PA Gun Rights Rally Postponed Due To Threat :: 06/06/2020

The media has been covering both protests and “protests” for more than a week now as outrage continues over the death of George Floyd while being arrested by police. However, Floyd’s death and the overall theme of police brutality aren’t the only political events that people have planned.

Gun rights are still a thing worth fighting for, especially in states like Pennsylvania where the tide seems to have turned against Second Amendment advocates.

However, an upcoming rally has been postponed.

The annual Rally to Protect Your Right to Keep and Bear Arms scheduled for Monday at the Pennsylvania Capitol that often draws several hundreds of gun rights supporters from across the state has been postponed.

Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler County, issued the following statement on Wednesday about his decision to call off the event:

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“Just as importantly, law-abiding Pennsylvania firearm owners recognize that America has always been a nation of laws and unquestionably stand with President Donald Trump and law enforcement nationwide with respect to the restoration of law and order. Based on new information we received earlier today, and especially in the best interest of the rally’s attendees, speakers and our men and women in blue who protect and serve, we must officially postpone this year’s Rally to Protect Your Right to Keep and Bear Arms.”

Of course, that’s upsetting, but just what information could they have received that would make them rethink a rally for such an important and foundational right?

Well, it was a threat.

A gun rights rally scheduled to take place in Harrisburg on Monday has been indefinitely postponed after a credible threat was made, one of the organizers said Thursday.

“We couldn’t take that risk,” said Kim Stolfer, president of Firearms Owners Against Crime, a Pennsylvania-based group that opposes new gun restrictions.

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Stolfer provided additional details, saying he received an email Wednesday morning from someone he didn’t know who said he was aware of a threat being shared online.

“Individuals were going to portray themselves as Second Amendment activists,” Stolfer said, describing the threat. “They were going to mix with the crowd and then they were going to start killing people. And the effort was to denigrate and cause a loss of prestige among legislators by misuse of firearms and to destroy our reputation.”

That was certainly the right call.

Right now, people are already very ramped up and ready to engage in violence. Providing a point where they could vent that anger and kill innocent people isn’t wise, especially when you have information that someone would try to do so.

And yes, there would be a backlash against gun owners as anti-gunners use such an incident to “prove” gun owners are unstable and can’t be trusted. For the shooter or shooters, there would be virtually no downside. Well, except for the fact that many of the rally-goers would likely be armed and would put the shooters down. Then again, some people are willing to die for a cause.

All throughout the nation, people are already getting violent over the least provocation. For many of them, people simply thinking differently is a provocation. Since there were people claiming they planned to attend the rally with harmful intent, postponing it is the right call.

Some might argue that if guns are so useful for stopping attacks, why postpone? Of course, those folks aren’t gun people who know the best self-defense tactic possible is to avoid areas where you may be attacked. That includes Second Amendment rallies with credible threats against them.

Stolfer made a very wise call and has my full support, for what it’s worth.

Tom Knighton is a Navy veteran, a former newspaperman, a novelist, and a blogger and lifetime shooter. He lives with his family in Southwest Georgia. He's also the host of Unloaded TV on YouTube. https://bearingarms.com/author/tomknighton/

https://bearingarms.com/tom-k/2020/06/05/pa-gun-rally-postponed-threat/