11:00am Greetings and announcements. Pledge of Allegiance. National Anthem. America the Beautiful.

A decent number of people showed up, including a TV news crew.

11:15am Reading of Bill of Rights
11:20am The Second Amendment as Civil Right and why we are here to protect and preserve our rights and freedoms to pass on - Tom Chandler
11:30am Common fallacies used to promote bigotry and prejudice against Second Amendment and suggested solution to major concern - Tim Andrews
11:40am Second Amendment Issues - Joe Tartaro
11:50am Second Amendment Issues - Peggy Tartaro
Noon Scott Garretson, Monroe Co. SCOPE Chairman

Main theme: gun owners are now the targets of lies, misinformation, demonization, discrimination and bigotry. We are, however, NOT THE BAD GUYS. Some people point to Japan, England, Canada, etc. as examples of "progressive" countries that have strict gun control...those people don't notice that there are no "rights" in those countries, no freedom of speech, no security from unreasonable search & seizure, etc., and no right to defend yourself...why is the right to bear arms the only explicit right that the general public is eager to give up?

12:10pm Second Amendment, an historical perspective - Tom Thompson
12:30pm Ken Hamilton

The crowd. Maybe not a lot, but something is happening to bring common folks out to protest. Something bad is happening in this country: the demonization of people who want tools to protect lives. We understand the problems of crime and wonder why we are legally discriminated against, instead of the law punishing criminals.

12:50pm March to Post Office to post list of grievances on door, symbolic to Federal and State governments, and actually directed to US Representative John La Falce.

Surprise! When representative La Falce learned that a protest was organized to object to his draconian anti-gun-owner views, he MOVED HIS OFFICE ELSEWHERE!

12:40pm Assemblyman Dave Seaman

This legislator recognizes that good, non-criminal, armed people are a good thing for society. Armed citizens protect lives when police can't, and remind governments that governments are subserviant to the people, not the other way around.

 

Yeesh. I never thought I'd be involved in civil rights marches. Yet, because the government increasingly distrusts me (despite a pristine record as a solid citizen) solely because I'm armed, it is moving to take away my rights and the rights of others. The lies and hate speech spewed by legislators and reporters and pundits is sickening as it creates bigotry and bias against people who use inanimate objects to save lives. Something is screwed up, and I don't like where it's going or what may have to happen to return the natural rights of people.