Men Tote Assult Rifles At Obama Event

[deafskeptic]

Source is CNN.

(CNN) – At least two Arizona men brought assault rifles to President Obama’s speech Monday to the annual Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Phoenix.

CNN’s Ed Henry reported that one of the men was carrying an AR-15 assault rifle and shouted anti-Obama slogans. The men remained outside the convention center where the president was speaking. Henry said U.S. Secret Service and local police were "very much aware" of the situation and were paying close attention to the men.

However, Arizona is an open-carry state, meaning it's legal to carry firearms in public as long as they are visible

I know you can carry firearms as long as they are visible in Arizona but still I think this is getting out of hand.

 

[Jiro]

getting out of hand? how is it getting out of hand? i don't see them waving their rifles around. i have no problem with it.

 

[deafskeptic]

getting out of hand? how is it getting out of hand? i don't see them waving their rifles around. i have no problem with it.

While I don't think they intend to assault anyone there, it does set an ugly tone to the debate and others may get the wrong idea.

 

[kokonut]

No problem there.

Supposing a radio host talks about a president negatively and makes a gun noise over the mike during live broadcasting and laughs afterwards?

 

[deafskeptic]

CNN is the source once again.

PHOENIX, Arizona (CNN) -- A man toting an assault rifle was among a dozen protesters carrying weapons while demonstrating outside President Barack Obama's speech to veterans on Monday, but no laws were broken. It was the second instance in recent days in which unconcealed weapons have appeared near presidential events
A man is shown legally carrying a rifle at a protest against President Obama on Monday in Phoenix, Arizona.

A man is shown legally carrying a rifle at a protest against President Obama on Monday in Phoenix, Arizona.

Video from the protest in Phoenix, Arizona, shows the man standing with other protesters, with the rifle slung over his right shoulder.

Phoenix police said authorities monitored about a dozen people carrying weapons while peacefully demonstrating.

"It was a group interested in exercising the right to bear arms," said police spokesman Sgt. Andy Hill.

Arizona law has nothing in the books regulating assault rifles, and only requires permits for carrying concealed weapons. So despite the man's proximity to the president, there were no charges or arrests to be made. Hill said officers explained the law to some people who were upset about the presence of weapons at the protest. Video Watch the rifle being legally carried at rally »

"I come from another state where 'open carry' is legal, but no one does it, so the police don't really know about it and they harass people, arrest people falsely," the man, who wasn't identified, said in an interview aired by CNN affiliate KNVX. "I think that people need to get out and do it more so that they get kind of conditioned to it."

Gun-toting protesters have demonstrated around the president before. Last week, a man protesting outside Obama's town hall meeting in New Hampshire had a gun strapped to his thigh. That state also doesn't require a license for open carry.


U.S. Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan acknowledged the incidents in New Hampshire and Arizona, but said he was not aware of any other recent events where protesters attended with open weapons. He said there was no indication that anyone had organized the incidents.

Asked whether the individuals carrying weapons jeopardized the safety of the president, Donovan said, "Of course not."

The individuals would never have gotten in close proximity to the president, regardless of any state laws on openly carrying weapons, he said. A venue is considered a federal site when the Secret Service is protecting the president and weapons are not allowed on a federal site, he added.
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In both instances, the men carrying weapons were outside the venues where Obama was speaking.

"We pay attention to this obviously ... to someone with a firearm when they open carry even when they are within state law," Donovan said. "We work with our law enforcement counterparts to make sure laws and regulations in their states are enforced."

Perhaps I reacted too soon.

I have nothing against the the Second Amendment. My dad owns a rifle but he has never used it to my knowledge. Despite being a staunch Republican, he used to be against all guns except for hunting and miltiary until about ten years ago. My brother in law also owns a gun. He likes to hunt deer and I've always wanted to eat the venison from one of the deer that he hunts down. I've eaten venison twice in my life.

I don't own a gun due to personal reasons. If I were to get one, it'd be so that I can go hunting quail, turkey and ducks. An Uzi would be something of a overkill since I'd want to eat the birds I just took down.


I was under the impression it was at one of those town halls. I'd think toting a gun there would be inappropriate. Now I'm not so sure where the protest was.

 

[deafcajun]

getting out of hand? how is it getting out of hand? i don't see them waving their rifles around. i have no problem with it.

Hey, look... I'm very pro-gun, just like you are. I'm a member of the NRA. However, bringing a gun, any gun, in any manner anywhere near the president is just pure stupidity.

 

[netrox]

It's the whole intimidation that bothers me. You don't just bring THAT KIND OF GUN to a protest but to intimidate people with a gun that's clearly designed to harm. I'm sure even protesters were a bit nervous and kept an eye on him.

 

[Jiro]

Hey, look... I'm very pro-gun, just like you are. I'm a member of the NRA. However, bringing a gun, any gun, in any manner anywhere near the president is just pure stupidity.

and he's nowhere near the President

 

[Jiro]

It's the whole intimidation that bothers me. You don't just bring THAT KIND OF GUN to a protest but to intimidate people with a gun that's clearly designed to harm. I'm sure even protesters were a bit nervous and kept an eye on him.

intimidate people? where? I don't see them getting arrested by Secret Service.

 

[Texan Guy]

I have no problem with that.

 

[sallylou]

This guy is over compensating for his pencil dick. No weapons near the President, especially one that receives so many threats.

 

[Jiro]

This guy is over compensating for his pencil dick. No weapons near the President, especially one that receives so many threats.

no such threat in here. the idiots who resorted to violence and death threat to express their political difference are the one with pencil dicks. This law-abiding armed man did no such thing.

 

[Jiro]

I feel sorry people who felt threatened by the sight of law-abiding armed citizen.... it shows me that this society has been coddled far too long and too much to the point that they have lost touch with reality and they probably don't even know the full extent of their lawful Constitutional rights.

 

[deafskeptic]

It's the whole intimidation that bothers me. You don't just bring THAT KIND OF GUN to a protest but to intimidate people with a gun that's clearly designed to harm. I'm sure even protesters were a bit nervous and kept an eye on him.

Aren't most of the protesters armed?

Well, the article indicates that this protest happened at a convention hall - not at a town hall.

I'm not sure what the whole story on the protesters is. My guess is that they're objecting to Obama's position on gun control rather than health care.

It's difficult to tell if all the protesters were armed or if some of them were unarmed from this article. It's also hard to tell if all the protesters (unarmed and armed) were on the same page.

This is after all at what appears to be a veterans gathering at a convention hall and I'd think the majority would be be pro 2nd amendment. Given these facts, I'd say that it's likely all the protesters are on the same page (unarmed and armed).

I'd be a lot more concerned if this were at a town hall. Then I'd agree with you on this one.

 

[Jiro]

Aren't most of the protesters armed?

Well, the article indicates that this protest happened at a convention hall - not at a town hall.

I'm not sure what the whole story on the protesters is. My guess is that they're objecting to Obama's position on gun control rather than health care.

It's difficult to tell if all the protesters were armed or if some of them were unarmed from this article. It's also hard to tell if all the protesters (unarmed and armed) were on the same page.

This is after all at what appears to be a veterans gathering at a convention hall and I'd think the majority would be be pro 2nd amendment. Given these facts, I'd say that it's likely all the protesters are on the same page (unarmed and armed).

I'd be a lot more concerned if this were at a town hall. Then I'd agree with you on this one.

why would you be concerned? a law-abiding armed citizen knows not to carry gun to any government buildings or near the President

from article posted by OP -

1. Phoenix police said authorities monitored about a dozen people carrying weapons while peacefully demonstrating.

2. "I come from another state where 'open carry' is legal, but no one does it, so the police don't really know about it and they harass people, arrest people falsely," the man, who wasn't identified, said in an interview aired by CNN affiliate KNVX. "I think that people need to get out and do it more so that they get kind of conditioned to it."

3. Asked whether the individuals carrying weapons jeopardized the safety of the president, Donovan (U.S. Secret Service spokesman) said, "Of course not."

4. The individuals would never have gotten in close proximity to the president, regardless of any state laws on openly carrying weapons, he said. A venue is considered a federal site when the Secret Service is protecting the president and weapons are not allowed on a federal site, he added.
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In both instances, the men carrying weapons were outside the venues where Obama was speaking.

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." - Thomas Jefferson

 

[deafskeptic]

why would you be concerned? a law-abiding armed citizen knows not to carry gun to any government buildings or near the President

from article posted by OP -





"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." - Thomas Jefferson

I haven't quoted your full post cuz I don't think this is necessary.

I think you're taking this out of context. I wrote in a earlier post I thought I was being a bit hasty in my first post.

I thought it was at a town hall at first hence my comments in my first post.

I'm not as concerned about the president himself as he likely has the SS to guard him as I am about the protesters who may not agree with the gun toting guys. If that were the case, I would think the intention is to silence those who disagree with them. This doesn't appear to be the case here considering the facts in this article.

Second, not every gun toting guy is a law abiding guy. How do we know which one is a criminal and which one is a law abiding guy?

 

[shel90]

This guy is over compensating for his pencil dick. No weapons near the President, especially one that receives so many threats.

LOL!

Bringing an assault weapon to a presidental speech is overkill..pardon the pun.

 

[deafskeptic]

LOL!

Bringing an assault weapon to a presidental speech is overkill..pardon the pun.

Despite the fact that the protest appears to be about the 2nd amendment, I have to agree here. A regular rifle would have done the job nicely.

 

[Jiro]

I thought it was at a town hall at first.

I'm not as concerned about the president himself as he likely has the SS to guard him as I am about the protesters who may not agree with the gun toting guys. If that were the case, I would think the intention is to silence those who disagree with them. This doesn't appear to be the case here.

Second, not every gun toting guy is a law abiding guy. How do we know which one is a criminal and which one is a law abiding guy.

Not every protesters are peaceful nor law-abiding people as well. Do not forget - We have already seen dozens of so-called peaceful protests resulting in violence/injury/arrests - most were injured by police or shot by police (tear gas gun/bean bag gun/pepper guns/etc) gasp!

and yes how do we know which one is a criminal or not? it's a fact of life we deal with every day when we walk in the public. that's why you are entitled with Constitutional rights to protect yourself (except in states that restrict it).

 

[Jiro]

Despite the fact that the protest appears to be about the 2nd amendment, I have to agree here. A regular rifle would have done the job nicely.

or..... a bag with pipe bombs like Atlanta Olympic bombing. It's much easier to do that than with a regular rifle