re: #732 avanti

No argument that one guy had a billy club, nor that they were in their fancy uniforms that might be intimidating, and no question it was wrong. To suggest the one incident, at one polling place out of 1000’s had any effect on the election is what I disagreed with.

I don’t think it actually intimidated anybody, or at any rate, more than one or two. They didn’t strike menacing poses. People walked past them unconcerned, and in perfect safety. Some reporters showed up with cameras and interviewed them, and got stock and unhelpful answers but there’s nothing new in that and no physical menace.

Granted you cannot allow people to openly hold any sort of weapon at the entrance to a polling site, I just can’t see making this a federal felony and shipping the guy off to jail. They told him not to bring his club next time, and that’s about right.