A conservative group is hoping that tens of thousands turn out to show their support for gun ownership with their pocketbooks and picket signs the day before President Barack Obama is sworn in for a second term.
The group, a coalition brought together for the event, declared Jan. 19 "Gun Appreciation Day." The hope is Americans nationwide will show their support for gun ownership by turning out en masse at gun stores, ranges and shows from coast to coast.
“The Obama administration has shown that it is more than willing to trample the Constitution to impose its dictates upon the American people,” said Gun Appreciation Day chairman Larry Ward in a press release.
The day comes as the gun control debate becomes more divisive. Earlier this month, two PA lawmakers released statements about sponsoring legislation that would allow teachers to carry guns in schools, in response to December's mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn.
On Wednesday, Obama signed 23 executive actions aimed at curtailing gun violence and called on Congress to make tougher punishments for gun trafficking and place limits on magazine sizes.
Clayton's Hunting and Fishing in Horsham does not have any special events planned for Saturday, but the staff at the shop welcome any opportunity that allows them to stand up for their customers' Second Amendment rights.
"They are addressing the epidemic of violence and the mental health problems in this country by passing laws against inanimate objects," said Ed Hartzel, instruction range master at Clayton's. "All they are doing is turning law-abiding citizens into criminals overnight. That's working further away from a real solution."
In the past year, several high-profile mass shootings -- including one in a Colorado movie theater and one at a Wisconsin Sikh Temple -- sparked the gun control debate. According to a New York Times article, Obama called for Vice President Joe Biden to head a gun control task force.
Hartzel says the intense scrutiny over firearms has translated into more traffic in the store as gun owners add to their collections before more restrictions are in place. He says Clayton's sold more than 1,000 guns in the past 30 days, and there are days that see several hundred visitors to the shop's gun range.
"The average concensus is that when they see their freedoms being threatened," said Hartzel, "they are going to run out and get the guns before they are not available anymore. This isn't about duck hunting or deer hunting, that's not what is in the Constitution. This is about having the right to protect ourselves."
The "Appreciation Day" is modeled after this past summer's " the answer to a boycott of the fast food chain after CEO Dan Cathy declared his support of what he termed "traditional marriage." According to ABC News, Chick-Fil-A posted record-setting sales during the "Appreciation Day."
A counter event has also been formed by a group called Parents Against Gun Violence (PAGV), which has declared January 19 Child Appreciation Day.
"Organizing a 'gun appreciation day' so soon after the Newtown Massacre is in poor taste. In response we have decided to promote a 'Child Appreciation Day' to honor our children and the victims of Newtown," said Jennifer Caldera, a member of the PAGV Steering Committee, in a statement to the press.
Gun Appreciation Day is scheduled the day before Obama's second inauguration.
The planned event currently includes the following coalition members:
- Second Amendment Foundation
- Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
- Special Operations Speaks
- Revolution PAC
- Citizens and Country
- Social Security Institute
- Committee to Draft Judge Andrew Napolitano
- Conservative Action Alerts
- Women Warriors PAC
- Conservative Action Fund
- Political Media, Inc.
So, it's not that the right to bear arms enables citizens to defend themselves against the federal government, rather it gives the federal government the ability to call up a citizen militia when it deems necessary.
I am not interested in wasting money we do not have to pass "feel good laws".
If we were half as dangerous as the gun grabbers say we are they would all be dead by now.
Well that is how it will work out here. Bad guys have guns and always will. Bad guys have fist or their youth. They make deadly weapons in prison so they can make them on the outside even easier. Do you want us to try and out run them? Control of guns only means control of us. Control of you. Because like it or not the fear of who is carrying and not carrying gives you some protection. When the good guys are disarmed the bad guys will have less fear of getting hurt in an attack.
The real danger is these cloak and dagger governments hiding behind a cloud of liberal ideas to push through their agendas because they can't possibly be the bad guys as they are fighting for the oppressed as they say. This is the way they get to power and take all your rights because they are doing it in your interest and how could they possibly be the bad guys when they are apparently fighting the corner of the minorities. In truth they don't care at all for these minorities only gaining the power which they so want and will go with any public opinion to gain this power Unfortunately we are on the direct road to true government oppression in the west and we are fighting for it.
"In the November 15, 1993 issue of Newsweek Magazine, George Will reported that police are more than 5 times more likely than a civilian to shoot an innocent person by mistake." Here is another interesting fact for the women out their wondering if they should arm themselves: "An unarmed woman is more than 10 times more likely to be raped than an armed woman." Two can play the fear mongering game with "statistical information".
1) Ban Hi Cap magazines 2) Ban "Assault" Rifles ( These are NOT assault rifles they are indeed Semi Auto's ) 3) Universal Background check ( already in place NICS) 4) Asking your Dr if you have a gun? What do Drs have to do with Gun control? 5) 7 or less magazines as opposed to 10+ Will 3 bullets really make a difference? 6) Creating Gun free zones creates a magnet to mass killers. They know they will not encounter any resistance. Are you that guillible that we will live in a peaceful world? really? Civilization has been around for over 2000 years and has always been at war, why would that change now? How dare the Dictator in cheif hide behind children to push his agenda. He should be ashamed of himself. This is the same thing Hitler, Mao, Stalin, Castro, Chavez did before disarming their citizens and then imposing dictatorship/communism. Answer me that since your so smart?
Liberals should be the ones in mental institutions, that would be a start
You take these 23 EO's at face value, were you born yesterday? Your going to tell me there is no alterior motive? I thought liberals were smart. Let me help you here 1) Will allow skewed government research to lie and spin the truth on a mass scale. ( think falsified "Global Warming" studies ) kind of like the current "Independant think tank" at fort hood portraying Conservative, Right leaning, Law abiding citizens that believe in defending themselves and in Constitutional rights as Terrorists. This is paving the way for the UN ( ATT ) gun ban Mr Dictator is planning to sign in March. Look it up. You need to stop watching American Idol and research what is going on in your world....That is if you care about your rights