Reading The Pictures: <em>.38 More Ways to Counter the Teabaggers?</em>

We now have this example of a pro-reform demonstrator appearing at a weekend tea party protest packing heat.
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2009-08-25-josh_arizona_protest_gun.jpg

I just saw this photo story at TPM. After several incidents last week in which right wing radicals showed up at health care meetings wearing guns, we now have this example of a pro-reform demonstrator, identified only as "Josh," appearing at a weekend tea party protest packing heat.

Given that singular radical statements can disproportionately alter the political narrative (link), do you think this protest (and the image it obviously was intended to inspire) provides "an effective" demonstration? In other words, does it realistically help Obama and the cause of reform in any way? And more to the point, can fighting the symbolism of fire with the symbolism of fire actually help neutralize (as opposed to simply incite) the irrational behavior and radical gestures of the extreme right?

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