A couple of protests/demonstrations designed to show support for the Second Amendment rolled across the country today. The hastily-organized Guns Across America and Gun Appreciation Day events drew people of the gun to capitols, gun ranges and local gun stores to support Americans’ right to keep and bear arms. Click here to see a roundup of pics from various capitols collected by theblaze.com. The pic above, taken at the Wisconsin capitol in Madison, was sent into TTAG central command by reader David C. Make the jump for the scene at Olympia, Washington where Mike B. (not that one) estimates 2000 people were there with about half open carrying — including one burly guy toting a Barrett in a backpack . . .

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88 COMMENTS

  1. Damn! Didn’t know there was a rally at the capital today. Oh well, I’ll just support the cause in different ways.

    • Smile for the cameras, sign-wavers. Your Standing Army is onto your type of terrorism.

      “…a knife and a loaded handgun in his possession, the latter without an appropriate license…”
      “…ideological associations promoting anti-taxation, gun rights, survivalist practices…”
      “…attempts to revise gun control…”
      “…we must all be disarmed first…”
      “…militia members in particular tend to point out the steady increase in gun control…”
      “…violation of gun control legislation…”
      “…Larry Pratt, the head of Gun Owners of America (GOA)…”
      “…gun shows, in gun clubs, at survivalist workshops…”
      “…exploitation of recruits’ sentiments concerning topical issues such as the expansion of gun control…”
      “…located dozens to hundreds of firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition…”
      “…submachine gun at children…”
      “…abortion policies and federal gun control legislation…”
      “…e.g., anti-abortion, anti-gun legislation…”

      Challengers from the Sidelines: Understanding America’s Violent Far-Right
      Combating Terrorism Center at West Point
      UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY
      Jan 15, 2013
      http://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/challengers-from-the-sidelines-understanding-americas-violent-far-right

      How’s that truncated version of the 2A working out now?

      How’s Supporting the Troops bootlicking the Standing Army* going?

      _________
      * “What, Sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty….” ~Rep. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, spoken during floor debate over the Second Amendment, I Annals of Congress at 750, August 17, 1789

      • I was never a big fan of a standing army — but you’re converting me with your incessant, pedantic ravings. You really need a diaper change.

        • Support the COMPLETE 2A; support emancipation from the greatest mischief with a Swiss-model Militia, and Congress’ Constitutional obligation to “organize, arm, and discipline” the “well regulated militia.”

          “A standing army is one of the greatest mischief that can possibly happen.” ~James Madison

          “…no such engine of oppression as a standing army.” ~Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Cooper, 1814

          “The inhabitants of Switzerland emancipated themselves by the establishment of a militia, which finally delivered them from the tyranny of their lords.” ~Representative Jackson, first U.S. Congress, when it met and turned to defense measures in 1791

        • don’t forget to mention that it’s part of the swiss gun AND defense policy that conscripts (everyone who served in the military, in CH that means every men how is not doing a civilian service and any woman who wishes to do military service) could keep their service-rifle at home if they wish to. (Afaik it’s converted to semi-auto if kept at home, but I’m not sure.) (some years ago they were issued “Taschenmunition” too, a sealed box wich holds 50 rnds of ammo, to open in case of emergency, but that time is gone now. however, ammo is usually available without problems.) If the gun control fanatics were right, there must be many shoolshootings, murders, amoks etc.pp. in the swiss, but, no suprise, thats bs, afaik there are less such incidents then in germany, which has very, very strict gun laws, or GB, which has even more restrictive laws.

          • Muh: That is silly. Who told you ammo was easy to get in Switzerland? You are talking about a country where private ownership of ammo is strictly illegal. As of 2012, more than 99% of all ammunition in the country had been turned in to the government.

            But I am with you. If you think the Switzerland example is the one to follow, then let’s do it. Let’s put everyone in the country through military training, and then issue them a gun. Then let’s confiscate all the ammunition, and put everyone in jail who gets caught with so much as a single bullet.

            I have to agree with you that it would decrease the crime rate. It would also make gun shows a lot safer.

        • LBD: um, no. Not even close on Swiss ammo.

          http://www.guncite.com/swissgun.html

          Swiss military ammo must be registered if bought at a private store, but need not be registered if bought at a range. The nation’s 3,000 shooting ranges sell the overwhelming majority of ammunition. Technically, ammunition bought at the range must be used at the range, but the rule is barely known and almost never obeyed.

          • Alpha Geek: the link you sent me described the law in 2002, and was dated in 2002. The law has changed since then. If you look up the current law and the current situation, you will find that I am correct.

        • that statement about ammo in switzerland is very wrong. the “Waffengesetz” points out that the federal gouvernment has no right to prohibit the posession of ammunition, there are only a few exceptions (for example for armor-piercing ammo). http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/sr/5/514.54.de.pdf

          btw a new people from switzerland who bought ammo this year …

          • You just linked to a 1997 law to describe ammo rules in Switzerland? I am pretty sure the 1999 gun act regulated ammo as a gun accessory. That means you need a permit to buy ammo.

        • PS (sorry for that):
          Maybe you confused it with the “Taschenmunition”, _this_ ammunition is really no more available, cause the swiss army thinks it’s no longer needet. this is the only ammo i could remember which was ever turned in in CH.

      • They know where I live and if they come for me that’s fine. I’ll face the challenge when the day comes. They may get me, they may get many of us. They won’t get all of us or nearly enough of us. If that day ever comes where they start kicking doors at zero dark thirty we’ll be looking at a whole different landscape that no one will much appreciate.

        Here’s something else to think about. If you’re just the average gun owner and have the usual work-a-day routine, the door kickers could save themselves a whole lot of trouble with a little bit of good old fashioned intelligence gathering. You, the wife and the kids are all out of the house from such and such a time until such and such a time during the week. Said door kickers get their star chamber warrant and come to your house while you’re all out and about and take all of your contraband, then they leave you a nice pretty and all legal like court summons on the kitchen table demanding that you appear before a judge or magistrate on some date to meet out your punishment. No muss, no fuss, and your guns are gone. Now what, Sparky?

        • When doors are kicked in and people are going to jail or dying while their liberty and freedom (firearms) are being taken away, that is when offensive operations would begin.
          Arson, vandalism, uncivil protest, (asymetrical/gorilla warfare) and when people start dying like Vickie Weaver….killing and assassination. This is something I would never do, but I can see it done if patriots start being MURDERED. This day should never come, and we are still along way off, but its up to us to peacefully make sure that it never comes to pass.

        • Greg in Allston said, “If that day ever comes where they start kicking doors at zero dark thirty we’ll be looking at a whole different landscape that no one will much appreciate.”

          Makes me think of the Nazi purge “Night of the Long Knives”.

          • Becca: The Night of the Long Knives is the common name for a series of about 85 political murders on june 30 and july 1, 1934. So it sounds like what you are saying is that the gun regulation initiatives are going to be used as an excuse to murder political opponents?

            This seems like a real fear in your world, does it?

            The idea that Bob Costas and Sarah Brady are secretly planning to murder people seems a little far-fetched to me. Now if you were to say the same about Ted Nugent and Alex Jones, considering they have openly made threats to do just that…

        • Costas And Brady are are simple minded powder puff sheeple. Why would we fear them? I think you can do much better in pointing out a more legitimate example of who one would fear kicking down their door (corrupt fed/state/local militarized police force, etc…) and are not doing so as a classic libtard tactic of raising pathetic straw (powder puff) men.

          • Pat: Just the fact that you keep using the word “libtard” shows what kind of argument you prefer. You seem to think that name-calling is some sort of awesome debate tactic that highlights your intellectual superiority.

            It doesn’t. It cheapens your argument and it makes you look like a slob.

        • Well, let’s start with the basics: there is not enough manpower to do that operation all at once. And the odds of it getting planned and executed without leaks is zero.

      • wow. it is clear that your ramblings will deter any hlp we can get fm good owners. you deserve be excomunicated out of the us.

        • Those who hate the complete 2A often have little appreciation for the concept of freely speaking and writing what is on one’s mind found in the complete 1A.

          What makes your desire to shut me up about the 2A any different from your average Leftist, duke?

        • Switzerland is a nice little city sized state with a homogeneous population and great gun laws for the citizens. Cheeze, watches, pretty blondes, chocolate, and a rather weenie response to WW2. America is the indispensable nation, large, influential, and exceptional. The United States is the greatest nation on Gods green earth. We have as little chance of becoming Switzerland as they have of becoming us.

        • Pat, quit pissing on the 2A, which stipulates a Swiss-model MILITIA. You have as little respect for it as DiFi herself.

          Any nation could emancipate themselves from a Standing Army and form a citizen-soldier Militia, if they wanted to be more free.

          But like you, they don’t. They love tyranny.

        • @pat: city-sized state? i loled. if you take new york, LA and chicago and sum up their size, switzerland is 16 times the size. there are only 11 states in the US who have more inhabitants then switzerland. maybe you confused it with liechtenstein? (just kidding …)

          @militia: I think a militia is a great thing. sure, you’ll need a standing army for some things, but many tasks can be done by a militia and a militia would reduce the risk of someone becoming a dictator by military force. the standing army could be used for tasks which need significantly more training than a militia could provide to her members.

        • Ivy: Only pointing out what everybody on this forum and elsewhere believe. The standing army thing (which I think we need some sort of smaller, efficient one to go along with the 2nd A) is, and shall always be, a done deal. Harping on about it is like complaining that the moon is not made of Blue Cheeze (or Swiss). Your among friends, come in out of your cold self exile.

        • Muh: Switzerland is bigger than I thought, and thats kinda the point, as one really doesnt have to think of the Swiss (nice as they may be). America is the one ‘indispensable’ nation and the 20th century was the ‘American’ century,, as such, we are exceptional.
          I agree with you on the combination of a standing army and militia.

      • It bugs me that DoD would be looking too hard into domestic CT/AT, even if POTUS can, under current law, call in all branches to assist in the case of massive civil disturbances (look up the Army JAG domestic operations handbook).

        But still, even in the military (and particularly in the school house environment) we do have the 1A. Professors there can publish articles in their own name. Hence “The views expressed in this report are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of the Combating
        Terrorism Center, U.S. Military Academy, Department of Defense or U.S. government.”

  2. I was at the Boston rally today with several friends. There were over 600 people at the peak. It ran from Noon to 2 PM. There were tons of really great posters. The crowd was very calm and respectful. There were only a few counter protesters. For a spur of the moment affair, I’d say we had a very good turnout. The next big rally in MA will be Feb. 8, again on Beacon Hill.

    I’ve read that the MMM is going to hold a rally at state capitols on Jan. 26. I think that it would be a good idea if we showed them up and appeared in strength. I don’t think that they have the grassroots wherewithal to match our numbers. If they can’t muster the level of attendance that we’ve been able to put forth, it will be a real black eye and embarrassment for them. Let’s make them look like fools and beat them into the ground (figuratively, of course).

    • Yeah we even cleaned up after ourselves. Amazing!!!!
      Idaho had over 1000 and most OC’d in the capital rotunda. Only the politicians and guards were unarmed!

  4. I remember stating that a pro-2A rally was going to happen today and I heard some people nearby say, “Oh, I’m going to avoid the capitol then just in case someone starts shooting.”

    Sigh.

    The media has so many people brainwashed. Not sure what disgusts me more; The fact the media is so transparently in the pocket of politicians or the fact that people just believe everything they see and hear on TV.

    • Do you think these gun apprecation days helped or hurt because there were three negligent discharge incidents at today’s rallies?

      • Notice also that the libtard media machine emphasized these minor incidents to their gun grabbing greatest effect.
        God help us if some poor bastard had been killed.

        • Nobody to blame but ourselves though!

          If these god damned idiots would just follow cooper’s 4, these ND’s wouldn’t have happened.

          Stop giving the anti’s incidents to use!

        • Yup. The people should have just left their heaters at home and showed up in their Sunday best (suit, tie, slacks, etc…) and not in stupid camo looking like skeeter coming out of a tornado bait trailer park, lookin fer possum ta shoot up and throw in da pot.

      • I would say the rallies were helping the pro-2A cause until the NDs happened.

        And just recently CNN is reporting on an ND that did injure people at several Gun show: http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/19/us/north-carolina-gun-show-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

        Yes, accidents happen but c’mon folks. We’re currently living in times where the media will be just looking for any excuse to use any stories of gun owner negligence or safety violations to really put the screws to everyone with knee-jerk legislation. Now is the time to be even more vigilant (or even obsessive) about gun safety.

        Especially when you’re in a rally, gun show, or anywhere else en masse with other gun owners. Look out for each other just like you would at the range.

      • I was on the freeway on the 19th, southbound 880 in the bay area when traffice was slowed by a wreck. I wonder how many car accidents happened on the 19th nationwide as opposed to gun accidents?

        All accidents that cause injuries and fatalities and property damage are bad. Why is it a worse accident because a gun is involved and not a car?

        • JWM: That is actually the more interesting argument. We go to great lengths to make cars safer. We require them to be licensed, insured, and (in many states) inspected. We tax them to raise money to make roads safer. We force people to pass a written test and a competence test just to get a license.

          All of these obstacles are imposed on cars, even though cars are nearly essential in most parts of the country. We do none of these things for guns. They are not licensed, not insured, and not inspected for safety. We do not tax them to raise money, nor do we require any minimum standard of competence or training.

          The main reason for the difference is that cars did not exist in 1776. If they did, the founding fathers would have most likely outlined which regulations were allowed and which ones were not.

          So the question is, can we make gun use safer without violating the 2nd Amendment? Personally, I think we can.

          As an example, congress has gutted the funding of the BATF in recent years, as a way to prevent them from enforcing existing laws. If we restored their funding, and allowed them to enforce existing laws as needed, the rest of the debate might be unnecessary.

        • Cars are a privilege while guns are a right. Both are regulated to certain degrees. There are more than enough gun laws on the books. They must be enforced.
          A few decades ago police carried S&W model 10 38 revolvers and no bullet proof armour. The failed war on drugs have militarized them. Having a cop come to your door with a 15 round Glock 22 to make sure that your Glock 22 holds 7 rounds in NY is INSANE.
          If they can do this, then they must take of the body armour and strap on the 38 revolver.

      • I can tell you there were no ND’s at any of the Guns Across America Rally’s
        At the gun shows, well that is a different story.

  5. When I read the headline on this post, my first thought was “Not in California, it didn’t! Draw open-carry advocates, that is – we lost open carry here.

    • Yes and we also let folks know that CC is not allowed on capital grounds which includes the front steps. It was EPIC you should have been there!

  6. Of course some smuck had an ND at a gun show and injured 3 people and that’s what the media is focusing on.

      • There’s 80+ million gun owners in America today. Are we supposed to never have a mishap amongst our numbers? Are our civil rights based on a perfect safety record?

        • JWM: No, people in America are allowed to own guns no matter how untrained, no matter how negligent, no matter how careless, and no matter how crass.

          Sort of makes it seem like a little required safety training might be a good idea, though, doesn’t it?

        • A few revolvers in a locked gun cabinet, to be grabbed by a number of school officials who are interested, and trained in their use, so that an official is there at all times, is superior and of little economic cost. Two minutes is a hell of alot better than the twenty it took for the cops to show up at the Sandyhook school. If ya hear pop pop, you go to the cabinet and then take the goon out (these shooters are focused on what they are doing and wont notice you coming up from behind, and if they did, they usually kill themselves).

    • I was there too. It was awesome. I agree with your attendance estimation. Of course, local media tries to downplay it as “hundreds.” But the reality on the ground is that there is hard core group in CT willing to show up on a clear but cold day ready to fight. We are getting organized. The problem I see is how to reach out to Joe and Jane shotgun in the closet and get them on board. Honestly, I think we might be able to win or at least play to a tie. At the end of the day, the disarmament types are just running their usual play book, we’re fighting for our constitutional right. We have more to loose and we fight harder.

      Also, I know it is de rigueur to bash law enforcement, but I have never seen a more chilled out bunch of cops in the face of a heavily armed crowd.

        • Heh, I wonder if some volunteered for that assignment so they could get paid for doing what they were going to do anyway. :p

        • Not to mention, Accur81, that many of the cops I know would pick working crowd control at a pro-2A demonstration over the doing same at an anti-G12 protest, any day of the week.

          I seem to recall the reasoning came down to something about “reasonable folks” in one group and “troublemaking anarchist idiots” in the other. Actual quotes.

    • That is great Pascal.
      Our LEO’s who worked our event were totally laid back and very helpful. They were more worried about some idiot opposition protestor doing something than us doing something. We cleaned when we left, and everyone had a great time!

  8. I would like to have gone to something like this, but Harrisburg is 4 hours from here and I’m too broke to miss a day of work.

  10. Went with two friends to Sacramento, good amount of people showed up, maybe 500. Went to Hooties after. All around good day.

      • Well sir, you did a hell of a job. I thought the whole event was very positive. The diversity of the people there really helped get our point of view across.

    • Stop ignoring cooper’s rules, stop giving them source material.

      Christ on a cracker, why are so many gun owners god damned idiots and so cavalier and dismissive when it comes to safety. “what are you worried about, it’s unloaded!”.

      Every gun show i’ve been to, there’s always been someone doing something unbelievably stupid.

  13. I wouldn’t have open carried at such an event. Look at what happened when black people open carried in California. The white people got scared and passed “laws” to stop open carry and it eventually led to no carry what so ever.

    • The initial reports were hurried, and inaccurate. The coroner’s report was accurate: The victims at the school were shot with a semi-auto rifle.

  17. My wife and I attended the Ohio rally in Columbus. I would say there were 1500 or so
    there. One of the local tv stations reported there were ” a few hundred in attendance”.

    • Thats what they always do, under report your numbers, give you no coverage in the media, pretend that the entire country is united for gun control……….

      propaganda method “bandwagon”

  18. I went to the NY rally today. There was only one TV news van there. According to the radio there were about 2000 of us there. Not bad.

  19. In Canada we protested the G20 with nothing but megaphones and were beaten, tased, rounded up one square at a time, and tossed in to makeshift jails without charge.

    You American’s have the right idea…..they didn’t try that crap with you guys.

    An armed protest is an unmolested protest.

  20. The one in Utah was excellent. Local news pegged the crowd at 3000, Nutnfancy gave a pretty damn good (and concise!) speech, and the crowd reacted overwhelmingly positive when word of the Utah County Sheriff’s Association’s “Ain’t Gonna Happen Here” stance on confiscation was brought up.
    It was a good day to be an American, and possibly the proudest I’ve ever been to be a Utahn.
    I did see some open-carry here and there, but I think the majority of us carried concealed instead.

  21. In honor of “Gun Appreciation Day”, thee were two separate accidental shootings at gun shows. Don’t worry, no one was killed, but the one in NC was a shotgun, so three separate people ended up having a bad day.

    Four, if you assume that the shotgun owner cared.

    I doubt this increased their appreciation for guns. My experience is that bad gun owners rarely learn anything.

  22. About 150-170 in Richmond, VA yesterday, though we were prohibited from Capitol Square, and confined to a windy, shady sidewalk (“no permit”) (“permit”? REALLY?)
    I saw a Mini-14 and several holstered .45s, one of which looked to be a Commander.
    Not bad on short notice and scant publicity.

    How were others?

    • William,

      I don’t know that there are any protests that show up at Capitol Square that will just be allowed to stay without a permit. I am pretty sure the same rules apply to pro-gun and anti-gun groups.

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