Vermont pro-gun rally in Montpelier: More opponents of new gun laws urged to seek office
courtesy burlington free press
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An operation called the National Constitutional Coalition of Patriotic Americans organized pro-gun rights protests in various state capitols over he weekend, though some complained of poor communication. The protests were primarily promoted on the group’s Facebook page. As a result, the crowds were generally small. The Daily Beast took pleasure in calling the turnout “measly.”

Still, those who did show up were enthusiastic.

“It really means a lot to see everyone here standing up for our rights. But the truth is we shouldn’t have to,” said Derek Wills, one of the event’s speakers representing the activist group Lone Star Gun Rights. Wills also hosts a podcast called Lone Star Gun Talk. “Our founding fathers would be rolling in our graves right now if they could see the State of our Union today. The freedom we so proudly boast is but a shadow of its former self.”

In Vermont — a constitutional carry state — pro-2A protestors were reeling over what they saw as a betrayal by GOP Governor Phil Scott who signed a sweeping new gun control bill into law last week. Vermonters now have to be 21 to purchase a firearm, navigate universal background checks and deal with a 10-round magazine limit. Their bump fire stocks are now illegal, too.

At the Montpelier protest Saturday, John Nagle addressed the crowd:

“Three days ago, on these steps, we were betrayed,” Nagle said, clad in a dark red T-shirt bearing the image of a firearm and the slogan ‘I will not comply’ over camouflage-printed long sleeves. “We were promised no new gun laws.”

Conservatives, he said, have been hiding in the shadows.

“This is an intellectual battle, and we need to come out as the winners,” he said. “No more compromise—we vote them out.”

Attendees were in no mood for compromise.

The crowd broke out into chants of “Dump Phil Scott” as Deb Billado, the chairwoman of the Vermont Republican Party, got up to speak, telling her that they would not support Scott as the Republican nominee for governor.

“It’s everyone’s choice to take back to the polls,” she told the crowd. “I don’t pick winners or losers.”

Billado did not directly criticize Scott, but emphasized the party is “committed without reservation to personal liberty,” including the right to keep and bear arms.

They were just as riled up in Massachusetts.

Dave Kopacz, a conservation agent from Palmer, MA, took to the statehouse steps, making for the most lively moment in the two-hour-get together.

“I hear an awful lot as it relates to the Second Amendment talking about deer hunting, target shooting, and it has nothing to do with those things, completely incidental,” he yelled, wearing jeans, a green Three (Percenter) T-Shirt, flannel, a black leather vest, long gray hair held back in a ponytail, a handlebar moustache, and a black baseball cap which read, “It Matters How You Stand.”

“The Second Amendment in my opinion and the opinion of many is for killing tyrants! It’s about defending this country and this people and this land against an overly aggressive government. It’s about time we start talking this way. When they say, ‘Do you need an AR-15 to kill deer?’ you say, ‘No!” he yelled.

“It’s for killing tyrants!”

When asked to name the tyrants, Kopacz said it was too long of a list. “I don’t think it would be fair to name a few, there are many of them,” he said, adding that the list included elected officials.

“There are some in office right now, there are some that have been in office. We are seeing a systemic lack of respect for the constitution as a whole.”

 

 

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87 COMMENTS

  1. We’re done. The anti’s have won the war. It’s just a question of where you live which will determine how long it takes. One generation til we look like Australia max. The UNI party system/ new world order can now only be delayed.

    • I agree, the pro gun groups have been floundering all over the place for years. The NRA abandoned New York and left competing factions. Most pro gun arguments are simply: “Rabble Rabble Rabble, Second Amendment”. And and the tactics used to fight the anti-gun groups are stuck in the 90s.

      Until these groups move themselves into the modern age each state will fall like a domino.

    • Last weekend’s rallies are not reflective of the support for gun rights in America. They were poorly organized and promoted and, as far as I know, did not involve the “big 3” gun rights organizations (NRA, GOA, CCRKBA). If we want to really turn people out, we need more lead time and the involvement of these organizations.

      Some additional observations:

      Gun rights are still strongly supported in the red states, with gun control proposals failing miserably in them.

      Our nation is divided more than at any time since the 1850s. Any effort to disarm the public will be seen as the first step towards tyranny in a majority of states.

      The idea that young people are universally in favor of gun control is completely false. I taught a rifle class over the weekend and nearly half my students were college students.

      The blue states are definitely moving to the left and some of the swing states may end up going with them – however the red states are not moving left. I don’t know what the future holds, but I pray that our differences can be resolved peacefully – however, this is far from certain.

    • Don’t panic yet. I would have expected turnout to be low for the following reasons:

      A). Most conservatives, most gun rights people use Facebook? I don’t think so.

      B). Gun owners instinctively hate large crowds and thus will psychologically shy away from these events.

      C). As ignoramus millennials grow up they learn some things. As a result, older people with guns who understand the world better, are most likely at home with the wife and kids trying to enjoy the moment before their short tour of life comes to a close.

      D). People are a bit more naturally complacent right now. Republicans hold congress and the presidency. So to many gun rights advocates – it’s relaxing time.

      E). Of those people (with jobs) working on the weekend, most are likely republicans (because jobs). That’s means they have to work, and skip the Capitol building this time.

      F). Gun owners like to shoot guns. And when do people get a moment to have some fun at the range? On the weekend.

      • It was also poorly publicized. I only heard about it the day before. Your weekend comment is pretty accurate, for me Saturday is the only day to do several things that must occur weekly. And sadly I am not including getting some lead therapy. Still it has been estimated that in Augusta Maine we had over 800 people on a raw late winters day.

  2. [The Daily Beast took pleasure in calling the turnout “measly.”]

    It’s pretty dishonest to gloat over a small turnout when you have the news media complicit in promoting your anti-gun events, and at the same time burying all coverage of the gun-rights events.

    Imagine the turnout if even one-tenth the resources had been spent on these events as the Soros machine put into the gun-hating rallies around the country.

    • I have to up vote what you and Rev R Vincent Warde have to say about the protests. The anti-gun left wingers planned all of this out in advance and had massive support from the media and leftist billionaires before any shots were fired! Our response is just a unplanned reaction to the media/ anti-gun mafia blitz. We need to be better organized and have our ducks in a row before the next school shooting (There will be one even if the left has to make it a false flag event.).

      • Well, darn.

        Just when I was getting without an aluminum mixing bowl on my head, you bring up false flag ops. Could it be that the rallies this weekend were designed to make it look like gun owners really don’t support their own rights? Make it appear that there are only small groups of paranoid gun owners? All the events organized and attended by anti-gunners in disguise? That confederate flag thing makes you wonder if it was not leftist overreach to make the rallies appear racist.

        • Rats. Forgot to insert “comfortable” after “getting”. Please see corrected version below.
          __________________________________
          Well, darn.

          Just when I was getting comfortable without an aluminum mixing bowl on my head, you bring up false flag ops. Could it be that the rallies this weekend were designed to make it look like gun owners really don’t support their own rights? Make it appear that there are only small groups of paranoid gun owners? All the events organized and attended by anti-gunners in disguise? That confederate flag thing makes you wonder if it was not leftist overreach to make the rallies appear racist.

  3. I’m not American, and try to avoid involving myself in other nations’ politics. As a Canadian I’d like to think I have a considerable degree of experience with gun control, however, and I would like to see a general improvement in respecting gun owners rights worldwide.

    In the early nineties we were in a position where no major party would support gun owners. It took a number of years and a lot of effort, but we finally reached the point where a political party supported us in removing the Long Gun Registry. Now that the Liberal party is back in power, we’re back in trouble, but at least it showed that progress was possible.

    That brings me to the current situation in the USA. I just looked it up, and primary elections are about to start or are ongoing in various states. This means that every American on this site needs to get involved as soon as possible, and ensure that the most pro-gun candidates are selected. I found the National Conference of State Legislatures which has a list of when votes are taking place:

    http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/2018-state-primary-election-dates.aspx

    Please consider taking the time to get out there and vote.

  4. We had about 300 people here in Oregon. I think the biggest issue was that the rally was locked down on face book. Nobody I know had accounts, so the best info we saw was iffy blasts from several newsletters at best telling people to show up. No ability to confirm permits etc.

    Lots of men, women and children. Some signs, many open carriers. The handful of police seemed to be having friendly engagements with the group. It was briefly covered in the local statesman newspaper.

    • The reason the Anti2A crowd has bigger crowds is not secret. They’re organized with nationwide coordination and funding through labor unions, Planned Parenthood and other well funded anti-gun organizations. Like you, I don’t to use Facebook and any other social media sites. Where was the NRA or GOA in sending out email notices to members and coordinating with in state 2A groups? I just went on the Oregon Firearms Federation site and there was nothing about it. If I would have known about it I’d have been there and would have made sure the local gun clubs knew. I would have gladly driven and offered room for 7 others.

      • I received at least one GOA blast about it, but it wasn’t informational, just links to Facebook. I also got many from Oath Keepers, but the same thing with just links to Facebook.

        Most of the people I know that I asked about it had no idea outside of me telling them. Just about every person I know had already scheduled engagements for kids sports etc…

        As for OFF…I am sort of shocked on this. We had an assembly in Beaverton that OFF hosted early last week and it was not mentioned there either. What was mentioned? The lack of NRA support.

        • Kind of surprised Hickok45 and the flurry of other folks always preaching for viewers to get involved didn’t do more to promote this event. Obviously it was not well organized, and Facebook should never have been the vehicle.

  5. While I greatly appreciate the efforts of the National Constitutional Coalition of Patriotic Americans in organizing these events I think there needs to be a lot more time and preparation before we have this type of protest. It’s all about perception and although are ultimately stronger (numbers x enthusiasm) than the grabbers that doesn’t come through unless our events can trump theirs.

    The grabbers had carefully prepared for their march with massive financial and logistical support as well as cheerleading from the mainstream media. They certainly turned out large numbers (though not nearly as large as they were wont to claim). We need to take the time to organize and adequately publicize our own event (I typically work on Saturdays and did not find out about the 4-14-18 protests until it was too late to get time off work). We are definitely capable of beating the other side but we cannot afford to “shoot from the hip”!

  6. I did not attend the 2A rally in Hotlanta on Saturday, but I did go to a gunshow in Marietta, GA. It was PACKED. This was a small show, but there were at least 2000 people in this one show, that was just the 2 hours I was there. Scary black rifles were being sold all over the room. I’d say that there is NO chance that the left is winning the culture war on guns, there’s only propaganda. This was a busy, friendly, diverse crowd that was all about firearms freedom!

      • First of all, that’s debatable. Secondly, if that group of fellow Americans at the gun show is any indication, interest in firearms is strong in all demographics. Not at all like the SJW propagandists would tell us it is. That’s the point I’m trying to make, anecdotal as it may be.

    • The anti-gun mafia needs its big showings so that the compliant media can give it coverage that the vast majority of the population supports its agenda. Even a small protest against firearms will be blown out of proportion by the leftist media.

  7. Apparently there was some event in Austin as well. I had no idea about it. I don’t do social media of any kind except for Instagram as it relates to this website. @jonwaynetaylor
    Unless someone told me about the event, or it was on this site, I really don’t know how I would have known. I think there are likely a great many gun owners like me.

    • I showed up (no shit) 1 1/2 hours late to join the “2:00 – 5:00PM” rally when I was able, and it was already long gone. Had no idea these rallies were such brief affairs, now I *know* gun owners have no excuse for failing to spend the time occasionally. Organizing needs a major overhaul, yesterday. This event was among the *more successful* recent protest efforts, and it was hammered together by rando fools online across a wide spectrum of “pro-gun-related” interest groups over the past several weeks. That should give everyone an idea of how half-assed our side is about our public speech.

      Beautiful day, though.

      Oh yeah, and none other than Hickock45 took the opportunity to shit on the effort as a whole. Posted online (why would you ever post this online as a pro-gun person?) that he was forced to flee from his local protest after someone with a Confederate Flag t-shirt showed up and was nearly filmed alongside him (heaven forfend!). Said he couldn’t allow himself to be associated with such people…by simply being seen in proximity to them. I forget if he bothered to praise the sentiment behind the protests or not; his mortification was clearly the overriding message.

      • Hickock 45, et. al.

        “…summer soldier and sunshine patriot…”

        If gun owners are going to copy gun grabbers (labeling fellow gun owners as “deplorables”), what is the point is discussing anything but MOA. duck blinds, and hand reloading ammunition?

  8. I didn’t know this was a thing until the day before and that was way too short of notice to change plans and get down to Austin.

  9. “The protests were primarily promoted on the group’s Facebook page. As a result, the crowds were generally small.”

    What have I been saying about countering professional organization with professional organization?

    This is what’s ticking me off about the NRA (among other things). They have the resources, experience and the wherewithal to really make a difference by putting things together on a professional level the way the Left does. But the NRA doesn’t bother. Then again, none of the other gun rights groups even really take a stab at it so there’s blame to go around I guess.

    The really stupid thing is that this is kind of like the “dinner table scene” from Sicario where the drug kingpin guy asks Benicio del Toro’s character “Who do you think we learned it from?”. The NRA started this kind of organizational effort back in the 1990’s and broke a lot of ground doing it. The anti’s stole that playbook and are running with it now. The NRA and other groups are just kind of standing on the sideline scratching their asses while watching the antis do this and wondering where they got the idea.

    • “This is what’s ticking me off about the NRA (among other things). They have the resources, experience and the wherewithal to really make a difference by putting things together on a professional level the way the Left does. But the NRA doesn’t bother. Then again, none of the other gun rights groups even really take a stab at it so there’s blame to go around I guess. ”

      I absolutely agree

    • Then again, I, and I imagine you, haven’t don’t much even from an individual perspective to promote them either. I am a pretty lazy guy when it comes to things like this and that is a problem.

      • Here’s my concern.
        I’m one of the most prolific gun reviewers (second only to the legendary Foghorn Leghorn, God rest his soul) on TTAG, which is one of the largest firearms related sites on web, with millions of monthly readers.
        I’ve also been involved with directly lobbying, advising, and writing firearms related legislation in my state for a couple of decades. I’ve directly advised 3 different governors and two presidents. I’ve testified to the house and senate on several occasions. I’m a firearms manufacturer, an FFL/SOT holder and a member of several industry organizations. I’m an NRA certified rifle instructor. I’m a member of a few different “gun rights” organizations. I’m a veteran, and a PO. I’ve done tons of interviews relating to guns over the years.

        No one called or contacted me about the meeting in Austin.
        If I’m that involved, and no one contacted me, how on earth are the rest of the gun owning public supposed to know about this stuff?

        By the way, I’m on a whole lot of lists. How do I know? Because a lot of firearms related organizations constantly email, call, and mail me asking for money.

        But apparently they couldn’t be bothered to notify me on an event that isn’t a fundraiser.

        • After reading this comment, I feel like an idiot for not contacting you guys to let you know about these events it so you could promote it. Curse of my generation I guess, I assume everyone has a Facebook.

        • From what I understand, a loose collection of 3%/etc groups collaborated on this thing at several web forums (ar15.com was one) over a period of several weeks after the big March gun control protest effort. Those groups are usually only able to turn out in the dozens at best, so this was actually a major coup for them in a sense.

          The fact that the NRA, TSRA, etc were AWOL is a different matter (to be fair, for one they don’t want to affiliate themselves with those off-message groups for good or bad, and for two I wouldn’t expect larger orgs to be able to turn on a dime & devote resources at the drop of a hat in two weeks)

        • “If I’m that involved, and no one contacted me, how on earth are the rest of the gun owning public supposed to know about this stuff?”

          Faceplant supposedly has a billion subscribers. Given the pervasive influence and reach, and the belief by many here that “patriots” are waiting for that magic moment to rise up and revolt, one would think a 24hr notice would have generated thousands of pro-gun supporters at each event Saturday.

          Should we presume that POTG are avoiding social media (couldn’t fault anyone for that) entirely, in vast numbers? That social media will not be a useful means to broadcast information to 2A supporters.

          As posited earlier, maybe the lack of response is telling us something about who we really are, and our elastic tolerance for suppression of constitutionally protected rights. That there are other elements of our lives that take priority over keeping government in check?

        • Sam I Am-
          “That social media will not be a useful means to broadcast information to 2A supporters.”
          I can’s speak for everyone, but no, I don’t believe social media will be a useful means to organize events and broadcast information. I simply don’t use it, and neither do most of the people I hunt, shoot, and work with.

        • I try to avoid giving personal information to any business that I don’t absolutely need to interchange with. Naturally, social media is avoided. But are POTG. in large numbers, ignoring a useful tool?

          Given that POTG do not represent near the majority of gun owners, and many gun owners probably are not POTG, maybe there are people to be reached via social media. (straight up, does anyone know if pseudonyms can be used to set up a social media account that does not require official credentialing?).

          Even anonymously, I would not relish participating in social media, but should we POTG be really active (until thrown out) on social media? For the good of “the movement”?

        • Facebook is something you take shots for, and hire expensive attorneys to fix for ya.

          NEXT TIME TRY AM RADIO ! ! ! ! !

          OFWG’s got gobs of jobs man. I got like 4. We listen to Conservative Talk [AM] Radio.

          (second only to the legendary Foghorn Leghorn, God rest his soul) God rest his soul????

          I felt no great disturbance in the Force.

          He ain’t dead. Where is he. Produce the child.

        • In my best Capt. Willard monologue – “Marriage ? He was 28 years old. Why the fuck would he do that?”… “I was 34 and it damn near wasted me.”

          Does somebody have to proceed up to Nung river in a Navy patrol boat. Pick up Leghorn’s path at Nu Mung Ba, follow it, learn what they can along the way. When they find
          Leghorn infiltrate his OP by whatever means available and talk some sense into the man?

        • I very much suspect that you are a rare sort of gun rights advocate. Unfortunately I suspect that more POTG are like me, curmudgeonly recluses that would be hard pressed to even show up for their own funerals. The bug for civic activism looks much more prevalent in the antis. As regrettable as it is, the idea of marching around in public turns my stomach. I have been told, by multiple doctors over four decades that I likely have Asperger’s syndrome though, so hopefully my reluctance is rarer than I think. In 2008 I spent 600+ hours working for Ron Paul’s campaign though, including being delegate to the state Republican convention, maybe my medication was different that year. I gotta get that back somehow.

  10. Well a $1,000+ trip to Juneau wasn’t in the budget for me….but I did take a woman to the range who wants to learn to shoot. She loved it!

  11. Hooray for all those who participated.

    However…..

    Enthusiasm is useful for ramping up turnout, but the message is in the number of attendees. Small crowds do not draw attention, nor garner the attention of the media (except for anti-gun demonstrations). Our participation at pro-gun events must be overwhelming, not just loud.

    As a tactical exercise of grass roots power, are we seeing that there truly are few pro-gun advocates willing to rise up against overreaching government? Was this a dry run for “the revolution”? Even with no bullets in the air? Given the unimaginable number of people with Faceplant accounts, should even a one day notification to rally have been sufficient to turn out millions of 2A defenders?

      • ^ I second the motion to make it a de facto date, but would recommend the second weekend prior to elections.
        We need to give these feeble minded politicians ten full days to turn on the spit.
        I wanna KNOW that their cortisol levels are bat feces crazy high.
        Force them to address this in the run down the stretch.
        Let them really know that they will be held accountable.
        We need to make RINO’s extinct.

    • In Vermont we had a unified message to Gov. RINO Scott and Treacherous representatives,they need not look to the almost a thousand voters on the state house steps for a vote this November.
      Remember In November!

      Farcebook is not the end all be all in communication.

  12. I don’t do tide-pod social media so I didn’t hear about until after it was done. I was at tactics training with firearms though.
    I keep saying TTAG is in the perfect position to do an outdoor/sports/weapons/comms/skills oriented social media and video content service. It won’t take youtube sized infrastructure to start it but I think it will take more than only guns to make it work.

  13. I had intended to go to the Atlanta rally, but the government decided to impose a fee for the use of “Liberty Park.” They wanted $7,000 for security, and since they didn’t demand that until two days before the event, it was a way for them to shut it down. I understand that only about a hundred and fifty people showed up. Clearly the state of Georgia has a good feel for how to shutdown conservative dissent.

  14. here’s an observation, gun sales are up big time again due to the anti’s push. I would like to think that if our 2a rights were legitimately a few votes away from being lost people wouldn’t be out wasting money on new guns unless they were prepared to keep them no matter what the government says. If they really do ban “assault-style tactical child killing ghost guns with thirty round magazine rifles” they are going to have to build A LOT more prisons. Not to mention the rest of the taxpayers will have to foot the bill for around ten million new inmates, and that’s if we all give up quietly.

  15. Almost literally nothing about this locally. Can’t afford to travel. I VOTE but alas in ILLinois it doesn’t matter. Perilous times indeed…😡😩😖

  16. Hmmm perhaps yall might consider telling the rest of the class we’re walkin out? I mean seriously it ain’t hard to send out an email. Apparently the gun groups only care about events when people are paying to be there….

    Guys maybe we ought to throw together a TTAG get together. Perhaps we put boot to ass and get the NRA to do a get together somehow I doubt Wayne would let that happen without chargin $500 a head.

  17. Can’t help but wonder if turnout would have been better if the gun media outlets –like TTAG– had even mentioned the event once during the past month…

    How often did we hear about the “upcoming March for Our Lives” anywhere and everywhere (including TTAG and other gun blogs) prior to that event?

  18. The only way the anti-civil rights bigots will win is if you allow them to get into your head and convince you that you have lost.

  19. We had about 1000 in Indianapolis. Local paper reported 500 so we were at least twice that many. I think we had the biggest turnout.

    We tried to get the word out here and other blogs earlier but didn’t get any traction…

  20. Crowds are measly because nobody knows the events are taking place. All the anti-gun events are saturated in the media, but there’s never a peep from them when it’s a pro-gun event. If there is mention, it’s on the TV news for 10 seconds at 11:29 PM or a tiny article buried in the news paper.
    The news media is an enemy cartel.

  21. IMO

    crap rallies do ad hock, with no organization, only it seemed at state capitols?? ( I don’t know about you but mine is 500 miles AWAY)

    should ahve had gatherings in major cities LIKE LA where I live or have been abandoned at?? ===fuck the NRA and the 100k they sent to fight the gun ban props of 2016! GOA from now on no backing down!

    No NRA or GOA backing , funding or help with organizing, no ‘local’ small rallies set up, no calling in the press for photo ops??

    THEN ADD THE BIG ONE—-NO ONE ADVERTISED THIS SHIT!
    How can you gather forces without a call to arms?

    just admit it—you all got beat by dumb tide pod eating teens and Shannon Watts plus the orange shirts they wear at Mom’s Demands silly acts+++ bloombuger!

    you need to organize make it a nation wide deal that looks like a FUN pick-nik that draws in the masses of mouth droolers with free food or something??

    how about this for organizing—bring a buddy to range day—funded by federal or CCI or someBLOODY somebody!
    you the shooter bring a gun and a new TO shooting buddy and get 50 rnd to burn with the newbee???
    a few million in free press for a few million in brass!

  22. Flip Flop Scott who’s all about inclusion,didn’t have the Jalapeno’s to come to Montpeculiar,scene of his crime to explain to the crowd ,most of who voted for him,to explain how dedicated to the Constitutions,Vermont and Federal he is,Hollow words.

  23. I don’t have a Facebook account
    I heard about the rally in Tallahassee a few days beforehand
    I live in West Palm beach
    It is a 6 hour drive to get there
    There is no train or public transport
    The organizers need to give us more lead time and arrange car pools, busses, suggested hotels, etc
    As a family man, it is difficult or impossible to get away without a lot of advanced planning
    We need to stop the Florida Governor, Rick Scott from holding any further office after he signed the anti gun bill
    Is anyone planning to run against him in his announced U.S. Senate run?
    We must show the other RINOS that signing anti gun bills will result in the consequences of no further elected office

    • “As a family man, it is difficult or impossible to get away without a lot of advanced planning”

      I think this tells more about us than we are comfortable with. Responsible gun owners tend to be generally responsible people, with commitments to be met. If we (including me) can’t drive 500 miles r/t, on a weekend, to attend a rally for our rights, will we be able to provide mutual support should things come to it?

      Or are we stuck with the reality that we will not rebel until the SWAT teams show up in the neighborhood?

      What are the core values for which we will drop everything, and push back in person?

  24. I didn’t find out about these national rallies until about 2 weeks ago and couldn’t make it to Harrisburg, PA on Saturday.

    We have our annual rally scheduled for April 30th and I’ll be there. I expect a large crowd at the annual because clubs and organizations bus in 2A supporters.

  25. My family went; I also sent a note to TTAG about it a week before. IIRC, it was a COMMENT HERE ON TTAG that covered the March 14th event that informed me of it in the first place.

    I agree that the NRA and other ‘big’ Pro-2A camps should do similar events. However, I also liked that there were 200+ people, at 50 state capitals, most open-carrying (where legal), given that there was very little BUZZ.

    Also, it’s worth noting by NOT stirring up the other side, there is no opportunity for them to bus folks in and attempt to change the narrative (ala Charlottesville). That’s the type of thing that actually could start 50 small-ish (if not over quickly) battles… There was absolutely zero ‘press’ coverage in my state capitol, and there were zero ‘anti-gun’ moms there. It was, in a word, CIVIL.

    And THAT is the most important takeaway – that there were 200 x 50 CIVIL demonstrations by armed citizens and not a shot was fired, and no blood was spilled. No cars were tipped over, and nothing was set on fire.

  26. We had around 200 patriots attend our rally at the Capital here in Bismarck North Dakota, four decent public speakers and lots of American flags. The March For Confiscation rally las month drew around 30 people and not an American flag in sight. Both of our local TV stations, radio station and our newspaper covered it.

  27. I agree that it was not promoted enough. I new for 3 weeks ahead. Did my best to get the word out in my area (Oregon). Sent emails to NRA. They said they’d get back to me. CRICKETS……..
    About 500 of us. Some good speakers and an enthusiastic crowd!

  28. I’m putting this here and on a few other places. Any other suggestions or additions welcome.

    I am writing this as an attendee of the 14 Apr 2018 2A rally at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem, Oregon. While I enjoyed the company of fellow civic minded firearms owners and enjoyed many of the speeches that were given, I have to express my dismay at the low level of attendance at the event. None of what I’m about to write is a condemnation or criticism of those who were in involved in organizing the event. Just my thoughts and suggestions.
    Just a few weeks prior, around 4000 people attended and marched at a March For Our Lives event in downtown Portland, Or in support of more restrictions on firearms. it was as the event on the 14th, a nationwide protest. I would like to make an important observation about this event.

    It was well organized with co-ordination by several groups, all with the same main objective, to get rid of all guns in the hands of citizens.

    This observation is critical for the 2A supporters to learn. We must co-ordinate our efforts amoungst multiple groups in order to acheive the widest reach for any event that is planned, just as the anti-gun groups do for their events. Without this co-ordination we will lose not just the battle, but the war to retain our right to keep and bare arms, looking as though we could barely put up a fight at all.

    My solution to this situation is as follows.

    In the early planning stages the organization putting on the event should notify the leadership of every other pro-gun group about their desire to host an event.

    And I mean EVERY OTHER PRO-GUN GROUP. NRA, GOA, NAGR, USCCA, just to start as well as any local and state groups that are active in the area. Let everyone possible know about the event. Cast the net far and wide. Include Ducks Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, PINK PISTOLS, even the local air gun club if you have one. Everyone must be notified.

    Once the event date has been confirmed, again, let every other pro-gun group know about it. EVERY OTHER PRO-GUN GROUP. At this point contact as many gun stores and gun ranges as possible with the date and time. Work up a small flyer to email to every one of these gun stores for them to print for posting and to email out to their customers. The ranges can email the flyer out to their members.

    Send the same flyer to EVERY OTHER PRO-GUN GROUP. Ask them to pass it along to their members in the area. Hell, they can pass it along nation-wide as long as they will pass it along.

    Contact gun-centric web-sites. The Truth About Guns, Guns Save Lives, Concealed Nation, Guns and Gear Daily or any other site on the web. Let them know where and when.

    My point here is that we need to start getting the word out as far and wide and in front of as many eyes as possible. No pro-gun group should be let out, even if we might disagree with other aspects of their lives or their politics. The thing that can bring us together for those few hours can be our respect for the 2A and the civil rights aspect of that right.

    So, that is my two cents on the matter. I know this may be more than some groups may be able to handle on an organizational level but each group must try to let as many other groups in on their plans as possible and as soon as possible. The more time people have to plan the more people who will attend.

    Just imagine 5000 guntoting, polite, law-abiding citizens getting together. Isn’t it a beautiful thought?

    • We should also tell the guy with the barrel pointed into the crowd with his scary black rifle on a sling that he’s the guy the media wanted pictures of to make us look like fool’s. Or maybe that was the guy with the mascot eagle head?

      Considering I was the only person in my circle of friends that knew about it, and it wasn’t mentioned a few nights before to the ~150 of us in Beaverton listening to OFF inform the community about IP43 and IP44, I was impressed with the turnaround and the diversity of the crowd.

      • I’m planning on letting OFF know the above post in person. Put it on the Facebook page and it got nixed. Just BS that we can’t work together.

  29. Anti-gun groups have emails, social media, and mass media working for them, as well as funding and planning for months.

    We have some dude post on one website the day before.

    No wonder we’re losing.

    • That is why WE have to replicate, at least at the base level, their organizing ability. Even if we don’t have a sugardaddy like Bloomberg, it can be amazing what a small, dedicated force can do.

  30. I drove three hours to Springfield, Il. to attend. Small crowd, after 70 minutes cold rain ended the gathering. Then three hours drive back. Information about the rally was hard to find and even the fake book post was bland and unispiring.
    Big pro gun organisations stayed away intentionally, they didn’t want to get involved with the organizing groups.

    We have Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day planned at the same place on April 25th. I will go there and offer seat in my passenger van to anyone who wants to join me. I’m going to take I-355 and I-55 if you want to be picked up on route.

  31. Measly?

    I was in the Vermont rally. It was less than I would have liked, but there were a couple reasons. Like being 35 degrees out and raining.

    And the bill was signed. Risk hypothermia for no real gain? Most people said no.

    The Vermont rally was also more a platform launch for legislative canidates. Some whom I’m afraid to say are a bit…. wacky. The newsies recorded them. Not a surprisingly well spoken young lady still in high school, whom I’d be proud to have as a student. Not the lawyers who spoke the truth about how a law is passed and how a Constitution works.

    But the other thing to keep in mind is you can get 400 on the top terrace of the Vermont Statehouse steps. There are several terraces, each with about four feet of steps between them. Second terrace was pretty full. Call it 300 more. The free press chose not to show them- he who owns the press may do as he will.

    Badly planned. Barely publicized. No purpose but to let out a shrill scream if protest, before the court fight starts. In very cold rain. And they call is measly as they selectively portray things.

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