Left-wing national newspaper USA Today has published a highly biased piece critical of companies that sell tactical gear to civilians in a thinly-veiled push to shame them into closing off that segment of their business.
The tone of the piece is essentially this: 'Right-wing groups are the only ones who buy that stuff, and because they're racists, bigots, homophobes and insurrectionists, so, too, are the companies that sell to them.'
According to a rolling USA TODAY analysis of the court documents for people charged in the Capitol riot, at least 20 were spotted in photos and videos wearing tactical gear. One popular item was a cloth plate carrier, which is designed to hold bulletproof plates and often includes pouches for ammunition magazines and Velcro for patches.
Federal prosecutors say Ohio bartender Jessica Watkins wore “camouflaged battle fatigues, a tactical vest emblazoned with an Oath Keepers patch, combat boots, military grade helmet, and radio equipment.”
The paper went on to call out popular brands among patriots and conservatives such as Grunt Style in an attempt to associate them with the riot -- a preposterous suggestion. Grunt Style promotes America-first patriotism as well as living the life of "This We'll Defend," which is the motto for the U.S. Army.
After a photo of a Capitol rioter made the rounds online in January, the $100 million company came under scrutiny by left-wing hacks and losers in the media and elsewhere as to where its principal officers stood -- as in, were they for the riot or against it.
“To be clear, we will not associate with anyone who threatens our Republic or promotes violence.” Grunt Style CEO Glenn Silbert said, adding that it isn't his job or that of the brand to tell people what to think.
“We focus on pride in self, military and country; that’s our audience,” Silbert said in an email to 3 million subscribers. “Like any brand, you’ll have people who identify with the brand even when the brand doesn’t identify with them.”
Meanwhile, Michigan's Justin Nazaroff, manufacturer of Fenix Ammunition, has taken the opposite approach, USA Today was sure to point out.
Nazaroff, who has often criticized the state's authoritarian governor, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, and Joe Biden over his gun policies, no longer sells to police and has defended posting images of the Boogaloo Boys, a group he correctly states has been wrongly vilified by the left.
"Second Amendment absolutists and extremists aren’t the same,” Nazaroff said. “I don’t want customers who don’t believe in the Second Amendment or vote for political candidates that will pass laws to take away the Second Amendment.”
And he is well within his rights to do that, especially if Facebook and Twitter, as 'businesses,' can censor and ban conservatives and Trump supporters.
The paper went on to promote Rob Pincus, executive vice president of the Second Amendment Organization who recently debated Nazaroff in an online forum and has said he wants to 'reform' the National Rifle Association ('reform' being a left-wing code word for neuter it and its core mission of upholding all gun rights). Pincus says people dressing up in tactical gear to go to protests is intimidation and unhelpful.
"It’s horrible optics to have a guy in a plate carrier and his AR (semi-automatic rifle) yelling that, ‘If you don’t pass this law, I’m coming back for war,’” Pincus said. “It’s their right. Open carry should be legal; body armor should be legal. But this is the First and Second Amendment intermingled. You have to exercise those rights responsibly.”
There are so few people who show up to events dressed in tactical gear that actually say they want 'war' it's laughable for Pincus to mention it. But the optics are being displayed for a reason -- the same reason the founders wrote the Second Amendment: As an obvious, open check against government tyranny and overreach.
As per its custom, USA Today's reporters for the story cited Democrats opposed to guns and tactical gear -- no Republicans for balance. So overall, the story was very anti-tactical gear and anti-conservative, as usual.
These leftists will stop at nothing to destroy our ability to retain the tools and mechanisms to remain free.
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