this post was submitted on 22 Jan 2026
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Explain Like I'm Five
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The mere threat of returned violence seems to work in dissuading the ICE agents from trying anything. Hence them making themselves scarce a few days ago when they saw a gentleman open carrying a semi-automatic (though unloaded) rifle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRcr2agoOlM
Carrying it unloaded is stupid. They won't wait to see if you have ammo before lighting you up if it came to it. Why leave yourself actually defenseless and yet a far more obvious target?
No one is going to sympathise with your obituary. "Well he looked like a deadly threat, which cops have been legally allowed to murder for decades, but he wasn't actually a threat!"
"Fucking moron" would be the common reaction.
While ICE agents are pathetic cowards, pathetic cowards have murdered many, many people throughout history.
He's not doing whatever he can to not get murdered. He's doing whatever he can to expose ICE's hypocrisy and prove that they are the lawless murderers.
By not loading his weapon he has made it clear that there is no circumstance in which he would take another's life. Not even to defend his own.
Is he putting himself at grave risk? Yes. Absolutely.
Is there a way to accomplish the same thing without risk? No.
That man is a definitional hero.
Meh, a hero needs to be inarguably good at their intended goal. Anyone who doesn't already agree with him is going to call him a dumbass, and rightfully so.
Do not appear to be a threat while not actually being a threat. Period. It's almost as bad as being in danger while having zero defense.
You wouldn't celebrate someone taking a walk in the woods with an empty bear mace can. This guy is doing the same thing: Going in to danger against wild animals with no actual defense.
Bears are not monsters, and there are much better ways of mitigating their threat. ICE and Donald cannot be mitigated. They must be met with overwhelming force. If you don't have the option of overwhelming force, resort to subterfuge (if you are a hero).
This is a question of what happens during an attack. Not who is more likely to attack. For a bear, bear mace is an excellent choice. For ICE, if you already have a fucking gun, it being loaded is a first fucking step to that gun being useful at all.
If you see me out packing protecting my neighborhood, know that my rifle is NOT unloaded, that 40-round mag is full and ready to unleash hell, and I've got 4 more of them ready to go.
Nice