Maryland – -(Ammoland.com)- Sunday December 20, 2016, several groups including the Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence, Million Mom March, Marylander’s to Prevent Gun Violence, and others, held a Rally to “End Gun Violence”, in Rockville, MD.
The crowd numbered roughly 175 – 200, including media and bystanders with 25 of those being from the firearms community. We respectfully stood and listened to the speakers talk about gun violence and suggestions to curb it to include using the no fly list, firearms registration, and mental health issues.
Most of us wore “Guns Save Lives” stickers and several brought signs, all in the hopes of stirring up conversation with some of the attendees, and many conversations were had. Most were very cordial, and polite, with some folks yelling at us as they walked by, but in all cases, the members of our community that showed up were polite, respectful, and never once resorted to name calling or yelling.
At the end of the event, several members were interviewed by the various news outlets, to include Maryland Shall Issue President, Dan Blasberg. When asked why we were here, most replied, simply to listen and to provide an alternative view to some of the issues brought up by the speakers at the rally, and to dispel some of the myths and mis-truths associated with firearms, firearms ownership, and violence and crimes committed with firearms.
Subjects covered included the no fly list and that fact that US citizens end up on the list without the opportunity of due process, unlike every other prohibited person prevented from purchasing a firearm, that has been afforded due process before losing their right to own a firearm.
Mental health and background checks and the fact that there is not one state that has 100% of their mental health records added to the NICS system, and the fact that MD has shared less than 30% of their mental health records with NICS, and more needs to be done to force Maryland to provide the rest of those records to NICS.
It was also pointed out that registration has lead to confiscation in several states to include Connecticut, and California.
All in all, it was a very good showing for the firearms community, and I would invite more of our members and followers to come out to other such events, such as the Safe Silver Spring Legislative Forum: Focus on Gun Safety, Body Cameras and more on January 7, 2016 in Silver Spring, MD
Dan Blasberg
President
Maryland Shall Issue
Mission Statement: Maryland Shall Issue is an all volunteer, non-partisan effort dedicated to the preservation and advancement of all gunowners’ rights in Maryland, with a primary goal of CCW reform to allow all law-abiding citizens the right to carry a concealed weapon; and to the education of the community to the awareness that ‘shall issue’ laws have, in all cases, resulted in decreased rates of violent crime. https://www.marylandshallissue.org/jmain/index.php