Pro-Gun Activists, Rep. Massie Celebrate DC v Heller 10-year Anniversary
"Black guns matter! Black guns matter!" chanted a coalition of pro-gun activists outside the Supreme Court Tuesday afternoon.
Pro-gun activists including leaders of the Second Amendment Institute and Gun Owners of America gathered to celebrate District v Heller, a supreme Court decision that held that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia or a government agency.
The decision effectively forced Washington DC to issue permits to carry concealed firearms to private citizens. Before Heller, carrying firearms was effectively banned.
"On page after page, the court demolished the left's legal position and documented just how wrong their position was," said Erich Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America.
Congressman Thomas Massie kicked off the rally, asserting that politicians still fight against the right to bear arms every year, citing in particular laws that would raise the age to buy a gun to 21.
"I'm worried about unconstitutional legislation that has been proposed to raise the legal age to buy a gun from 18 to 21," he explained. "Folks, you're an adult. If you're 18, you can die for our country, you can vote, you should be able to defend yourself."
Hundreds of counter-demonstrators confronted the activists, many of them having participated in a nearby rally against the Supreme Court's decision upholding a Trump Administration Travel Ban.
"DC laws for DC people!" one demonstrator with left-leaning activist group CODEPINK chanted repeatedly, supporting the idea that the nation's capitol should be able to pass its own, stricter gun laws.
"We know we have haters, but haters are going to motivate us to do great things," said Diante Johnson, President of Black Conservative Federation. "Hates are gonna motivate us to say that you cannot take our guns away!"
As counter-protesters chanted "No ban, no wall," the gun rights supporters retorted "Black guns matter!" in a chant led by Maj Toure (who wore a shirt that read "Make the good great again"), the founder of an organization also called "Black Guns Matter."
"Whether you're gay or straight, the Bill of Rights protects us all!" added Gregory T. Angelo, president of Log Cabin Republicans, an LGBT conservative group. "No amendment protects us more than the second amendment!"
Dick Heller, the plaintiff in the original case, closed out the event, highlighting the hundreds of cases siting DC v Heller in the past decade. "These are proof that the struggle of evil and tyranny will rage on against liberty as long as some parties show that they hate our country as much as we love our country, love our lives, and love to protect our family with our second amendment freedoms."
Tyler Yaguirre, who organized the rally, called it "very patriotic, very American."
Of the counter-protesters, he has some harsher words. "They're honestly just petulant children, little brats. If they actually cared about healing the nation, they'd wanna work together."
Dick Heller, the plaintiff in the original case, told News2Share that the counter-protesters are "confused" and he respects their first amendment right to speak just has much as his second amendment right to carry a gun.
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I don't even understand what people need guns for at all? If you're not policeman or something like that I find that you don't need it, but that's just my opinion. Of course there will be fights or disputes, but verbally you can fix almost everything. Guns are not the way to deal with problem people!
what do you use to hunt with? How do you practice your marksmanship? How do you protect your livestock from predators? Can you please inform the murderers, gang members and terrorists that they can use their words instead of guns?
@tonac what is the first thing a dictatorship takes away? They confiscate ALL firearms citing "It is for your own good" and then they take away everything else. But we are all entitled to our own opinion for whatever it is worth. Have you ever been in a "fight" of any kind? I have and if I tried saying "Let's talk this through" I would have probably been killed by the other guy. He was quite angry at the time.
Good luck and keep up the good fight.
i never understand why civilians need a gun. @news2share
Mao did "Political power grows from the barrel of a gun" then he took away everyone's guns and killed millions of his own people.
@news2share Thank you, my friend, your blog is such an awesome
By "DC people" they mean "poor black people" Gun control is racist.
@funbobby51 technically speaking, Washington DC isn't even a State. It is a "District" like Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and others, they are not strictly governed by our Constitution.
I didn't say DC was a state.