Thread by @CarolInTheOhOh

At the Longmont City Council meeting where the extremist groups RMGO and Rally for our Rights have filled the room. They are currently loudly mocking the video feed from the discussion about gun ordinances going on in the pre-meeting discussion. @MomsDemand

Despite extremist rhetoric, we are not as divided as they would have us believe. Large majorities of Americans want gun safety laws. We are tired of living with a largely unregulated gun industry. It's killing us. #Enough

The mocking is quite something. In a country awash in guns, with a gun homicide rate 26x that of any peer nation, that people laugh about reasonable laws to regulate a largely unregulated industry is pretty depraved. They claim that guns everywhere is freedom. No. It's anarchy.

A sampling of the brilliant shirts: lots of gun silhouettes. I will not comply. Defund gun control. Criminals love gun control. Don't tread on me. Liberty's teeth (with a gun silhouette).

Room looks to be about evenly divided with supporters of gun safety and those who will fight any possible gun regulations. Also, room is divided like sides at a wedding.

Room is nearly full, Mayor Joan Peck gaveling in..Jokes that she's happy to see so many people, can't imagine why we are all here.

Ordinances being considered: open carry ban, 10 day waiting period, minimum age of purchase 21, prohibition of ghost guns.

Today is a first hearing only, they will allow public comment, set a date for community discussion on gun safety, and decide how to move forward.

Knowing concealed carry is permitted in these chambers has a chilling effect on free speech & free expression. Especially when those who are clearly anti any gun safety law are staring at those of us in red shirts with contempt.

Opening with a proclamation declaring Juneteenth on June 19. ❤️

Applause for the proclamation is only happening in 1/2 the room. A reminder that white supremacy and loose gun laws are a deadly mix with a very dark history in this country.

Public comment is opening, 1st speaker is an @MomsDemand volunteer. She states: the time for change is now. Talks about mass shootings. Points out teachers DO NOT want to be armed. Kids in lockdown drills are told to stand on toilets and be quiet. What are we doing to our society

Next speaker: we don't need more gun laws. Citing several "stats" that I won't tweet, as they are the usual, easily debunked claims we hear from the usual corners of the gun industry and gun extremists. This will be a long night, as each speaker gets 3 minutes.

Next 2 speakers against ordinances. More of the same easily debunked claims. No, mass shooters do not target gun free zones. States with stronger gun laws have fewer gun deaths. Open carry leads to increased homicide. Concealed carry under loose guidance leads to more murders.

Cannot believe people still bring up Chicago. No, it does not have the worst gun crimes in the US. Not even top 20. Most of the cities with the worst gun homicide rate are in states with loose gun laws.

More speakers against. Telling council members and audience (our side,) that we don't know anything.

Speaker supporting 10 day waiting period. He works with at-risk teens. Knows how impulsive decisions to harm self or others can be.

A speaker talking about Nazi disarming of population pre-WWII. This is dubious at best. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_gun_…

Next: why are we using the 2nd amendment to let an industry make a whole lot of $ selling guns to teens that can't even buy a beer. Talks about regulating guns like we do cars.

OMG. This guy did NOT just compare gun safety laws to being raped.

Yes. Yes he did.

RMGO spokesperson talking about fear. That gun safety laws are giving into fear. He says this without irony: his organization pushes gun ownership as needed because the world is such a dangerous, scary place full of guns.

He also says we should remove black males from our stats. Wow.

A lot of talk about gun safety laws being a "punishment." Such a weird argument. No one is being punished with any of these ordinances. No one's rights are being taken away. It's an extremist straw man argument with no merit.

My phone might run out of juice 😬

A lot of these people have no clue that there is a whole wide world out there that doesn't have this problem. American exceptionalism is horrifying to the rest of the world in this area.

Ooh, cool! Socialism! And "dope pipes." This one is fun. Also claiming he is a pastor, and that we have gone astray. So... Are Americans more evil than other citizens of the world? God&guns is one of the most disturbing ideologies out there.

Another @MomsDemand volunteer! We are here, and we will not be intimidated. We have facts, public health, and public opinion on our side.

A lot of anti-gun safety speakers talking about encounters with "bad guys" with guns. No questions arise for them about why all these people have such easy and legal access to a deadly weapon.

Next: we don't have a gun problem, we have a human problem. Apparently only in the US. Bored now. We've heard this so many times. Broken records.

Speaker claiming we need to teach kids more about guns. States that everyone is heartbroken about gun deaths. But goes on to say gun rights are given to us by our Creator and enshrined in the Constitution. God&guns. Guess I missed that bible passage.

Speaker stating we need federal legislation requiring teachers to be armed. Nope. Not on our watch. @MomsDemand

@KathyHagen13 and I just got to speak. Volunteering with strong, brilliant women like Kathy helps me #KeepGoing

Straw man, straw man, Chicago, shall not be infringed, straw man, abortion, evil in the world, my rights, outside influences, god given rights... It's an annoyingly long night already.

Local Democratic party leader citing the great work accomplished by @CityLouisvlleCo last week, asking for ordinances to be passed.

Next speaker pointing out that the majority of Longmont will support this. Again: we are not as divided as extremists would lead us to believe.

Speaker: we have many liberties, and should be able to attend a concert, movie, church etc without being shot. We have a national problem. We need to address it.

Room is emptying out. Mostly supporters left.

Grandfather of a 7-year-old. Wonders if we can care more about our kids than our guns. Cities limits of Heller 2008 stated by the most conservative judges. Asks - what is the vaccine to gun violence? We have several things to address, including gun laws.

Young man wants to buy a gun to protect himself. Against the age limit. "Gun control leads to more violence." Again, easily debunked. Gun ownership leads to higher rates of homicide and suicide. States with strong gun laws have lower rates of gun deaths.

Hmm. This dude says if he'd spoken earlier he'd saved us all a lot of time. Oh, wait... He's saying no one is taking away any rights. Debunks the Chicago argument. Dropping FBI stats left and right and calling out racism. He's getting louder and angry and I'm liking this guy!

"Gun laws won't stop everything!? Name me one gun law in the history of humanity that has been 100% effective?" Damn, that woke us all up. Well played, sir, well done.

And we're back. Shall not be infringed...we are dealing with evil, not a gun issue. Actually states he is a concealed carrier because he would save us all.

Public comment is over, and my phone is almost out of juice. No decision being made tonight.

Correction here - "Name me one law in the history of humanity that has been 100% effective." Not "gun law" just simply "law." 100% is never the bar. Doing better, much better, is what we should aim for. And we could do so, so much better.