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Joel Rosenberg, 1954-2011 - link
By admin, on June 3rd, 2011 GOCRA is sad to announce that civil rights activist, author and instructor Joel Rosenberg died yesterday afternoon. He was 57, and had suffered from multiple health issues which had worsened in the last two years. He is survived by his wife and two daughters. Rosenberg was the author of several textbooks on carrying a pistol with a permit, and was a prolific novelist, with more than 20 fantasy, science fiction and mystery titles published. In 2003, Rosenberg wrote the definitive textbook on carry in Minnesota, Everything You Need to Know About (Legally) Carrying a Handgun in Minnesota, published by the American Association of Firearms Instructors, Inc. In the eight years since, Joel has taught Minnesota Permit to Carry classes to thousands of students in the Twin Cities area and around the state of Minnesota. Rosenberg became interested in guns and self defense more that 20 years ago, after receiving a series of anonymous death threats from a professed neo-Nazi. He applied for and received an unlimited permit to carry a pistol from the Minneapolis Police, a rarity at the time, when citizens had to convince an official of a need for personal protection before being allowed to carry a gun for self defense. Not content with securing the then-privilege for himself, Rosenberg worked with GOCRA pass the Minnesota Citizens Personal Protection Act of 2003, and was instrumental in its re-passage in 2005 after it was suspended by a court challenge. His online forum, active from 2005 to 2010, was an electronic gathering place for activists, hobbyists, students and others interested in guns in Minnesota. A prolific blogger and sometime gadfly, Rosenberg supported the same goals and principles as GOCRA and other organizations, but never accepted a formal role in any, preferring to be, in his words, “just a guy.” In 2010, Rosenberg was arrested for wearing a gun into the offices of the Minneapolis Policeat Minneapolis City Hall, which contains a courtroom two floors away. He was charged with carrying gun into a courthouse complex, a charge which he planned to vigorously defend as being illegal, unconstitutional, and retaliatory for his frequent criticism of the Minneapolis Police. He is survived by his wife, Felicia Herman, and by his two daughters, Judy and Rachel. A fund to support Rosenberg’s family, which has suffered financially from his arrest, is available at www.freejoel.com.  |
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Minneapolis Gun Rights Advocate Joel Rosenberg Dies - link
Updated: Friday, 03 Jun 2011, 10:04 AM CDT Published : Friday, 03 Jun 2011, 9:04 AM CDT MINNEAPOLIS - Joel Rosenberg, a Minneapolis gun rights advocate and author of several fantasy novels, has died. His wife, Felicia, posted a message on the “Free Joel Rosenberg” website, saying he died Thursday evening at Hennepin County Medical Center. “On Wednesday afternoon, June 1, 2011, Joel had a respiratory depression that caused a heart attack, anoxic brain damage and major organ failure. Despite the very best efforts of the paramedics and the team at Hennepin County Medical Center, Joel was pronounced brain dead at around 5:37 p.m. Thursday June 2nd, In accordance with his wishes, he shared the gift of life through organ and tissue donation.” Rosenberg was set to stand trial in August for bringing a gun to Minneapolis City Hall. <More at link> |
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I guess I am used to folks in my family that live well into their late 80's/90's, so, his death (to me) appears premature. 54 is too young by my standards.
I've met and talked with Joel over the years. He had quite a reputation that was not completely undeserved. When all he ever did was tweeting and linking to other articles, his blogging suffered I tuned him out. That said, subtle, he was not. |
| I respect honest and up front, and then we have people that be hypocritical by posting insincere condolences. Choose your poison, but I think most can respect honest and up front. No one said you have to agree with it. That is our right! A whole lot can be said either way, about the man. |
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Quoted:
I respect honest and up front, and then we have people that be hypocritical by posting insincere condolences. Choose your poison, but I think most can respect honest and up front. No one said you have to agree with it. That is our right! A whole lot can be said either way, about the man. Very true, and I if I had a dissenting opinion from the general opinion of a more popular character, I'd expect to get dogpiled for voicing it. |
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I can't fault Dpmmn, and I'm inclined to feel the same when the man deliberately went out of his way to make his disdain for several arfcom members, mods, & staff quite clear. He even went so far as to shit on many of the very same people that supported him here... In that regard, I can respect Dpmmn's opinion. As a moderator we can't talk about the shit that was said & done by him behind the scenes, but there are numerous reasons why he was persona non grata here for all these years... It's funny how he will threaten others & baselessly slander people & companies from behind his alpha-numeric fiction-generator, but when faced with litigation he shuts up right quick with an "Oh, I didn't mean that! You took that out of context!" It's sad he died at a relatively young age for these times... But when your life is filled with so much rage, hatred, stress, and anger toward others, I believe that bottled up tension can diminish one's health & quality of life. There were times reading his blog when I wished I could just post "Dude, Chill. You're gonna have a heart attack if you stay all wound up this way." It's sad that a man has passed away, but with what he's personally said & done behind the scenes, I don't think I'll miss him all that much.  This just reminds me to take life a bit easier, don't get all wound up about little stuff in life, and don't bottle up hatred inside - that stress will kill ya. Dpmmn's post was succinct & to the point because -he more than anyone- is well aware of how life is too precious & short to waste time tiptoe-ing through the tulips being PC, suppressing emotions, and feigning sincerety. I can respect that. If ya ever piss him off he'll surely let ya know...  As I edited from my first post, I wonder if his attourney will now get paid? For several months he refused to pay his attourney ANY of his legal fees, instead opting to buy an expensive guitar, take his wife & friends out to expensive dinners, and just frivolously blowing his entire 'legal fund' which was money donated by caring individuals to helping his LEGAL DEFENSE (not pay for his bucket list activities). He crapped on his long-time friend & attourney by refusing to pay his bills, being a jerk up until the end, and stated (NEARLY SIX MONTHS AGO) that his attourney should collect repayment for his legal services from his estate when he's dead! He MUST have seen this coming months ago somehow. For what it's worth, I'll pray his family gets through this okay...  As for Joel himself, a LOT of people think he almost 'single-handedly' passed our CCW Legislation. Yes, he did a lot, but to denigrate the countless thousands of activists in the state, like many people here, who spent the better part of 2 years writing weekly letters, countless Emails, marching on the Capitol grounds, and hundreds of phone calls to our politicians demanding the right to defend ourselves is just supercilious. Like with nearly all legislative efforts - a single 'crusader' can accomplish much, but in the long run, won't very get far without an army of thousands behind him...  |
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Bravo Mat! Well Said!
Granted no one is perfect, and the world sure is not. I know that I am not. Some of you have got this all wrong about the deceased. ALL WRONG! Before you beatify the deceased. perhaps you ought look into the history.....much recent and other issues long standing. Those with a few minutes can Google all this stuff right quick. #1 Harrasing other local instructors via Text, Email, and showing up uninvited at classes. Causing one to take legal action. Putting up web sites to mock other instructors. Accusing other instructors of stealing his business cards from various locations. . #2 Not adhering to his own class materials by DON'T BECOME A TEST CASE. Heller was as squeaky clean as you can get......... #3 Failure to follow the advice of his "friend" and attorney. Then loosing his paid legal representation because he was not using funds raised for his defense for the intended use, but to rather live life large..... #4 Filing frivolous law suits then offering to settle for a quick cash settlement, where I come from that is extortion. Just cause they posted an opinion contrary to his. #5 Alienating just about every "friend" he had................ Those things are just the tip of the iceberg on the departed actions and behaviors. We could go into the amount personal information on those that had ideas contrary to his that he published online about them. Mocking others of their professions, families, and the companies that they worked for. Many people seem errantly give way too credit to the deceased with the MPPA passage, it was a group effort. And, it Joe Olson, a Hamline Law Prof and the deceased's former lawyer, David Gross that were the Tip of the Proverbial Spear not so much the deceased. And, as Mat post it was all of who contributed $ to cause, that made the phone calls, emails, appearances at the Capital. Oh lest us not forget he blogged/posted etc remarks that the PIO of MPD deserved to die? That he had his hand on his BUG while being disarmed? Oh he was a "cursader", but it was for his own self serving agenda! Now, really folks is the the role model you want? I do not think so! No sane person would? Obviously, he did not take the High Road in how he treated others......just saying so that there is balance...... |