Youths Rally for Tighter Gun Control Laws - Houston, TX

Houston Chronicle | 20 June 2002 | Stephen Dove

[PetroniDE]

With 224 pair of empty shoes strewn at their feet, nearly a dozen youth braved the rain today to raise awareness of gun violence at a rally in front of city hall.

Each pair of shoes represented one Texas child or teen-ager killed by guns in 2000, said Jennifer Beazley, executive director of Texans for Gun Safety. The organization's youth division, Young Texans Against Gun Violence, led the event.

Glen Lambert, 20, said the group does not oppose gun ownership, but he said he believes access to firearms needs tighter control.

"I'm against gun violence even though I'm for citizens owning guns and protecting themselves," Lambert said.

He said the group encourages parents to educate their children about guns, and it is also lobbying for legislation to close "the gun show loophole." Program members say the loophole allows criminals and minors to bypass required background checks by buying guns from unlicensed individuals at gun shows.

A group of 10 anti-gun control protestors also showed up at the steps of city hall today to make their voices heard against the backdrop of the youths' speeches and stories.

Members of the pro-gun group stood to the side throughout the event holding signs espousing their views and at times shouting quick objections to opinions presented from the podium.

Anthony Garcia, chairman of the Harris County Libertarian Party, said gun control groups focus on inanimate objects rather than the true causes of violence.

"I empathize with what they claim they are trying to prevent, but they want to educate people with things we do not agree with," Garcia said.

Garcia said restrictions on law-abiding gun owners should be lessened so that individuals can protect themselves.

[john in missouri]

"Nearly a dozen" means there were fewer "rallyers" than the 10 anti-gun control protesters who also showed up.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Bang

[Imal]

Wow, the "Young Texans Against Gun Violence" actually got all of their members to show up for this earth-shaking event. Impressive!

I wonder if they sold the soggy shoes for dope money after the dog-and-pony show...

Imal

[Flyer]

Don't Mess With Texas Guns!

 

 

PRO GUN COUNTER-PROTEST IN HOUSTON AFTER ACTION REPORT JUNE 20

Operating under the misleading names of Texans for Gun Safety and Young Texans Against Gun Violence, the gun grabbing Left held their Silent March in front of City Hall.

Members of the Houston Chapter, folks from the Harris County Libertarian party, a couple of Dallas FReepers and a passerby represented the U.S. Constitution.

The Left gets set up (View from the steps of City Hall)

 

A morning shower interrupts things

 

Supporters of the Constitution begin to gather

 

Blah, blah, blah, blah. . . .

 

Our numbers grow. . .

 

Chad Dimple and BobbyD

 

Chad Dimple, BobbyD and Dix

 

The Houston Chapter, 2 Dallas FReepers, the Harris Couty Libertarian Party and a passerby (not in that order, though)

 

Conservative from Dallas

 

Drew Parks, HCLP

 

BobbyD, Dix, Chad Dimple and Passerby (James)

 

[LurkerNoMore!]

Good pics, Flyer.

Thanks to H.A.T. for showing up!

[Flyer]

*PING*

[Flyer]

If you don't count the kids, which have no idea what they are doing, we probably had better numbers. It was well worth the effort.

[Flyer]

Rika - I had a full day and didn't make it to the WFTD. We had a great time and hooked up with some non-FReepers for future activism.

[Flyer]

*PING*

[anymouse]

Ping for later.

[Pompah]

Didn't Commrad Lenin refer to these kind of people as
Useful Idiots. ? Seems to be on the mark.

[chad_dimple]

Heck, if you don't count the ones without brains, we were the only ones there!

[Flyer]

if you don't count the ones without brains, we were the only ones there!

LAUGH!

I like the one picture with the Chronicle photographer. . . standing with us!

[chad_dimple]

FreepReport:

The anti-gun fools had about 4 adults in the group, the rest looked like they were skipping Junior-High school.

There was no 'audience' for the fools. The event was attended by 6 HPD officers, about 10 freedom fighters, about 4 media-rats, and several passers-by. NOT 1 person was there to see the 'silent march' which was just 300 pairs of used shoes laying around looking like close-out day at the salvation army.

I asked one HPD friendly if he ever saw a gun kill somebody. His response was 'Not all by itself!'

Another came by to check us out and asked everyone where they were from or who we represented. He gave away free cable type gun-locks, some of us accepted and then joked about locking our bicycles.

Several of the fools gave speaches about how their lives had been touched by gun violence; some stories were so sad when you consider that a train law-abiding citizens with guns could have saved so many lives. Instead, the fools wallow in self pity and blame guns rather than the persons that used them in crime.

One young fool admitted in public that he found and stole a gun at his workplace. It 'might have caused him to shoot somebody' LOL! So Sad. We really shouted him down, calling him a thief, felon, said how he broke 50 gun laws -no need for more new ones! All the other fools would weave their propaganda into their tales of woe. 'If only we could close the gunshowloophole. Help us close the gunshowloophole.'.

They said they would open the microphone to the audience for contributing tales of 'gunviolence'. After their poorly scripted speeches were through, I asked them if we could now speak (on mike) and contribute. Of course they were already putting away the equipment. Their first excuse was that you had to have a permit to speak... the next excuse was that their protest permit had expired and they had to turn off the PA system.

I even got filmed by local TV and mentioned FR!

The fools just walked away with tails between thier legs having been FREEPED! (my first live Freep! FUN!)

[chad_dimple]

speaches = speeches ...

[Johnny Crab]

The Houston CronyCall "CAIN'T" publish an un-biased report....."They Write, They Decide" that way the masses/Pravada-believers don't hav-ta think.

EXCELLENT JOB by the pro-rights/anti-criminal folks. Just ask any Houston officer saved by armed citizens...

Here's some of the "children": http://www.keepandbeararms.com/information/XcIBViewItem.asp?ID=2254

http://www.guntruths.com/Silver/million_mom_deception.htm

Sad to say but some of the criminal-aiding/pro-crime protesters will not know the reason for firearm RIGHTS until they or one of their loved ones is sent to room temperature because they did NOT have a firearm.....either that or have a long ride in the next "boxcar to nowhere".

[boris]

"With 224 pair of empty shoes strewn at their feet, nearly a dozen youth braved the rain"

All Your Youth Are Belong to Us.

I suppose "youth" is the plural of "youth".

But I thought it was "yout".

--Boris

[bobbyd]

Typical leftist drivel.

For a hour 4 or 5 women spit into a mic telling us how they were all victims of this, that, and EVERYTHING else.

We were told that we could have the mic when they were through.....except when our own 'chad dimple' wanted to correct the lies these people had just stated he was asked if he had a permit?....Flyer, had a great reply regarding the permit thing...."Da Da Does anyone have a copy of the Constitution"!.....classic Flyer!

Quickly, the mic was packed and GONE......they knew they were in trouble and disappeared!

Off to lunch Flyer tells two trash can shoppers....hey, they're giving away shoes over there....another Flyer classic!

[LurkerNoMore!]

Way to go, Chad!

[Flyer]

Great report!

my first live Freep! FUN!

And hopefully not you last. Thanks for joining us.