Actress and anti-gun activist Bette Midler, who was on the red carpet Wednesday, fired up her Twitter account by urging protesters to not only turn up at the annual National Rifle Association (NRA) convention in Houston this weekend but to also “come armed.” No, really.
In response to a tweet by an unidentified person who wrote: “PEOPLE SHOULD SHOW UP AND PROTEST AT THIS CONFERENCE” (yes, the tweet was in all caps), Midler tweeted: “AT THE GEORGE R BROWN CONVENTION CENTER IN HOUSTON TEXAS, THIS WEEKEND. Come armed.”
It is likely that you are unaware of the irony in this hypocrisy. Although the NRA confirmed that convention attendees will be permitted to carry guns, they will not be permitted to carry guns inside the General Assembly Hall for Friday's Leadership Forum—when former President Donald Trump is scheduled to address the audience—because of Secret Service regulations that have no connection with the category of people Trump will address.
This is the real problem. With the crazed, whacked-out brain of Bette Midler–did she truly mean it? Or was it just an attempt to make an extremely bad joke? If the latter is true, it's almost as bad as the one before–and almost as ridiculous: Midler was no doubt one of the first left-wingers who declared that Trump was the one who sparked “insurrection” on January 6, 2021, at the Capitol Building.
Reactions exploded on Twitter. One commenter remarked, “19 children and 2 adults just died from gun violence yesterday, and you're cracking a joke about ‘come armed'? … at least I HOPE it's a joke.”
“She's gonna get people killed,” another observed. “Massively irresponsible.”
“No, no, no. Don't do this. Don't go armed and don't listen to her suggestion to act like it's Jan 6. This is the wrong take,” another commenter warned.
“Oh my gosh, Bette. Don’t act like a Republican!!!” another user jumped in. “It’s so unbecoming.”
“If someone does show up and shoots at people at this convention, I hope the police arrest you for this tweet,” another commenter told Midler.
“Calling for more gun violence at the NRA convention doesn’t help us heal over the shootings. You are calling for more innocent people to be victims,” one person wrote. “This doesn’t do anything to get us united. NRA teaches how to use guns properly & store them properly.”
Some stated that Midler ought to be held personally accountable in the event that a protester with a gun shoots someone at the convention
Adding to this absurdity and nonsense, a hospice chaplain who has worked in two trauma centers for children has organized an interfaith protest on Friday in Houston's downtown in opposition to the NRA presence. As per Bloomberg, “Dozens of followers from several different faiths–Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist–have been invited to pray outside the convention center before leading a silent march through the building during the convention.”
“Christianity has helped lead us to this place and that is a tragedy,” one of the organizers said. “We should be leading away from the violence and individualism associated with guns.”
Although as well-meaning as the hospice chaplain or other hospice administrators are, they are unable to grasp that all that can stop the bad guy–a harrowing madman, if you will–from having a gun is a good person with a gun. In addition, that “good guy with a gun” is usually an armed and law-abiding citizen without whose courage and strength unarmed innocents would likely die.
In the case of Better Midler, she is insignificant. Other than for the purpose of highlighting the stupidity of the gun-grabbers.
