This is a commonly repeated rumor about the Michigan lockdown protests, but its absolutely not true[1].

"Despite some "confusion," Lansing police had no complaints about any ambulance being locked in traffic during an emergency, said Robert Merritt, a spokesman for the Lansing Police Department. When ambulances on non-emergency runs were in traffic, "rally participants slowly cleared a path," he said."

[1] https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/0...

I don't remember hearing anything about police dispersing those crowds with tear gas. I wonder why.

I thought the right to bear arms was useless for defending against tyranny when the government has nukes and apache attack helicopters.

So maybe all the protesters against police violence should arm themselves. But considering how eagerly US police uses "I thought they had a gun" as a reason to shoot someone, I fear it would turn into a massacre.

People have done tests with white people and black people open carrying in exactly the same way. Black open carriers got a very different police response.

Do you think this might have something to do with it? https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-09-16/nations-bigg...

Of course it does. The police are Trump’s brownshirts, whether he knows what’s going on or not.

Edit: I mean, come on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eVPKpBKGCE

Firefly fans? Or do you mean brownshirts?

Corrected, thank you, I apparently had that embedded in my brain from 15 years ago.

I'm gunna go ahead and assume it was due to the the lack of violence and looting.

I'm gunna go ahead and assume it was due to them being conservative white guys with guns.

Turns out guns are important for protecting yourself against government overreach and abuse. Who knew?

Judging by how black people _thought_ to have guns are treated, I’d say white skin is better at protecting you.

I would say that is correct.

(Fascinating trivia: California allowed open carry until the Mulford Act in 1967 restricted it -- directly in response to the Black Panthers practicing it. The Act was signed into law by Ronald Reagan, with the explicit support of the National Rifle Association.)

Fun fact, the reason why california banned open carry was to prevent the black neighborhoods in Oakland from policing themselves as armed citizens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulford_Act

Guns work very well when you're white. Not so well when you're black.