That's a fair statement if you're referring to criticism aimed at an OC supporter who holds no official position within any group and who is carrying out an action not endorsed, condoned, or facilitated by any group. However, most of the criticism I've seen has been directed toward group leaders, participants in group events, or actions a group chose to applaud/condone after the fact. An organizer or leader for a group can't control what a member posts on Facebook or does on the member's own time, but an organizer or leader does have some control over what members do while participating in group marches, protests, and events. Furthermore, an organizer or leader has an obligation to distance the group from dangerous, destructive, and unethical behavior and from persons known to engage in such behavior. For example, if members taking part in an open carry protest start harassing or stalking passersby who speak out against open carry, the organizers of that protest are deserving of criticism if they make no attempt to stop the action and take no steps (e.g., banishing the offending members) to prevent a repeat occurrence.anygunanywhere wrote:It is obvious that this attitude of not criticizing a group's supporters is not held by everyone since the OC supporters seem to be fair game.
Rather than taking steps to prevent dangerous, destructive, and unethical behavior, most of the OC groups seem to take a "the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your mission" approach to such behavior. They make no attempt to stop it (and, arguably, even encourage it) until the media or an opposing group challenges them on it; then they throw up their hands and proclaim, "It wasn't us!"
