Wisconsin Carry’s mission statement offers that we support an individual’s right to carry in the manner of their choosing so long as they do so safely and legally. This principle is reflected in the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution which says “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”. We are confident they were not just referring to handguns. While a handgun presents a more convenient firearm carry experience for most individuals, a rifle is a superior defensive tool in many situations. With the exception of its size, an openly carried rifle presents no different a circumstance than an openly carried pistol. In addition to its practical purpose in self-defense, the rifle is a symbol of American freedom. Our independence was won by patriots with long guns. The long gun provided food and protection for the families of our country’s pioneers. The rifle defeated tyranny around the world in the hands of our nation’s bravest sons and daughters. We still honor the his story and tradition of the rifle by public carry in color guards of parades, ceremonies, and our veteran’s funerals. We caution against making assumptions and judgments about why a person chooses to carry in any particular manner. We believe every individual has different motivations in their choice of carry ranging from self – defense, tradition, patriotism, and the knowledge that rights not exercised are rights lost. So long as an individual’s motivations do not involve criminal intent, it is un-American to impose your values and preferences on someone else. Gun owners, of all people, should embrace this truism. We caution pro-gun citizens that the circumstances of , and reaction to situations of individuals open carrying long guns have been misrepresented by main stream media who have a baseline anti-gun bias in their reporting. Main stream media reports of the context and public reaction to long gun open carry have been sensationalized and exaggerated at best and intentionally misrepresented at worst. Wisconsin Carry has observed, and then fact-checked media reports, to find headlines that not only misrepresent the reality of long gun open carry and public reaction to it, but a actually portray the OPPOSITE public response to the reality of what occurred. We remind gun rights advocates that main stream media has never given individual liberty and freedom a fair and unbiased reporting in the news even outside of right-to-carry. It would be wise of us to be very cautious to take media reports of long gun carry at face value. We do not believe any form of safe, legal carry “hurts the cause”. We believe pro-gun folks who fail to stand up and defend another individual’s right to carry in a safe, legal manner, even if they themselves choose not to carry in that manner, hurt the cause. For these reasons and more, Wisconsin Carry, Inc. and our Board of Directors stands beside and offers our full support of Open Carry Texas and any fellow patriot in Texas or around the country who exercises their individual constitutional right to safely carry in the manner of their choosing. Carry On!
Nik Clark Chairman/President – Wisconsin Carry, Inc. – nik @wisconsincarry.org –
www.wisconsincarry.orghttp://www.ammoland.com/2014/06/wisconsin-carry-issues-statement-in-support-of-open-carry-texas/
