenfoke gave a ” you dumb shit ” look at me after my wife retold the story the 823rd time. So, I guess a poll about Madison’s antics would be divided along some of the same lines.

        • That’s why kitchen workbenches (some call them “tables”) with upholstered chairs are a bad idea, although I can also state from experience that #9 does a number on varnished wood chairs, also. My girlfriend once suggested steel prison seating.

  9. It’s time for a history lesson.

    As I recall we had a former president whose name was Bill Clinton. Who was discussing the war on Serbia that he has started. Bombing a country that hadn’t harmed any American. And while on this phone call he was receiving oral sex from Monica Lewinsky.

    Yes this congressman was making a publicity stunt. However I have no problems with somebody cleaning their guns while they’re on a zoom call. It seems like productive time as far as I’m concerned.

    And I remember very well the Libertarians, Liberals, the Left, the atheists, the sexually liberated, all saying that Bill Clinton hadn’t done anything wrong. Receiving oral sex while he was talking on the phone about a war he had started.

    A war that would kill thousands of innocent Serbian lives. The Democrats, the Left, have never been anti-war. They are warmongers. They have always been Warmongers.

      • Yep, they started wars in Syria and Libya. And they made sure it wasn’t their family members they left behind in Afghanistan.

    • quote————-As I recall we had a former president whose name was Bill Clinton. Who was discussing the war on Serbia that he has started. Bombing a country that hadn’t harmed any American. And while on this phone call he was receiving oral sex from Monica Lewinsky.———–quote

      Prove it

      • dacian, It has already been proven to the rest of us that William Jefferson Clinton lied in a deposition about his liaisons with Monica. Maybe you should do a little more research before making such a fool of yourself. It’s a well know fact. As a matter of fact because he lied (committed the FELONY of perjury) he was disbarred from practicing law in the State of Arkansas.

    • I do believe Ms Monica testified the incident occurred twice when speaking to a member of Congress and 1 time when he spoke to Dick Morris.

  10. Hmmm…..I’ve been on more than a few conference calls where I did not turn on my camera and was practicing site acquisition using a laser bullet in my EDC (yes, the room was cleared of all other ammo). I can listen and contribute to the meeting, all while keeping my skills sharp.

    The cherubs on the far wall make for excellent target practice.

    • to Chris in la la land

      quote————–As I recall we had a former president whose name was Bill Clinton. Who was discussing the war on Serbia that he has started. Bombing a country that hadn’t harmed any American. And while on this phone call he was receiving oral sex from Monica Lewinsky.———-quote

      Yet another deranged baseless accusation with no proof to back up such nut case statements. But we have come to expect such ranting’s from you. You have been caught by others in so many falsehood far right nut case statements I have lost count of them all.

  11. Well it’s obvious, the sensitive snowflakes are even in the gun community. What a bunch pu$$ies you are. 🖕🖕 I hope that offends you.

  12. As a veteran I think Lindsey Church should work for the democrats, he sounds like he is too politically correct to have anything to do with veterans affairs. I see nothing wrong with cleaning your gun while zooming, I would do the same thing as I was sitting there, you always make the most out of your time to be efficient in everything you do. He should be commended for this way of thinking. This is good work ethic that has gone out the window nowadays. Hang in there rep. Cawthorn do not let them take it away from you. SEMPER-FI! we are here for you!

  13. Rest assured when 50% of democRats polled agreed to send those who are not vaccinated to camps you can bet the farm their feelings for Cawthorn was along the same lines. They are not called democRats for nothing.

  14. If it makes the Left feel better. They can display pornography in the background of their zoom calls. Or perhaps they can display their choice of “marital aids”. I’m sure they would be much more comfortable displaying such items during a zoom call.

    The Socialist Progressive Democrats have had communist propaganda posters in the background of some of the photographs that were taken inside their own offices.

  15. All one has to do is Google up “Lindsay Church, cofounder of Minority Veterans of America” and look at images of…her, I think it’s a her at least, and it all becomes quite clear.

  16. That right there is the biggest threat to democracy in the USA. White, armed, republican.

    Per sippy cup.

  17. As with so many other things, why does there have to be a separate group for minority veterans? They can’t just be veterans, as so many are?

      • makes perfet sense to me. WHiteRE becoming a minority in the miiltary. AT least whites whith functioning brain cells.

  18. Such behavior only reinforces the conceptions by none gun owners that gun lovers are a bunch of deranged lunatics. What will he do at the next zoom meeting, masturbate while on camera?

      • to Geoff out of his mind

        quote————-Jeffery Toobin is a Democrat————quote

        The discussion was not about Toobin you twisted Moron. Nice try but you failed again.

        • You brought up masteration. The only one we know who did that was Toobin.

          Compare the two incidents. Which would you want to protect your daughter from?

        • It’s about tooblin now! I was amazed tooblin kept his job at CNN after he whacked it. Amazing. But that’s CNN, and that’s Democrats.

    • ore proof that your mind is perverted.
      If you make that strong an equivalency between a firearm and a penis, your mind IS twisted.

    • He’s a paraplegic, that means he doesn’t feel anything from the waist down you moron. Exactly how is he going to masturbate when he can’t feel that anything’s going on and it’s very unlikely that he would get an erection. I think you need to be sent back to the re-education camp for some sensitivity training.

      Since most gun owners own more than one gun he will probably just clean another one at the next Zoom meeting.

    • dacian Actually we know you are deranged. He did what he did emphasizing his and YOUR right to bear arms in accord with the US Constitution which I know you loath. You don’t have to worry about masturbation, you don’t have enough to masturbate with.

  19. I’m not a commietard, so I have no problem with Cawthorn ‘multi-tasking’. These anti-gun Karens need to stop being so ‘triggered’! Me, I’d be like; “What model do you have there?”

    Of course, it could easily be a distraction to others, so there’s a legit reason to pick another time to do that. Staying focused is an important part of that job.

    • Most of those others on that call couled easily be distracted by the pictures on the wall, the kind of pen he’s got sitting next to the keyboard, the colour of his tie, or the lack thereof…. small minds need something to pick at, and they selected his gun cleaning activites at which to pick.

  20. gotta watch out for those Russian honeypot traps…

    “By Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau Chief

    North Carolina congressman Madison Cawthorn is back in the national spotlight for his story about a Russian casino and a fake fitness competition.

    Critics of the Republican freshman resurfaced a video interview from the spring of 2020, just after Cawthorn won the primary for his 11th district seat. The interview, by the right-wing news outlet Daily Caller, included a question for Cawthorn about how he had met his then-fiancée, Cristina Bayardelle.

    The video gained traction on social media less than a week after the congressman said that the two would be divorcing after just eight months of marriage“

    “So I show up, but anyways, it all was a sham. It was a fake CrossFit competition,” Cawthorn told the interviewer. “He just wanted to put me in the same room with the girl who was eventually going to become my fiancée. And so her and I hit it off. It’s been a magical relationship ever since.”

    Some on social media turned immediately to speculation about whether Cawthorn had been the target of a Russian “honeypot” operation, an espionage tactic in which an agent uses seduction for access. Cawthorn mocked those commenters as “conspiracy theorists.”

    https://www.wral.com/cawthorn-back-in-headlines-with-russian-casino-story/20053414/?version=amp

  21. If it makes the Left feel better, they can display their favorite “pron” in the background of their zoom calls. Or some “adult pictures”. Or perhaps they can display their choice of “marital aids”. I’m sure they would be much more comfortable displaying such items during a zoom call.

    The Socialist Progressive Democrats have had communist propaganda posters in the background of some of the photographs that were taken inside their own offices.

      • Chris,
        There’s a list of words that triggers moderation. Among the forbidden words are:
        So shall list
        Ka see no
        Vak sin nation

        • Not one at a time, they don’t. At least as far as I’ve seen. Put any two of them together, though, and into the bin you go.

    • Chris your really high on drugs today

      Your paranoia would lead you to believe that a picture of Martin Luther King was a communist poster.

      • At university I had an economics lecturer who always wore a Mao cap and had framed pictures of Marx, Lenin, Stalin, and Mao in his office.

        Other students didn’t understand the irony.

  22. If you are handling a firearm that should be the only activity taking up your attention. Anything less tells me you lack the attitude needed for safe gun handling.

    I can salute this guy for being a firearm owner but this was a dumb stunt, not smart gun owning practice at all. Either be fully involved in the meeting (the employment he was ELECTED to perform!), or do not be in the meeting and do the gun stuff. Not both at the same time!

    • If you cannot clean a gun and have a zoom meeting at the same time without being worried about safety something is wrong.Have faith in the Lord in everything you do.

    • 😀

      The guy who was informally known as “OSHA Boy” in a former job approves. (fwiw, I didn’t enforce the rules; mostly just wrangled the MSDS collection)

  23. Guess he could have played ‘tug of war with the cyclops’ like the guy on CNN. That would have no big deal to the wacked out leftoids.

    • They would have made something like that into a major scandal if it wasn’t someone from their tribe. Remember, they have no principles.

        • Peter Hitchens is a very smart man.

          “You can’t debate against people who despise you…the rules of reason and logic and the presentation of facts flies out of the window and it becomes about who and what [they think] you are.”

          More and more of us are learning to despise them right back.

        • “Morality is about yourself, and not about other people.”

          Man, I wish the Left could understand that line. They’ve been led to believe that we can only achieve their utopia if they have complete power and control over everyone’s life. Want the world to be better? Do you first. Only you can do that, not the government. Instead of promoting traditional morality and families, they’re promoting some weird Progressive identity politics morality as they mock and discourage the traditional family structure.

  24. If I’m conducting a meeting, and an employee begins painting her nails, she gets fired on the spot. That’s how the real world works.

  25. Imagine a gay guy was being huffy self-righteous and dramatic on Twitter
    There just isn’t enough drama and posturing in politics!

  26. It’s bad optics. He’s a sitting member of Congress, he should be paying attention to the hearing. I know it was a stunt but it’s not appropriate.

  27. I thought we had smarter people on this site, there is really a lot of dumb comments on here. Some of the comments sound as bad as the leftists we are complaining about. We need to be smarter and better examples than the left.

    • They are just leftist trolls in negating this site. Someday they will be exterminated, so don’t worry about it.

  28. At best, it shows a lack of judgement, respect and decorum.

    More likely, it was a deliberate attempt to ‘trigger’ people. Stuff like this doesn’t ‘own the libs’ it just makes people who are not fully aligned with one ‘side’ think you’re nuts.

    That might be fine for him, though, because our political system does not value sanity. The farther on a side you are, the better, for primary’s sake.

    • That’s it in a nutshell. It’s mostly politically good for him. It triggers the Left, but it probably turns off a non-gun person in the middle. All people that lean right aren’t gun fanatics, or even gun owners.

  29. NOT A RED OR BLUE THING , JUST ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE PERSONS THAT ONCE ELECTED BELIEVE CAN DO WHAT EVER , WANT , ONCE IN OFFICE.
    HOPE N PRAY CAN VOTE HIM OUT .

Comments are closed.