Some gun nuts are truly scary

by David Safier

"I am not letting my country be ruled by a dictator. I'm not letting anybody take my guns. If it goes one inch further, I'm gonna start killing people."

That statement is on a video made by James Yaeger, CEO of Tactical Response which TPM calls "a Tennessee-based company that specializes in firearms and tactical training." He's responding to the possibility that Obama might issue and executive order on gun control. The video is below, along with a transcript.

"Fuck that. I'm telling you, if that happens, it's going to spark a civil war, and I'll be glad to fire the first shot. I'm not putting up with it. You shouldn't put up with it. And I need all you patriots to start thinking about what you're going to do, load your damn mags, make sure your rifle's clean, pack a backpack with some food in it and get ready to fight. I'm not fucking putting up with this. I am not letting my country be ruled by a dictator. I'm not letting anybody take my guns. If it goes one inch further, I'm gonna start killing people."

I'm a big First Amendment guy and I don't know the law very well, but I wonder if this guy has crossed some legal line. Probably not. But someone should certainly check the kind of arsenal he has amassed given the threatening nature of his statements.

JAEGER'S NON-APOLOGY APOLOGY UPDATE: James Yaeger said he went a little too far in that video I posted above. I "probably allowed my mouth to overrun my logic," he said. In a new video, he clarified his statement: "I do not condone anybody committing any kind of felonies up to and including any aggravated assaults or murders, unless it's necessary," Yeager said in the second video. "Right now it is not necessary." Good to hear it's not necessary yet, though he went on to say, "But I don't, I don't retract any of my statements." I wonder, does Wayne LaPierre think we should be checking into this guy's mental health and his fitness to own weapons?

OH. MY. GOD. UPDATE: I know, I shouldn't be surprised. Yeager listed a bunch of federal and state firearms instructor certifications he doesn't actually have.