# What would America do if Muslims with guns protested outside of churches? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 8, 2015, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814 "2015-12-08T11:23:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/41 "2015-12-08T21:03:06Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Well hopefully these same guys will protest bank fees in front of First National and we can see how that works out. 😃 Lets bring the left and right together and do some good 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Grsz11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Grsz11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grsz11)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/42 "2015-12-08T21:20:24Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Lol? Yes I laugh at the blatant hypocrisy that they would try so hard to differentiate ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/43 "2015-12-08T21:41:30Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Leftist anticapitalist protesters also wear masks 😉 True. And if they also carry guns and march around outside banks I will believe they are attempting to intimidate bank employees. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/44 "2015-12-08T21:54:46Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > True. And if they also carry guns and march around outside banks I will believe they are attempting to intimidate bank employees. We dont know their weaponry but they are trying to intimidate capitalistic society. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/45 "2015-12-08T22:02:16Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Radical Christian Terrorism, of course. The proper name is actually the American Christian Taliban. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/46 "2015-12-08T22:14:06Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > We dont know their weaponry but they are trying to intimidate capitalistic society. No, they’re trying to smash store windows and vandalize shit and not get caught by the cops. Anyone protesting wearing a mask should have the stuffing beaten out of them, either by the cops or by their fellow protesters. See a guy at a “stop capitalism now” rally put on a black mask? Beat the crap out of him. If he wasn’t going to cause trouble, why is he putting on a mask? See guys marching outside black churches wearing white masks? Arrest them. Anybody walking around in public with a weapon and a mask? Ask a black guy how walking down the street with a rifle and mask is going to work out for them. White people with guns are patriots. Dark people with guns are thugs at best, terrorists at worst. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/47 "2015-12-08T22:26:00Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > They need to believe that some of that small fraction attends that mosque, yes. I still don’t see it. If the protesters believe that x% of Muslims are radicalized, hang-the-Koran-desecrator-types, they don’t have to suspect any particular individual at the mosque of being one, just have some generalized concern that one or more _could_ be present at the mosque to warrant taking proactive self-defense measures. Anyways, at least we’ve gotten you away from accusing them of “assuming a billion people all hold the same views”. We’ll call that progress for today. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/48 "2015-12-08T22:29:53Z")
Alas, we have not gotten you to “okay, they’re pretty much just terrorists.” But hope springs eternal. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/49 "2015-12-08T22:57:51Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > No, they’re trying to smash store windows and vandalize shit and not get caught by the cops. > > Anyone protesting wearing a mask should have the stuffing beaten out of them, either by the cops or by their fellow protesters. See a guy at a “stop capitalism now” rally put on a black mask? Beat the crap out of him. If he wasn’t going to cause trouble, why is he putting on a mask? See guys marching outside black churches wearing white masks? Arrest them. Anybody walking around in public with a weapon and a mask? Ask a black guy how walking down the street with a rifle and mask is going to work out for them. > > White people with guns are patriots. Dark people with guns are thugs at best, terrorists at worst. How will you know he’s black if he’s got a mask on? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/50 "2015-12-09T02:17:00Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > If he wasn’t going to cause trouble, why is he putting on a mask? [Like](http://truthfrequencyradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Cop-in-riot-gear-via-Shutterstock-615x345.jpg) [these](http://cache3.asset-cache.net/gc/453951618-police-officer-of-the-state-of-lower-saxony-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=GkZZ8bf5zL1ZiijUmxa7QZ75OlG%2BQeeW%2FK%2BjY2RqEC3QSyN5b6h%2BEFHYBh%2Bv6xRQ%2FMxgl%2F0Klj%2Fe0IfcHNTFLQ%3D%3D) [guys](http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-GI408_0108fr_H_20150108101443.jpg), obviously up to no good. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/51 "2015-12-09T15:24:30Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > What would they be protesting? What are [they](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=775950) protesting? And does it matter? ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/52 "2015-12-09T16:27:18Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Sure, _let them_. But don’t be disingenuous about their motives. The Klan doesn’t wear hoods because they fear reprisals, … Nonsense. The Klan has pretty much always and everywhere been a group that has incurred legal and social sanction. [“The Klan challenged the ordinance on First Amendment grounds, claiming that many of its members wear masks because they want to remain anonymous to reduce the likelihood that they will be harassed, lose their jobs or suffer other kinds of retaliation because of their unpopular ideas.”](https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/1999/unmasking-klan) Similarly, in the current case, “Their spokesman is a man who identifies himself as David Wright … He declined to give his age, profession or where he lives, fearing harassment.” It seems quite possible that attending such a protest and expressing _their_ unpopular views would expose them to enhanced law-enforcement scrutiny, employment troubles, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/53 "2015-12-09T16:30:38Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > What are [they](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=775950) protesting? And does it matter? It says in the story what they are protesting, or at least what the reporter says they are protesting. And no, it doesn’t matter. People have a right to protest, even if they are wrong. Now that we have established that the Constitution applies in the US, did you have any thoughts about the OP? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/54 "2015-12-09T16:31:21Z")
That has nothing to do with why they began wearing masks. It’s not something that first popped up in the 1990s. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/55 "2015-12-09T17:04:02Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > That has nothing to do with why they began wearing masks. It’s not something that first popped up in the 1990s. This is twice in one week that I end up having to dispense wikipedia-level knowledge on the Klan … > [@](#): > > [The basic costume, which has some rank-based and regional variations, **is designed deliberately both to disguise its wearer’s identity** and to give the wearer an intimidating appearance.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan_regalia_and_insignia) The original postwar Klan faced criminal prosecution from the Northern-imposed authorities. > [@](#): > > [Members were hiding behind Klan masks and robes as a way to avoid prosecution for freelance violence.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan#First_Klan:_1865.E2.80.931871) ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/56 "2015-12-09T17:24:28Z")
Obviously. I mean who wants to be harassed when you’re string up a negro for looking at a white girl. Chrissakes, there are only so many hours in the day. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/57 "2015-12-09T17:40:59Z")
> [@furt](#): > > The original postwar Klan faced criminal prosecution from the Northern-imposed authorities. Right. But they didn’t fear armed reprisals from their victims. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/58 "2015-12-09T17:44:00Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Nonsense. The Klan has pretty much always and everywhere been a group that has incurred legal and social sanction. [Not exactly](http://sickhorses.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/klan-capitol-steps-1925.jpg) [always](http://i2.wp.com/colinfalconer.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Klansmen_sightseeing_at_the_Capitol_1925.jpg) and [everywhere](http://guardianlv.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/kkk3.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/59 "2015-12-09T18:06:46Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Right. But they didn’t fear armed reprisals from their victims. Oh, look the goalposts have moved! The current protesters fear reprisal from the same people the Klan did: the authorities, and the larger society. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814/60 "2015-12-09T18:11:26Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > [Not exactly](http://sickhorses.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/klan-capitol-steps-1925.jpg) [always](http://i2.wp.com/colinfalconer.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Klansmen_sightseeing_at_the_Capitol_1925.jpg) and [everywhere](http://guardianlv.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/kkk3.jpg). Let’s see here. Furt seems somewhat knowledgeable on the subject. He’s already linked to the Wikipedia article that references the Klans 1920s high point of popularity. And his post specifically included the qualifier “pretty much.” Let’s post some photos that don’t refute what he said and add nothing to the discussion! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-america-do-if-muslims-with-guns-protested-outside-of-churches/739814.md?page=4)