I couldn’t make it to the hearings today down at the Senate Office Building –
but the guys at the MN Gun Owners Caucus have been sending pictures.

And the story they tell is heartening.

The good guys outnumber the Dreamsicles pretty heavily; the MN Gun Owners Caucus has adopted a black T-shirt design, and brought a ton of them to the event.

See for yourself:

There’s a story behind the picture: as always with these sorts of situations, you have to remember that the shooters are almost invariably working people who have to take time off from jobs and families to spend their day waiting in line and watching hearings. The Dreamsicles are overwhelmingly people who do advocacy for a vocation or an avocation; “progressive” clergy, non-profiteers, community groupers, seniors, and lots and people with no real work conflicts.

The level of effort required for the good guys to outnumber the orcs is incredible. And year in, year out, we do it.

And the media are starting to notice, and account for it in their coverage. There’s a way to go, of course, but it’s a start.

OF course, the point is the actual hearings. Rob Doar – the VP and Political Director of the MNGOC – led off the testimony for the good guys.

He shredded a load of fabricated figures the orcs had just put out. They never, ever learn.

News so far: “Universal Background Checks” failed 9-7 on a partly line vote. More to come.

We’re not out of the woods. Indeed, it could be said the latest round of this fight has just begun – because these hearings were launched by the DFL, via an abuse of House rules, to give them some campaign pictures for the fall’s election.

So stay hard, stay hungry and stay alive, Real Americans. One more verse, same as the first.

UPDATE: “Gun Violence Protective Orders” – the DFL’s version, issued by decree with no due process – failed 10-6. Rep. Marion O’Neill just shredded DFL Rep. Dave Pinto; I can’t wait for the video.