Posted on 10/04/2010 1:18:47 PM PDT by Beaten Valve
The members of South Bay Open Carry want to win people over with reason and sound arguments, not agitation and confrontation.
And so, on Saturday, about 20 armed members of the group had a friendly chat with the Manhattan Beach police before they entered the city's annual Home Town Fair.
The discussion was to instruct the gun owners on the boundaries of where they could - and couldn't - go. Earlier in the week, the two sides had been at loggerheads about the city's insistence that a facility at nearby American Martyrs Church constituted a schoolyard, places where guns are not allowed.
Organization founder Harley Green abided by local restrictions.
"I'm not advocating anyone having confrontations with the police," he said.
But that didn't mean he agreed with them.
"By logic of the police department, any library or a place kids go on a field trip would qualify as a school," he said.
Although not happy with the restrictions, Green and other members of the group cheerfully handed out cards to people hoping to join and answered questions for people who wanted to know what they were up to.
They explained that the law allowed them to wear holstered guns, but they had to be unloaded. Ammunition was kept in separate pockets or bags. Gene McCarthy, a 70-year-old Palos Verdes Estates resident, is an artist but once worked in law enforcement.
"What we're doing is standing up for our Second Amendment rights," said McCarthy. "I do understand the concerns of law enforcement, but we're at a crux of history. We could lose our God-given rights."
Saturday's event wasn't the first one South Bay Open Carry has attended.
Members have made appearances at beach city events in the past several months. And Ryan Burbridge of Long Beach said they've had no complaints.
"The majority of people have no idea they have a legal right to do this," he said.
Some people at the fair did double takes when they saw a parade of armed men (along with a few women) walk past.
"I think it's great," said Joan Libera of Manhattan Beach. "We have the right to protect our property and families."
But others were more cautious.
Dan Wilson of Hermosa Beach said seeing so many armed people made him a little nervous.
"I respect the Constitution," he said. "But I don't like to see so many guns around. And I'd prefer my children not see it. But this is America, and that's how it goes."
You can't "lose" a God-given right Mr. McCarthy; it can only be violated.
Open Carry — It’s the law!
“And I’d prefer my children not see it.”
Interesting quote there.
In this post modern society, all manner of activities are tolerated - indeed celebrated. Homosexuality, etc, etc.
But to see someone wear a gun? That’s the last remaining obscenity.
I understand the concerns of law enforcement, too. It is a lot easier to violate the rights of unarmed sheeple than armed citizens.
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