- Title: USA: Gun rights advocates rally in Washington
- Date: 20th April 2010
- Summary: WASHINGTON D.C, UNITED STATES (APRIL 19, 2010) (REUTERS) GUN RIGHTS ADVOCATES AT RALLY IN FRONT OF THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT VARIOUS OF PRO-GUNS POSTERS CROWDS LISTENING TO SPEAKERS AT RALLY (SOUNDBITE) (English) ERICH "MANCOW" MULLER, A CHICAGO RADIO SHOW HOST, SAYING "My message to the federal government is: obey the laws. We have a right to have guns. I live in the c
- Embargoed: 5th May 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVADVWC1UIS86P5ZJU1WONIHC3KQ
- Story Text: Gun rights activists rallied in Washington D.C on Monday (April 19) to promote their Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms.
Pro-gun advocates from across the United States held multi-colored flags and posters as they converged at the grounds of the Washington Monument. Speakers asked crowds to vote in the November mid-term elections for candidates who would support gun rights.
Chicago radio show host Erich "Mancow" Muller, a speaker at the event, said he wanted to impress upon Congress that guns were essential for self-defense.
"I live in the city of Chicago. It is a bloodbath and I don't have a right to protect my family. The average response time, 911 call, is 15 minutes. I don't have that kind of time. I need a gun to protect myself, it's my right as an American," Muller said.
Some participants said they wanted to ensure lawmakers would not take away their right to bear arms, granted to every American under the U.S Constitution.
"It's really not about politics. It's simply about the constitution. You know, we have the constitutional right to possess and bear arms, and we just want to make sure that our elected officials know that, you know, that this is something we hold dear," Georgia resident Andre Parker said.
The participants were unarmed in compliance with Washington D.C's strict gun laws that make it illegal to carry firearms in the capital.
The event coincided with the 15th anniversary of the bombing in Oklahoma City in 1995 that killed 168 people. Gun rights cases have been among the country's most divisive social, political and legal issues. Some 90 million people in the United States have an estimated 200 million guns, according to a study cited in the case. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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