It *will be* the message, given a press that's bound and determined to portray us in the worst possible light.
Here's my take. This is just one person's opinion. I am not an expert on rallies, or protests, or organizing, but this is what I've come up with after thinking about this a little.
A lot of this list is based on the idea that normally, most of us don't care too much what other people think--but that these rallies and protests are one place where we
should. We are trying to win over people who are outside our group to our way of thinking. And that means that the image we project is important.
- Dress "business casual" or nicer. We're trying to convince people who are not necessarily with us that we're nice, normal folks who go to the range on Saturday afternoon rather than playing a couple of sets of tennis or playing a round of golf. Wearing khaki 5.11 tactical pants and a "Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out" t-shirt does not reinforce that notion. I was there in a suit and tie despite the predicted extreme-for-Boston heat and humidity. Men should at least wear slacks and a polo shirt or button-up "business" shirt, if they can.
- Use correct grammar and spelling on signs. Part of the anti- narrative is that we're unintelligent, uneducated, and generally low-information. Signs with spelling and grammatical mistakes reinforce that narrative. Put some thought into things like penmanship and appearance, too. This is a place where good workmanship and putting forth a good impression counts.
- Think about what your signs, t-shirts, etc., might telegraph to "outsiders". The guy with "MY RIGHTS TRUMP YOUR DEAD" on a sign in particular made me cringe--and, in fact, he ended up plastered all over various anti-gun blogs and news media as supposed "evidence" of how "violent" and "extremist" 2A supporters are.
- Avoid signs or chants that threaten violence or violent action, even if the intent is humorous. I admit, I chuckled at "Healey For Harbor"--but think about it, even if it's humorous, you're advocating violence against a sitting public official. Someone somewhere isn't going to think that's funny, and is going to consider it further "evidence" of what they see as gun owners' "extremism" and "violent nature." Again, that's reinforcing the anti- narrative. We're here to use the first box of freedom, not the fourth.
- Stay on-message. Avoid "issue bundling." This is not the time to talk about what bathroom a transgender woman should use, abortion, immigration policy, same-sex marriage, or anything else to do with conservative politics. Not everyone who is pro-2A is on board with other forms of conservatism, nor is everyone who is pro-2A a Republican. Especially in Massachusetts, which is overwhelmingly Democratic, we need to be bipartisan in our efforts, and get Democrats who might be pro-2A to support us. We certainly can't afford to alienate anyone who might become a potential supporter.
- Leave AG Healey's sexual orientation out of it. It's a cheap shot, an ad hominem attack, and makes us look like homophobes and idiots who can't mount a decent argument based on real facts.
![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
![[thumbsup]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/044.gif "Thumbs Up [thumbsup]")
