If we've ever seen a non-apology apology, it's that of East Bethel Republican state representative Cal Bahr's defense of his words at a pro-gun rights rally on Saturday.
UPDATE 11:06 a.m., 2/26/2019 : DFL communications staff member William Davis has created a helpful side-by-side of Bahr's original statement on Saturday and what he said he said from Monday's Minnesota House floor statement:
[end update]MN Republican Cal Bahr yesterday claimed he was talking about proposed bills at the rally last Saturday. Perhaps a review of the tape is in order? #mnleg pic.twitter.com/DuB2pwBk9s
— William Davis (@WilhelmDavis) February 26, 2019
First, here's the Facebook video of the rally wherein Bahr spoke, beginning at the 58:50 mark. Before he gets to the controversial remarks, readers will hear him lead a chant of "infringement" to a litany of federal gun laws beginning with the National Firearms Act of 1934. Here's the explanation of the act from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and two from gun rights sites, Gun Law 101 at Guns.com and the NRA.
Bahr starts out by joking about how gun control is all about controlling one's firearm when shooting and hitting one's target (a practice Bluestem observes when we're out on a friend's informal outdoor range). We only wish the man could follow the same notion with the English language.
One can listen for oneself above, but it's clear that the antecedent for the pronoun "them" isn't bills. It's "people."
Jessie Van Berkel reports in Rep. Cal Bahr says "kicked to the curb" comment misinterpreted:
After widespread condemnation of a seemingly violent comment by state Rep. Cal Bahr, the legislator said Monday his statement at a rally against new gun restrictions was misinterpreted and he is sorry for the confusion.
“There’s a lot of us in this room that have had enough, and it’s time to start riding herd on the rest of these people that want to take your rights away from you,” Bahr, R-East Bethel, told a crowd of hundreds that gathered at the State Capitol on Saturday. “They will not go quietly into the good night. They need to be kicked to the curb and stomped on and run over a few times.”
That comment was sharply rebuked by Democrats, including Gov. Tim Walz and House Speaker Melissa Hortman, as well as Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka.
After the critiques, Bahr put out a statement Monday saying the “they” he was referring to was two gun control bills that the Legislature is considering, not people.
“The intended focus of my remarks was on two proposed bills which are designed to strip away the God-given and Constitutionally-guaranteed rights of self-protection,” Bahr said in a statement, adding that he does not condone violence.
Had Bahr meant the bills, he ought to have said that. Instead, he said: "...it’s time to start riding herd on the rest of these people that want to take your rights away from you. They will not go quietly into the good night. They need to be kicked to the curb and stomped on and run over a few times."
Not bills. People.
Dave Orrick is clear about the non-apology in Lawmaker who said gun control supporters be ‘stomped’ apologizes — but denies he said what he said:
A Minnesota lawmaker who drew criticism after he told a gun rights rally that gun control supporters should be “stomped on and run over a few times” has apologized — but he’s insisting his remarks were taken out of context.
State Rep. Cal Bahr, R-East Bethel, said Monday he does not condone violence against anyone and regrets “not being clear” in his comments Saturday at a rally of the Gun Owners Caucus at the Capitol.
Here’s what he said then:
“There’s a lot of us in this room that have had enough, and it’s time to start riding herd on the rest of ’em, rest of these people that want to take your rights away from you. They will not go quietly into the good night. They need to be kicked to the curb and stomped on and run over a few times.”
By the rules of grammar, the antecedent of “they” is “these people.”
A number of political leaders, including Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, and Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, a Republican, sharply criticized Bahr’s statement.
But Bahr said that’s not what he meant. “In my statement, the meaning of the word “They” referred to two proposed bills, not people,” Bahr said in a statement Monday, which he read from the floor of the House of Representatives.
Apparently Bahr feels his rights to free speech need not be infringed by the rules of grammar, but grammar control isn't censorship. Alas, this sort of thing is how words lose their meaning and all that is solid melts into the air.
Photo: New Republican House Caucus member Cal Bahr, via Facebook. Grammar control doesn't apply to his statements and so the rest of us are the ones who are confused, according to Bahr.
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