This is an open letter to Yankee Marshal, a Left-Leaning Pro-Gun YouTube Presenter
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TLDR: I’d like to come on your show and have an intelligent discussion. Yes, I’m allowed to disagree with Yankee without being disrespectful.
Hey Yankee,
I actually met you awhile back at a 2a rally in Salem, OR. I’m writing because I partially disagree with you and your positions on what you seem to style as profit-motivated fear-mongering on the Right and the recent Statist rhetoric from some right-wing outlets.
What I think you’re saying:
If I understand you, it seems like you’re calling out the gun-community for flip-flopping from BOOGALOO to THIN-BLUE-LINE depending on whose rights are at stake. It seems like you also believe that Antifa’s violence and danger to society is over-blown. And, there is some validity in your criticism.
Why I (partially) Disagree With Yankee Marshal:
However, your argument that the violence of the protests is not widespread does nothing to comfort small business owners who have had their lives destroyed by Antifa looters. Since rioters can burn down civilian businesses and assault people with different beliefs with a semblance of impunity, it sets a dangerous precedent that punishes victims and empowers bad actors. Also, the mainstream Left seems to be running a propaganda campaign to cover for Antifa that attempts to paint Right-Wing groups as racist while Left-Wing Rioters are framed as “mostly peaceful”. Many on the Right are angry that the justice system is choosing to not prosecute rioters, but seem ready to throw the book at those who defend themselves and civilian property.
Also, it’s disingenuous to accuse Gun Channels that have a message of prepping/tactical-training of bad intentions and sowing-fear-for-profit. You are making a false correlation that because these channels are biased, they are wrong. Yes, it’s true channels selling tactical training and gear are inherently biased. However, I (along with most of the YouTube Presenters in question) still believe that owning body armor, tactical rifles, medical supplies, non-perishable food and even night vision is a good idea if one can afford it. I also argue that someone who believes in the Second Amendment would be likely to start a gun-related business and produce content around those subjects. While making a living on disaster-preparedness and gun ownership is a conflict of interest, I believe that most of those people would likely own all or most of that equipment even if they “had a day job” and weren’t in the industry.
For example, would James Yeager sell all his guns if he closed his training business and shut down his YouTube account? Probably not. As such, while I agree that such people are biased in that they are marketing commercial goods/services, I feel that most of them believe in the ideas they present. Your criticism of GunToobers is valid in the sense that many channels recommend gear/equipment that they have been given for free and are compensated for recommending. More problematic is the fact that it would be tempting for a reviewer to give a positive review to preserve the business relationship and are pressured to give reviews after a comparatively short test and evaluation period.
It is true that new gun owners are not educated about these conflicts of interest. However, I differentiate between: “get a tactical flashlight!” versus: “O-Light is the best tactical flashlight!” when viewers don’t understand that the presenter was paid for it. On the other side, I can also say that it’s reasonable to buy things through a channel you like as a way to help support the content. I don’t mind the fact that quality presenters are compensated for their time and effort.
Where I think We (Yankee Marshal & I) Agree:
As an aside, years ago, you made a good point about “tactical-elitists” in the gun community. I accept your criticism of “tactical elitism” in that limiting 2a rights to only apply to those who can afford high-end firearms/training is subversive to the spirit of the 2a. I used to be wrong about that and you changed my perspective.
I do agree that Police and State Powers have over-reached via things like the so-called “Patriot-Act”, oppressive gun restrictions and other government abuses including the many examples of police brutality (no-knock raids and stop-and-frisk are two easy examples). I also appreciate the fact that your channel attempts to break down the false narrative of Left vs Right. Honestly, neither the Republican nor Democrat establishment truly care about individual rights and merely pander to the pet issues and fears of their political base. Personally, I believe that if anyone is in lockstep with the beliefs of a political party, then that person is likely not thinking for themselves. There are some issues where I am Left, others where I am Right.
In closing, opposition to government abuse of power should have bipartisan support, but it doesn’t. In a sick way, BLM activists and Boogaloo-Bois are both protesting the same thing from different angles.
I’d love to be a guest on your show. But either way, disagreements aside, thanks for showing up to so many gun rallies and providing years of YouTube entertainment that I watch while I clean guns and reload cartridges.