Captain Ron Johnson and Texas Open Carry have a tale to tell.
Open Carry Texas was all set to march through an historically African American neighborhood in Houston. They had permits. They had lawyers. They had all their bases covered, legally, so they could carry open loaded weaponry and arms through a residential neighborhood, chant slogans, shout, and be seen heavily armed and threatening, but in a safe parade formation, everyone together, all looking out for one another in case someone might respond in kind.
Ooh, what courage THAT must have taken!
Captain Ron Johnson ordered the police out of Ferguson, off the streets, out of sight, and allowed protest marches to continue--and even joined them. All alone. No coterie of armed SWAT shooters at his back for protection. No APC standing at the ready to whisk him away from any potential crowd unruliness. No lines of face-hidden storm troopers to hide behind or even in front of.
He walked the protest with the protesters. He hugged them. He begged them to be patient. He TALKED with them and comforted them. Unafraid. Or, if he was afraid, he went ahead and DID IT ANYWAY, and it WORKED.
THAT took real courage.
Then: Texas Open Carry saw what we all saw at Ferguson this week, and decided that marching through an African American neighborhood with loaded arms might not be such a good idea. Yet another courageous decision point.
Police and politicians are afraid of the People. But when the People demand satisfaction, only a fool gives them frustration and TRIES to beat them back. Only a fool refuses to listen to the People.
Because the People ALWAYS get their way, sooner or later. Nothing stops that. Not Mitch McConnell, not Grover Norquist, not Ayn Rand, not Rush Limbaugh, not Rupert Murdoch, not George W. Bush or Dick Cheney, no one stops the People. They win every time.
And the sooner an official understands that--like Captain Ron Johnson--the sooner sanity is regained in the social order.