Mike wasn't there to make a statement about firearms, he was there for the same reason everyone else was...a rally for victims of hate crimes and that is exactly was he became a victim of that night. The media makes it out like Mike was standing in front of a crowd with his arms crossed in an intimidating nature. He was actually in the front of the crowd listening to the speakers. See how leaving out that "the" makes a difference to the story. The only way you can get the true facts about this story is not going to be from the news, it's from the guy behind the beard, if you're lucky enough to know the real person he is, not the guy the media wants you to think he is.