Gun toting protesters

It is disturbing to me that the people carrying their firearms to these rallies in New Hampshire and Arizona are disturbing to some people, such as Arthur Frommer, the travel guru. Gun statistics overwhelmingly support gun rights, yet there are many that refuse to allow their brains to wrap around the facts.

These men (and women?) are showing people that gun owners are not dangerous. They aren’t a threat. Guns are simply a tool that is legal to own and carry. In fact, someone who is legally carrying a gun is much less likely to become a victim of crime than someone who isn’t. And usually, a shot doesn’t even need to be fired.
A basic knowledge of history and the Constitution would go a long way in current society. Unfortunately, both are in short demand. At the writing of the Constitution, the new republic (as opposed to a democracy) had recently come out of a bitter war with a tyrannical government. Our founding fathers wanted to ensure that the new nation would not come under control of tyranny ever again. Here are some words of our founding fathers regarding guns:


"The said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms." - Sam Adams, as reported in the Philadelphia Independent Gazetteer, August 20, 1879.

"The great object is that every man be armed. Everybody who is able may have a gun." - Patrick Henry

"Americans need never fear their government because of the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation." - James Madison

"When firearms go, all goes....we need them every hour." - George Washington
"I ask sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for a few public officials." - George Mason

"Laws that forbid the carrying of guns...disarm only those who are neither inclined not determined to commit crimes....Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailant; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." - Thomas Jefferson

"Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence...From the hour the Pilgrims landed, to the present day, events, occurrences, and tendencies prove that to ensure peace, security, and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable. The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference; they deserve a place of honor with all that's good." - George Washington

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain their right to keep and bear arms is as a last resort to protect themselves against tyranny in government." - Thomas Jefferson

Given these quotes, we see that hunting and personal self-defense are secondary to the reason the 2nd amendment was penned. Justice Thomas said it best, “Let me put it this way; there are really only two ways to interpret the Constitution -- try to discern as best we can what the framers intended or make it up.”

Hunting is an obvious use of firearms and is rarely argued by anyone except animal rights activists. Self-defense however is hotly contested.

In its original writing, the 2nd Amendment took only 27 words. (A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed)
Over decades & decades, our city, state and federal legislators have spent untold time and energy in the attempt to interpret these 27 words in a way to remove this right from the law-abiding citizen. In some places, this endeavor has succeeded but with all their effort, those legislators have not succeeded in removing guns from the criminals, and they never will!

In every country where guns were banned or tightly controlled, gun violence has risen. Ask who owns guns in Canada, Mexico, England, Australia, 1933 Germany and yes, in New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Washington D.C. and so many other places where guns are not permitted or are heavily restricted. In areas of gun rights, violent crimes decrease.

With law enforcement being hit with cuts, and the Supreme court affirming that Law Enforcement Officers have no obligation to protect individuals (Bowers v. DeVito, (1982), we have a right and a responsibility to protect ourselves and our families.
I did not open carry at any of our townhalls, but I defend these patriots’ right to do so. I also admire their gumption to do so, knowing that they would be subjected to the ridicule and condemnation of those who believe that Americans are too stupid to be trusted with guns.