courtesy NH Women's Defense League
courtesy NH Women’s Defense League

New Hampshire may be a constitutional carry state, but that doesn’t mean gun rights aren’t under attack there, as they are in so many other places around the country. The legislature is currently considering HB 687, an extreme risk protection order or “red flag” bill that would enable due-process-free confiscation of firearms.

Earlier this week, legislators held hearings on the bill, during which some of them wore strings of pearls. As Townhall’s Beth Baumann writes:

According to the Washington Postthe legislators’ motives were easy to see. “The implication was clear, they said: These politicians thought gun-control activists were “clutching their pearls” in overwrought and self-righteous outrage — and, specifically, female outrage.”

“It really is shameful to behave that way when your constituents are being brave enough to share their stories,” Watts told WaPo.  “They clearly did not come to this hearing with open minds or compassion for their constituents.”

Moms Demand Action Founder Shannon Watts took to Twitter to spark the mob outrage:

Watts loves to make everything the pro-2A side says or does appear to be a personal attack. To her, anyone who stands up for their rights is an “extremist” or a “gun bully.” But as with so many things having to do with firearms, Mayor Moneybags‘ head hoplophobic harridan got it all wrong.

The legislators weren’t mocking her, they were supporting the right to keep and bear arms. The pearls were, in fact, given to the legislators by members of the Women’s Defense League of New Hampshire.

No matter what the narcissistic doyenne of civilian disarmament apparently thinks, not everything that happens regarding Second Amendment freedoms has to do with her.

But the timing of the kerfuffle is good, PR-wise. The Women’s Defense League is planning to hold gun rights rally on the steps of the state house tomorrow afternoon. Here’s their press release:

The Women’s Defense League Holds 5th Annual Gun Rights Rally

The Women’s Defense League will be holding their 5th Annual ‘Gun Rights Are Women’s Rights Rally’ at the State House in Concord on Saturday, March 9th from noon to 3 PM.

The Women’s Defense League made history several years ago when they held the first ever 2nd Amendment Rally organized and run by women in the State of New Hampshire.

At a time when our 2nd Amendment Rights are being trampled on by legislators in Concord, in one of the safest states in the country, this rally is more important than ever to show solidarity for our fundamental human right to self defense that is protected by both the New Hampshire Constitution and the United States Constitution.

Lawmakers in New Hampshire have decided to partner with out-of-state gun control extremists in order to push draconian and destructive gun control laws that will only harm law-abiding citizens.

New Hampshire has a long-standing history of supporting the 2nd Amendment Rights of its citizens. Despite the false narratives and lies that have recently been spun about the Granite State, a majority continue to support those rights.

The rally has grown in size each year and we expect that to be no different this year.

2018 Annual ‘Gun Rights Are Women’s Rights Rally’ photo

If you’re planning to be there, wear your pearls. Watts will no doubt be clutching hers.

71 COMMENTS

  1. So what if they were mocking the pearl-clutchers? Maybe if it wasn’t a bunch of sheltered women & their political operatives pushing these causes, the entirely-justified mockery wouldn’t appear so sexist.

    • The problem isn’t the mockery. It’s the denial that there was mockery in the first place.

      If Watts is smart, which either she or her handlers certainly are, they’ll turn this around real quick.

      Grabbers: “Gun rights advocates are liars”.

      Rights Advocates: “No we’re not.” *Flaunts pearl necklace*

      Grabbers: “They’re making fun of us!”

      Rights Advocates: “No, we’re not. These are a universal symbol of… gun… rights… yeah, that’s it!”

      Grabbers: “See, they’re liars!”

      [Crowd murmurs that RA are indeed lying about not mocking the grabbers.]

      Rights Advocates: “Fuck”.

  2. Sooooo, the pro-rights defenders didn’t come to the hearings with open minds, eh?

    Watt (sorry) was the mind status of the MDAFGSIA lemmings in their bright red T shirts holding signs with lame slogans? Asking for a friend.

    I’ll be at the rally tomorrow. To borrow from Stephen Crowder: I support the ability and tools to defend myself. Change my mind.

  3. “The legislators weren’t mocking her…”

    Yes they were. They might have done it on behalf of WDL but they were most certainly mocking “pearl clutchers” whether they knew it or not.

    There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact it’s damn effective. Just own it. Say flat out “Yes, we made fun of you to your face, toughen up buttercup”. Don’t be such goddamn passive-aggressive pansies.

    You don’t punch the bully in the nose then run away yelling “I’ll have your milk money tomorrow!”.

    • This. And more of this.
      Moms Demand Action doubles down on the caricature of the helpless woman. They deserve to made of fun of for it.

      • I sat behind a row of Mom Demand Action at a League of Woman Voters (anti)gun informational talk. They all seemed haughty….very confident in their status among the ‘unwashed’ progun attendees. After the talk/presentation, there were no questions/comments allowed. We thought that was pretty funny. Oh, and there were 2 cops at the door of the meeting room….armed, of course….just in case someone didn’t see the nogunsallowed sign out front.

    • No mocking, even though it would be justified if they were. WDL has made a practice of wearing pearls to hearings (as the NH Journal tweet notes) for years. They gave the legislators pearls to wear as a symbol of support.

      The only mocking here is in the imagination of Shannon Watts and her ilk. Possible they genuinely did feel mocked, since everything in the gun policy debate is centered on their feelings, but that is completely irrelevant to the intent of WDL and the legislators.

      • “WDL has made a practice of wearing pearls to hearings (as the NH Journal tweet notes) for years.”

        So they started mocking years back. Or they didn’t. It doesn’t matter. This is like me calling a black guy a “ni**er” and then saying “Don’t get offended, it’s just what my daddy always said. It’s not offensive!”. Of course it’s fucking offensive. Even if I’m too stupid to know it’s offensive that doesn’t mean the word is not offensive. It just means I’m too dumb to know what I just said and the implications of it.

        At best the history might have created what’s called “plausible deniability”. Which is a fancy way of saying “I almost certainly did do it it but you can’t prove 100% that I did”.

        No matter how you cut it, this looks to nearly everyone like they mocked and then denied the mockery. Which is worse than just owning it. Especially since it was men wearing the necklaces.

        Just look at WaPo’s take: “The implication was clear, they said: These politicians thought gun-control activists were “clutching their pearls” in overwrought and self-righteous outrage — and, specifically, female outrage.”

        The whole story is about was this or was it not mocking. The actual thrust of what matters is lost.

        For a moment let’s assume there was no mockery either intentional or unintentional. What’s the story here? It’s about if there was mockery. How does going down that rabbit hole help advance the civil rights side of things? It doesn’t. It’s a distraction. It also, as I keep saying, plays right into the caricature of us that the antis have created.

        We’re stupid, knuckledragging, sexist, morons. We’re dishonest, trailer trash, redstate sister fuckers. OFWG’s with a superiority complex who just want our dangerous toys children’s safety be damned. Extremists, half way to terrorists. The NRA is ISIS. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Every time we play into those sterotypes we make it harder to get our point across. Especially since what’s going to take up 90% of the time we get on the news? This bullshit. Instead of making our points, which are correct, we get taken down the garden path and never make our points in the “soundbite” universe that is modern America.

        Christ, it’s like no one on the civil rights side of things has ever taken a debate class.

        • Women wearing pearls has been offensive for years? Must make sense to you and Shannon.

        • Frank:

          TTAG has always had a pretty permissive view on free speech.

          There are a few words that the filter won’t allow. I dunno if the N word is one of them but generally I see no point in censoring curse words in a post because everyone knows what s*** and f*** mean and if they’re going to get offended they’ll get offended by the **** version of it just as badly as they would have by it being spelled out.

          People here are adults and can handle bad language. If they’re kids, they’re internet savvy enough to probably know every curse word in the book and have almost certainly seen forms of porn we adults don’t even know about. A few extra dirty words ain’t gonna hurt them any more than interracial furbaby anal tentacle porn did.

        • Problem is, gun people and most everyone else on the Right actually *does* think they’re in debate class, where everyone plays by the same set of rules, and facts and logic well-applied usually win.

          This is a PR battle, not a debate. It’s not about truth, logic, or facts. It’s about manipulating the public’s perception — the way they feel about something.

          • Facts and logic have never stopped liberals from pursuing their agenda. They just count on the other side giving in after fighting prolonged battles with no end in sight.

        • Ing:

          Yes, but one of the things you learn in a debate class. Well, I did in mine at least, is that when an argument cannot be won on facts and logic we resort to other tactics. This happens in such a class when you’re basically given an indefensible argument to defend or advance.

          OK, I can’t logically and cohesively advance the argument thrust upon me. What do I do? I start trying to undermine the other person’s argument. I go after them. Ad hominem doesn’t work well with an audience but, character assassination does. Sure, it’s technically an ad hominem, but the point is that if I can convince the audience that the other guy is unlikable it becomes easier to make him seem dishonest. If I can make him seem dishonest I don’t necessarily have to “win” based on facts and logic but rather I can make an appeal to ignorance, essentially saying that if you can’t prove your position is correct then, by default, mine is.

          We’re turning this into a popularity contest. Generally, all other things being equal, people will give more weight to the argument coming from the person they like. If that’s me then my argument doesn’t necessarily have to be strong and win on merit.

          Part of doing this effectively also revolves around time management and pricking the other guy’s emotions. Any time I can get a rise out of him I make him look bad and my job got easier. Any time I can catch him making a statement that is demonstrably false or exaggerated, my job at character assassination just got easier because he is undermining his own credibility and all I have to do is point that out. Use of some abrasive humor helps make this point AND do so in a way that raises the potential that I get this other person mad and acting poorly.

          However, that time management issue is a key in the modern world. If I go up against an anti-gunner on CNN we’ve got, what, five minutes of air time, theoretically 2.5 minutes each? If that guy knows his position is weak and knows what he’s doing time management dictates that he try to get me off topic, especially in ways that frustrate me and make me more likely to make errors or exaggerations.

          Even if he can’t get me ticked and making mistakes we still spend 90 seconds going down a rabbit hole on some non-issue that’s 90 seconds he doesn’t have to actually argue the points in contention. That’s 90 seconds I’m not putting out facts and logic and 90 seconds he’s not defending against those facts and logic. I just wasted 20% of the available time by falling for this.

          That’s the issue I see here. Even if we accept as a point of fact that this wasn’t mockery, we should still agree that it was and move on. Otherwise we spend time arguing if it is indeed mockery rather than pointing out why the bill under consideration is bad.

          At this point what I’m doing is trying to win a popularity contest. If I lose that contest then, basically, the target audience doesn’t care what I have to say. No matter how much truth and logic I pump out, I can’t win because they just ignore what the unlikable person said.

  4. New Hampshire is going the way of all the east coast states & West coast states,,, blue is their color of choice… too the detriment of the rest of the state,,, big college city’s run everything,,,, brainwashed by liberal instructors,.

  5. Is there a big problem with ‘gun violence’ in NH? Why is Shannon Watts so concerned? Maybe just a publicity hound?

    • Victoria: The short answer is “no”. The collection of bills introduced by the Dems/Progs are all solutions looking for problems. The first day of the session, the [new majority] Dems voted to ban carry in the House chamber ‘cause it might scare school kids on field trips. That they apparently haven’t been scared during the past 2 years when carry was OK don’t seem to enter into it.

      • Thanks. That explains a lot. I think the kids must have more common sense than those adults in the room.

    • 95% of the violent crime in NH is committed by Democrats; either SoNH 2nd gen Masshole invaders, or Masshole migrants… Masshole Democrats are like a fucking virus; they spread like kudzu, and destroy everything they contact. NH needs to build a fucking wall; and conduct a Purge…

      • Preachin to the choir friend! Between Bernie’s crew and the Massholes, my beautiful state of Vermont is almost unlivable now. These people used the same bullshit about protecting the ” children” to get anti gun legislation passed last year, with the help of a RINO governor.

        • “with the help of a RINO governor.”

          Namely one Benedict Scott,a particularly worthless POS.

        • Just came across this from VTFSC.

          https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6782999/States-permissive-gun-laws-higher-mass-shooting-rates.html

          Could the advocates of gun control really go this far to advance their gun control campaigns in Vermont?
          The Daily Mail has a fairly large readership in England.

          Are you pleased Vermont is being portrayed as having very high violent crime when year after year the FBI
          crime statistics show Vermont is either the lowest or next to lowest violent crime states in the nation?

          Would this story appearing be mere coincidence to occur just before the public hearing next Tuesday evening,
          5:30 to 7:30 at VTC in Randolph?

          Be there on Tuesday evening to represent your rights. Please wear orange.

          • Say what you will about the Bloomberg cartel, they do have a solid organization, no matter how devious. There are no coincidences where they are concerned. If they come to your state , you can bet your ass they’ve already bought your lawmakers!

        • …let’s not forget it was trump who started all this “red-flag” bullshit….something infinitely more threatening than any of obama’s proposals…he may have opened the door to other more restrictive measures with his ill-conceived bump-stock ban, as well….has he become a RINO?….or just hostile to us?……

    • “Maybe just a publicity hound?”

      that’s one phrase for what she is.

      Vermont,New Hampshire and Maine year in and out usually switch off for the #. 1 safest state,with minimal crime rates,too damn cold up here.

      • They never let facts get in the way of a ” moral crusade”. They go wherever they think they’ll get the least amount of blowback. Oh, and the democrat majority legislatures.

    • ….still have that big machine gun shoot up there?….driving thru new york to get there is becoming a little dicey….

  6. “NH Gun Rights Rally Tomorrow After Shannon Watts’ String-of-Pearls Hissy Fit”

    She’s just mad because nobody ever gave her a “string-of-pearls”…

  7. The Hysterical Mother and her legion of minions (all three cat ladies), should make their own necklaces out of hair-balls and wear them to their next dog and pony show.

    • The only problem is that they’ll say each ball was made with the utmost care and love, crafted specifically in the memory of a student who died in a school shooting and will now be auctioned off with the proceeds to go to a charity to assist with the costs of the wounded.

      And…. the talking heads on CNN and other networks will LOVE THAT.

      “Tell me Shannon, if someone wants to help the severely wounded children who survived the [insert shooting here] tragedy, how does one bid on one of these lovely balls of furmemberance?”

      “Well, John, and I just want to emphasis the feeling of loss that each of these students and their families feel. We know we can make things right but at least, in some small way, we can defray the enormous emotional and monetary costs, you know, letting them focus on recovery rather than the bills. The website for the balls is… and our website were you can make another donation to help prevent future atrocities is… and if you want to really help these victims, buy our other swag in the shop or, even better, just gift us a donation”.

      • “…furmemberance…” That’s some funny sh..stuff!

        Just an average Mom who worked for years as a PR person for the State of Missouri, worked for years as a PR shill for Monsanto (putting a GOOD spin on toxic chemicals), was a PR mouthpiece for FleishmanHillard. The only reason Mayor Moneybags invested in her is that she has a proven track record as a manipulative liar of the highest degree.

        • Follow ” her” money, quite sure she has some cancelled checks around with Bloomberg’s name on em.

  8. Okay, let’s not mince words here. About 98% of us are suffering from Stockholm syndrome. Yes, I said that. Our captors have told us that they will punish us severely if we exercise our rights to freedom and self-defense. Look at all of these situations which result in fines and imprisonment in various states:
    — Failed to register your handgun
    — Carried your handgun concealed without a license
    — Carried your handgun openly without a license
    — Carried a handgun on college campus
    — Carried a handgun into your child’s school
    — Carried a handgun into a bar
    — Carried your handgun in a public park
    — Carried a rifle or shotgun slung over your back
    — Had a handgun under your car’s seat
    — Had a rifle or shotgun on your car’s back seat
    — Possess a rifle whose barrel is too short
    — Possess a shotgun whose barrel is too short

    When we tell our captors that we carry these firearms to stop armed bandits from robbing us, to stop rapists from raping us, to stop carjackers from maiming us, and to stop spree-killers from killing us, our captors just shrug and reiterate how they will fine and imprison us if we exercise our right to defend our human dignity and our lives.

    Our captors — our governments — know full well that they are condemning good people to loss of money/property, brutal assaults, rapes, permanent disabilities, and murders. And our governments keep rolling out more punishments for us to ensure that we are victimized even further. And what do we do? We keep begging and pleading for our captors — our governments — to stop condemning us to such horrific acts, to no avail.

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTfhMUCApIA

      Notice the unbelievably compelling question that Ms. Collins asks the legislators, “How does rendering me defenseless protect you against violent crime?”

      The legislator’s response, “What we are trying to do here tonight is protect students and teachers from feeling uncomfortable by you carrying a gun to protect yourself.”

      • Only good thing about this latest assault is the people who assumed for years that nobody could or would try to disarm them, I mean it is in the bill of rights, right? The shock of the grabbers actually coming out publicly and and gleefully telling them , yes we are coming after ” your” guns is finally getting through.

        • …and yet all of this threatening action is coming during a republican administration…go figure….

      • Apparently, being an accessory to a robber, rapist, and murderer is legal if you wear a suit or dress, speak softly, and won an election (or appointment).

      • sometimes I think they’re more afraid of us…than the legitimate bad guys…certainly the subtle…if unsaid…message they’re putting out there…

    • We have the government that our founding fathers warned us about and fought for independence . Read in ” The Federalist Papers ” what they said to do about it.

  9. “…..narcissistic doyenne of civilian disarmament..”

    I like it! Excellent use of language!

    Words have meaning and similar to the Gun Grabbers…. we should weaponize ours against them.

  10. After the “extreme risk protection orders” come the “extreme speech protection orders.”

  11. From one of your Vt. Neighbors, stick to your guns people. Pun intended! You probably saw what happened here because of that same gang of gun grabbers. We can be silent no longer. Good luck!

  12. Those who would disarm the community hide behind the ‘public safety’ argument.

  13. Demanding Commie Mommy Founder Shannon Watts,demanding New Hampshire’s citizens natural rights be infringed to a even greater extent.
    Perhaps since America has supposed citizens that do not believe in the Constitution,they wouldn’t mind if their rights were violated and their citizenship revoked,they do not want to be Americans,so make their wish come true.

  14. Why do some people think that self-defense against miscreants and/or a despotic government is less of a right than any other? It was in the Bill of Rights which gives us amendments 4 thru 8 which these people would probably kill to keep in place. They need to read Ronald Dworkin and his thoughts on the social price of some rights WHICH DO INCLUDE 4 THRU 8. You can google Dworkin and if you aren’t sure about 4 thru 8 re read the Constitution.

    • their position is “your right to own a gun threatens me”….and they appear to be selling it all over the place…

  15. Anti Gun/ Anti Gun Rights theology and rhetoric make no sense now, nor did they ever, make sense, Shannon’s claims to the contrary.

  16. I love how the all the left wingers always talk about strong, capable, competent women and then turn around and tell us those same women are too incompetent to use a firearm to protect themselves. It’s nothing but projection.

  17. “They clearly did not come to this hearing with open minds or compassion for their constituents.”

    Constituents: something you and most of your bused in group are not. Colorado is not part of New Hampshire, ma’am.

  18. Oh look. The anti-rights whaaamin are shitting all over the pro-rights women.
    How many people died because of temperance movement biddies during prohibition? 50,000? 100,000?
    Government has it’s nose in every 1st A issue now thanks to Tipper and her posse of whaaamin.

    Why is it society just has to listen to the whaaaamin but we never seem to be compelled to listen to the women?

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