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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAna Lopez: "I'm Being Trolled By Gun Rights Activists — But I Won't Back Down"
In August, Ana Lopez and her fellow students at the University of Texas, Austin, organized a protest against the states recently enacted campus carry law, which allows students who are 21 and have a concealed handgun license to bring guns to public colleges and universities. This week, Lopez said she learned that she was the target of online threats for her work with the Cocks Not Glocks movement. She shared her story exclusively with Refinery29, and the views expressed here are her own.
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Two weeks ago, a man named Brett Sanders posted to YouTube a graphic short film depicting the murder of a woman involved in the Cocks Not Glocks protest of Texas new campus carry law. The deplorable video had one message, in my view: Shes putting herself out there as a target. Go get her.
The she in the video, many people believe, was based on me.
As leaders of a major anti-gun protest that made international headlines, my co-organizers and I are used to the attacks. We are used to the baseless threats of rape and murder. We have been told that we should get lined up and shot. We have been called sluts and whores ad nauseam. Even our families have been targeted.
Weve learned to take these comments with a grain of salt.
After all, some people will just never get it. To this day, it still appalls me that the Cocks Not Glocks movements use of inert, harmless sex toys as protest props elicits a stronger, more violent reaction than the prospect of a drinking-age college student legally carrying a loaded handgun in their JanSport.
But what really sets this snuff film apart from the hate mail were so desensitized to is the ill-conceived shock factor of it all.
I felt a burning in the pit of my stomach when I first saw the video. I saw images of my friends, of our allied gun violence prevention organizations, and of our protest itself.
Due to the low quality of the video, I skipped toward the end, not thinking much about it. But then I came upon a scene in which a female Cocks Not Glocks protester who looks like me and gets a call during the film from one of my real-life friends and fellow activists gets shot in the head by an intruder. Sanders has since said that he had never heard of me before, and that the idea that he intentionally cast my doppelgänger in his film is absurd. But it didnt feel that way to me.
I felt nauseous. The hair stood up on the back of my neck, and I felt an immense weight bear down on me. I felt horrified, disgusted, and, most of all, livid.
I quickly read through the comments, expecting to see an outpouring of disapproval, but my eyes locked on one of the top-rated comments: Ha Ha. He should have raped her first.
I could barely breathe.
The first thing I did was call my mom. The second thing I did was call campus police. I spent the rest of the day feeling numb and hyperaware of my surroundings. After all, I still had to worry about the presence of legal, loaded handguns in my classroom at the University of Texas, Austin, amidst all of this.
The aftermath felt infinitesimally worse, however. I worried that this video would encourage more attacks. I worried for the safety of my peers, and of my family.
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http://www.refinery29.com/2016/09/123294/cocks-not-glocks-gun-activist-violent-youtube-video
****TRIGGER WARNING***
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/09/13/texas-gun-activist-under-fire-for-graphic-video-portraying-the-death-of-a-student-protester/
(A scene from Never Met Her, a short film about an anti-gun protesters shooting death. (YouTube/Brett Sanders) )
flamin lib
(14,559 posts)And a whole lot of rational gun owners.
Too bad the former out shout the rest of america.
Some of them reside here at DU but only the really loud mouths.
WhiteTara
(29,699 posts)I have no words for the fear and disgust I feel after reading this article.
Skittles
(153,138 posts)GUN HUMPING COWARDS
Kingofalldems
(38,444 posts)LeftyMom
(49,212 posts)I'M FUCKING SHOCKED.
Next thing you're going to tell me most of them are racists too.
Iggo
(47,547 posts)Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)jpak
(41,757 posts)Why yes it does...
Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)jpak
(41,757 posts)All-in bigotry all the way.
Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)To simplify compliance and enforcement of copyrights here on Democratic Underground, we ask that excerpts from other sources posted on Democratic Underground be limited to a maximum of four paragraphs, and we ask that the source of the content be clearly identified. Those who make a good-faith effort to respect the rights of copyright holders are unlikely to have any problems. But individuals who willfully and habitually infringe on others' copyrights risk being in violation of our Terms of Service.
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hunter
(38,309 posts)... be sure to tell her about your gun love.
Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)I have pointed out it was disgusting and way over the top. She should take him to court and I think she might have a case.
Copyrights have fair use rules and the OP flagrantly violated them and could cause legal issues for DU and the owners. Now you might not care about that but I do. The rules are there for a reason.
By the way, I do not love guns, they are an object that performs a function as directed by the user.
kcr
(15,315 posts)Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)Getting close to a decade
kcr
(15,315 posts)Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)kcr
(15,315 posts)So, over 16 grand posts. Has that made a dent in the copyright violation epidemic DU is facing, would you say? Man, I hope so, because that has to be a LOT of time spent. Whoo boy. I'm sure I'm not the only one impressed by this performance, either. You should be proud!
Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)I have not posted 16k posts on copyright violation but as a long term paying member, I do feel rules are there for a reason. I try and abide by them. The interesting thing is I was being very polite and being ignored. If that poster acknowledged the fact, most of those posts would not have happened.
hunter
(38,309 posts)Much like fast cars and generally less expensive, but no less dangerous in the hands of fools.
I'm certain the original post has been alerted on multiple times as inappropriate for GD and for copyright violation. Let's see what happens.
Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)The rules tend not to matter for certain subjects or posters.
sarisataka
(18,570 posts)People seem to get away with copyright violations, flaming, group attacks, bigotry, threats, using RW sources, supporting Republicans and more.
I cannot explain why juries give such posts a pass but I have learned that alerts are futile on those subjects.
Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)etherealtruth
(22,165 posts)... on different sites/ forums
These expressions (various places online) have elicited some very strong responses in opposition to reproductive rights (abortion), women's rights, civil rights (be it associated with race, sexual orientation, religion, ethnic origin etc) ... admittedly some responses have been hate filled rants ...... but ..... the only posts/ comments (of mine) that have drawn vile threats/ threats of violence have been those associated with my strong stance in support of gun control.
The one and only truly vile PM I have ever received on DU was from a "gun proponent" (this happened years ago, I alerted and they were tombstoned within hours). The DU admins are pretty great and this was an isolated incident within the protected environment of DU.
There is something very different about this particular breed of "gun enthusiast" .... their immediate go-to position is one of threats and violence. These types of responses hardened my stance on guns .... these are the very people (those that have a hair trigger response for threats and violence when anyone disagrees with them).
I can only imagine what this poor woman has gone through after receiving national attention protesting a law that neither educators nor students wanted.
Thank you for posting this .... this highlights the harassment of women (especially but not exclusively) that have opinions in opposition to these psychos
jmg257
(11,996 posts)Against such ridiculous hatred and vile threats all due to a difference of opinion.
Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)I prefer concealed carry as it does not tend to advertise and upset people.
jmg257
(11,996 posts)Than the Glock under someone's shirt.
Makes more of a splash I imagine then wondering exactly who is carrying.