Twitter users are expressing outrage over the idea there are two sides to one man’s form of protest.
On Thursday, investigative reporter for WBAL in Baltimore, Maryland, Tolly Taylor tweeted, “A man with an AR-15 has been showing up for weeks to a school bus drop off for local elementary school students. Parents say their kids are afraid, the man says he’s protesting [Gov. Wes Moore’s] new gun control law.”
“You’ll hear from both sides at 5+6pm,” he added.
#NEW: A man with an AR-15 has shown up to an elementary school bus stop for weeks, and one parent tells the I-Team he’s afraid for his kids and worried about where it’ll lead.
— Tolly Taylor (@TollyTaylor) May 19, 2023
"I think that lives could be lost (or) people could be harmed,” he said.
Story: https://t.co/CaSlEK5zJx pic.twitter.com/oOxd80V1KO
A man Tolly interviewed for the story said, “I feel like if we don’t do something about it now, then we’ll be talking about it again and it will be too late at that point.”
“I think that lives could be lost, people could be harmed,” he added.
Tolly reported the school bus will sometimes decline to drop children off if the man carrying the gun — identified as J’den McAdory — is there.
McAdory defended his protest as he said, “Guns can be safe if it’s controlled by the right person.”
“I really wasn’t coming out here for the kids. I was coming out here to show people that this is legal,” he continued, adding, “I mean no harm to no one. I’m actually a deterrent away from the crime we always have here.”
The law at issue goes into effect on Oct. 1 and bans people from carrying guns in areas “for children or vulnerable adults” such as a school or hospitals.
Twitter users were displeased with the idea of presenting McAdory’s side of the story:
Nope. There is no “both sides” here. https://t.co/VjDaziguBr
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) May 19, 2023
For the nuts on both side attacking me… yes, you have a right to be an asshole, and I have a right to tell you you’re an asshole.
— Douglas Karr (@douglaskarr) May 19, 2023
Seeing some of these comments from self-described "pro-lifers" is really quite something. It's like I've said countless times before, "The Republican Party isn't pro-life; they're pro-life until birth."
— Craig Rozniecki (@CraigRozniecki) May 19, 2023
Seems super safe
— Daniel Rinaldi (@DRinaldiMusic) May 19, 2023
“Both sides,” this is shameful reporting.
— Cathy Brennan 🇮🇪🏳️🌈🇺🇸 (@bugbrennan) May 19, 2023
What is the other side of traumatizing children just because you can….
— Kimberly Chandler (@cozzmo73) May 19, 2023
You can’t both sides a man menacing children with an AR-15. https://t.co/sPhsLCXsZx
— The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) May 19, 2023
Guns should only be taken out if you are cleaning them, in danger or hunting / at the range. Fetishization of guns isn’t what responsible ownership looks like and neither is using them to protest especially like this. It needlessly puts kids in danger. https://t.co/JX4Nizz9OR
— David Hogg 🟧 (@davidhogg111) May 19, 2023
This guy is lucky it’s not my kids bus stop… https://t.co/E6l81EUzwi
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@AdamKinzinger) May 19, 2023
Behold, the problem with “both sides” journalism. https://t.co/XehvlJppW5
— Max Fawcett 🇨🇦 (@maxfawcett) May 19, 2023
Anne Arundel County police said in a statement McAdory is legally permitted to conduct his protest. However, it added police officers are “in the area to help ease growing concerns between students and parents.”