Anti-rights groups have decided to try and protest the April 5th pro-rights rally in Hartford, Connecticut. In doing so, they have taken to calling pro-rights groups ‘the KKK’, ‘bullies’, ‘intimidating’, ‘threatening police’ and other vulgar lies. In response, Connecticut Carry has launched a counter-protest using the same medium, Thunderclap. The goal is to beat the anti-rights groups at their own social media game while taking the high road.
Using the anti-rights own social media tool against them, Connecticut Carry has engaged them by creating its own Thunderclap campaign which has, so far, completely out paced the anti-rights groups, almost 2 to 1. Our campaign almost instantly replaced the anti-rights campaign in terms of trending and stayed there for the course of the campaign. In a mad scramble to try and save face, the anti-rights groups have tried to accuse Connecticut Carry of somehow ‘cheating’ by engaging its national support base, despite Thunderclap being a national social media tool. Ironically, as Connecticut Carry supporters have pointed out, the anti-rights groups have been appealing to a national audience since they started their campaign. Of course, when these things were pointed out, posts were deleted to cover this up.
Of even more interest is who is supporting each group. With Connecticut Carry being supported mostly by individuals in a showing of grassroots support, the anti-rights groups have gone the opposite direction being supported mostly by national anti-rights groups and millionaire communist propagandists.
Instead of showing the overwhelming support that they claim to have, anti-rights groups have shown exactly what we have been accusing them of: Astroturfing.
“Astroturfing is the practice of masking the sponsors of a message or organization (e.g. political, advertising, religious or public relations) to make it appear as though it originates from and is supported by grassroots participant(s). It is a practice intended to give the statements or organizations more credibility by withholding information about the source's financial connection.” – Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturfing)
This kind of tactic will never override the broad public opposition for their anti-rights bills, however. Liberty is both popular and contagious. That these groups would even dare to defy a concept like individual liberty is both absurd and outrageous. While the governor and legislature was able to hide this fact on April 4th 2013 by ignoring the massive public outcry against gun bills in favor of ‘emergency certification’, the same advantage does not currently exist. And this has the legislators, the governor and the anti-rights groups running scared. Already, we have seen several anti-rights legislators decide not to run again, and the anti-rights groups have announced ‘Super PACs’ to try and funnel more national anti-rights money into Connecticut. If these groups had the broad public support that they claim, they would not need these astroturfing options.
Regardless of their corporate sponsors, Connecticut Carry remains unwavering in its opposition to the 2013 Gun Ban. The coalition of 30 anti-rights groups still remain impotent, lacking in public support and they need to lie about gun owners to get anyone to pay attention to them.
President Rich Burgess had this to say of the battle:
“To date, this will be the anti-rights groups largest thunderclap, and we would like to say ‘You are welcome’ for giving them even a shred of attention. Usually people just ignore the indignant whine of anti-rights groups, but Connecticut and the nation are about to hear the roar of those who support liberty.”
People can view, join or share Connecticut Carry’s Thunderclap here: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/10251-connecticut-chooses-liberty
