Tuesday, August 28, 2007

National Exercise Your Rights Day, The AAR

Today was National Exercise Your Rights Day. An assortment of gun bloggers have been calling for firearm owners to exercise their rights by purchasing ammunition, a firearm or a firearm accessory, or by attending a pro-gun rally, or by writing a letter to the editor of their local news rag or even by taking a friend shooting. This is in response to the anti's national day of anti gun protests scheduled for today.

David Codrea of The War on Guns and Jeff Know of the Firearms Coalition hit upon the idea of countering Jesse Jackson and the Brady Bunch at pretty much the same time. Daniel, an Amendment II Democrat, had scheduled a rally in Dallas to counter one put on by the Brady Bunch and the Rainbow Coalition.

So what have I personally done to support our rights today? Both First and Second Amendment?

I'll start by going over purchases.

Two 50 round boxes of Federal Premium Law Enforcement Tactical HST in .45ACP.




Nice Expansion

My next purchase was a Marlin 15YN.



Marlin 15YN


This little rifle is for teaching my grandchildren how to shoot. #1 grandson is going to get a kick out of this.

During lunch, I headed on over to the Save the Second Amendment Rally hosted by the Amendment II Democrats. The Brady Bunch's rally started at noon, so I got there a bit early, I arrived just as Daniel was starting to get set up. We got set up across the street from the church, along the path of past protest marches. I made up a quick sign, and we were ready. My sign read "The Deacons of Defense and Justice were Pro Second Amendment". We had our very own sheriff keeping an eye on our side of things. The anti's marched from a different direction, but we were still in a good spot, got our picture taken and had fun with the signs.

How many of us were there?

Three.

Daniel, myself, and the NRA-ILA Election Coordinator for the Texas 5th Congressional District.

The good thing is that the antis also had a very small turn out.

I was a bit disappointed that a couple folks from the Texas Hometown Forum on AR15.com did not show up, but what the heck. When I drove into the neighborhood where the rally was being held, I almost said "no thanks". It was not a place I would normally hang out. It turns out my disappointment was unfounded. The two folks I expected to show up did, they just joined the Rainbow Coalition march!


ARFcommer and CBS 11 News reporter


I would never, in a million years, have thought of mingling with the anti's in their own rally. These guys did, and they did it well.

From CBS 11 News:

By Steve Pickett


...The south Dallas march was a plea for peace and a call for more gun control.

But Karina Hollands saw the march as an opportunity to spread a different message.

"That doesn't stop murder; that doesn't stop violent crime," said Hollands. "It just means honest citizens don't have the means to protect themselves."

"There's no clear relationship between more guns and higher levels of violence," the director of the Small Arms Survey, Keith Krause said. He pointed to low ownership and high crime rates in Latin America.

He said studies have shown that gun violence often occurred in places undergoing rapid urban growth, and when lawless areas are created by extreme poverty and the absence of effective policing.
These guys did good, they even got play on the afternoon news broadcast. Not many showed up, but I have to call today a success.

If you participated in today's event, please let me know. Also, please post the details on The War on Guns, you may win a new hat.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was just glad that the anti's didn't get ALL the press!!! Unfortunately, even after doing an interview and taking several photos, the Dallas Morning News chose to pretend that we were not there.

John R said...

What do you expect from the DMN?

We may get a sideline in the Quick section in the morning, but I doubt it.

JT said...

No rallies that I was aware of in San Antonio, but I bought a box of .45 ammo!

Anonymous said...

The Dallas Brady Rally had over 100 people. You, being outside the church wouldn't know that. The people came in through the back entrance as the parking is in the back. One of your people came in and insulted a mother who had lost her child to gun violence. What a creep. Or was that you? We were protesting gun violence...that must mean you were in support of gun violence.

John R said...

Hello anon, thanks for stopping by.

I did see that folks were entering the church through the back entrance, and I saw the number of people who marched. Even the news reports listed only 60 or so attendees at the rally, this was the DMN, an ally of the Brady Bunch.

None of the people I know entered the church, and none insulted anyone.

I am against criminal violence of any kind, no matter the tool used by the goblin instigating that violence. I am in support of protecting my inherent right to protect myself from such violence in the most efficient and effective manner possible. While you demonize one tool that used by violent criminals, I would prefer to focus on the criminals themselves. While you blame the gun for a violent act, I blame perpetrator of that act. While you would ban guns in an effort to curb violence, I would look at the root cause of that violence and see what may be done to stop creating violent people.

Stop by any time, you comments are always welcome. You might want to create an identity other than anon, makes having a conversation more personal.

Anonymous said...

the local fox news said 200 people. so we could split the difference and say there were 100?

no one talked of banning guns at the rally. we just want to keep them out of the hands of the criminals and the young. we want the violence to stop. parents don't want to get a phone call telling them their child has been shot. this rally was not about you...not about responsible citizens having guns.

32 americans are murdered every single day by a person with a gun. it is our national shame.

John R said...

There may have been 100 people inside the church, but there were definitely not anywhere near 100 people marching.

The following statement:

""The gains made post-Columbine have all but dissipated," Mr. Strickland said, referring to laws passed after the 1999 school shootings in Colorado. "We can reframe this debate about gun control to one that puts children first."

Several speakers said they wanted government officials at the state and national levels to push for gun control. They said they believe politicians are too responsive to the gun lobby."

Sure sounds like a call for more gun control to me.

If you want the violence to stop, then isolate violent criminals from society. If you want the violence to stop, then have rallies that work to rebuild the family, require men to take responsibility for their children, and women to be responsible for who impregnates them. If you want the violence to stop, then take proactive measures to break up the gangs. If you want the violence to stop, you have to change the culture. Everything from the music to the core values of the community need to be addressed. Unless you do that, the violence will not stop. Guns have nothing to do with it. Cries for gun control are just a band aid. Gun control laws do not control criminals. Just look at the laws already in effect in our most violent cities.

Anonymous said...

I purchased a shiny new Bushmaster AR15A3 on Tuesday to mark the day. She is black and beautiful and bound to put the fear in any limperal...liberal that sees it.

John R said...

A new flat top Bushy, nice job!

Anonymous said...

Hello, first "anonymous" poster:

Our small rally outside the church was peaceful and civil. We did not disrupt your program inside the church, just as you did not interfere with our rally. If anyone did insult any of the Brady/Rainbow marchers, it was not with our knowledge or consent, and they weren't even part of the rally.

I have, however, heard enough from both the Brady Campaign and Rainbow PUSH to know that they're not just interested in keeping guns out of the hands of criminals - they're also interested in making many legal guns illegal. And our Second Amendment rights, now as always, remain non-negotiable.