Thank You for making the Second Amendment March a success!!!
Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers, speakers, sponsors and attendess of the Second Amenement March.
It was an amazing Celebration of FREEDOM!!!
With crowds of 2000+ the day was filled with a shared belief in the Constitution, the values of our founders and promise of friendships and partnerships made that will continue to grow as we continue to work to support our freedoms. Our work is not done.
The speakers were educational, inspirational and motivational. The volunteers were dedicated and tireless; and there is no doubt the attendees were excited, entertained and engaged. It was wonderful to look out into the audiance and see men, women, children and families. The March drew National and International press and the spirit and represtation of like-minded Americans was felt and heard throughout D.C.
We appreciate your support, each and everyone involved with the March should be proud to have brought the true meaning of Patriots Day to our nations captial - please tell us your SAM story, what you enjoyed, what you learned, what you are motivated to do now to support the Second Amendment.
Thank you all again for a peaceful, safe and fun March. Hope to see you all again soon!
George Washington
George Washington was the best speaker ever. I mean, he really pulled if like a pro.
Diversity
It was great that there were speakers representing both the black and gay communities. While white conservatives clearly made up the majority of the event's audience, reaching out to other groups of Americans is very important to the cause. Liberty means liberty for everyone, not just white straight men. Generally the audience was supportive of the gay speaker but there were a couple people who were not. Those people need to remember that issues like gay marriage are completely separate and we have no more of a right to tell them how to live their lives then they have to disarm us. When it comes to the 2A, we can all be on the same team and we need to support each other as such.
The generally white audience, the black and gay speakers, and the disrespectful few in the audience all made strong impressions on my wife who only accompanied me to the rally and is not an avid supporter of our cause. I'm certain that many people who's support we need got the same impressions.
Finally, a sincere thank you to the event organizers and speakers.
- Jason
personal feeling on gay marriage
For what it is worth my personal view on gay marriage is simple. I view marriage as a religious sacrament and the state shouldn't be involved in the marriage business in the first place.
Funny thing I have found is most people can agree if they sit down, work from common values.
I accept that there will be some who can't or won't be respectful of people's differences, it is appeal to our personal biases that has got us into this mess in the first place.
The battles for our 2A rights will be in places like California, New York and other left wing enclaves.
The battle is far more than gun rights, it is all of our rights.
States role in marriage
The State must have an interest in marriage. Marriages produce children. The future of the country depends on what kind of citizens our children turn out to be. The ideal environment to raise children is a family. The foundation of the family is the marriage. Marriage is the States attempt to provide a stable environment for our next generation.
Same sex marriages can not produce children and is why the State has no interest. Redefining marriage to include unions other than one man and one woman would weaken the serious and important role marriage plays in our society.
Nicki Stallard isn't asking us to support gay rights. Nicki simply wants to stand next to us in support of the second amendment. All of us, gay or straight, have a right to defend our gift of life. Nicki makes some good points. You'll never get liberals to vote for Republicans in support of their gun rights but it might be possible to get liberals to pressure their Democrat representatives to support their gun rights. We don't have to agree on everything to stand together on the second amendment. I have great respect for Nicki's service in the US Navy and courage to speak in front of unwelcoming crowds.
Who cares about people's
Who cares about people's views on other issues at 2A rallies? I don't care how any of you feel about gay rights or if you're openly gay or a member of Fred Phelps' church. If you value your right to keep and bear arms guaranteed by the enumerated second amendment in the Bill of Rights, then please join any and all pro-2A rallies and make your voice heard. Sheesh!
Exercising our rights
The beauty of the U.S. is we all get to exercise ALL of our rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Your wife gets to enjoy free speech and freedom to believe as she chooses and so does everyone else. Isn't it great?! I love this place!
Thanks Skip!
I would like to extend my thanks to Skip Coryell for his courage, resolve and leadership. He saw that something had to be done and stepped up to meet the challenge. That meant putting his life, livelihood and family on hold. It meant facing disappointment, rejection and sometimes fierce criticism from friend and stranger alike. But Skip you got people like me out of my Lazy Boy and man cave to come out and speak out for things we believe in. We met at a Town Meeting in St. Johns and I was impressed with your thoughtfulness and how you spoke from your heart. Approximately 2000 minutemen joined you in Washington, D.C. but I am convinced there were many more who you won over that could not attend due to distance, finance or work. I know you said you were not the person to lead this, but you were exactly that person. Hold your head high knowing you poured your heart and soul into this effort.
THIS IS JUST THE END OF THE BEGINNING!
Silverfox
Yes, thanks to Skip, Terri,
Yes, thanks to Skip, Terri, and all the planners, generous sponsors, and volunteer workers who made this happen not only in DC but all across the U.S.
Thank You ALL for a GREAT EVENT!
All I can say is my hats off to you and your entire team! The diverse speakers, great Patriot attendees, fantastic weather and historic venue were all ideal! Thanks for putting this event on, I only wish more were able to attend and share from the wealth of information which was available!
Thanks Again!
Don
2000? Where was I? It looked
2000? Where was I? It looked like maybe 800 or so. I was saddened by the meager attendance. It was a very well run, well organized rally. I give great credit for those who set this up and to the speakers but my fellow gun owners disappointed me with meager numbers in attendance.
Count again!
There really WERE about 2000 attendees. But, like you, I wanted more. I think that, with a year to prepare for the next one, we can convince a big name to attend (maybe Glenn Beck?) and I think that we will see an exponential increase in attendance.
Maybe throughout the entire day
There might have been 2000+ throughout the entire day but never all at once. I think all the State Marches hurt our numbers. It would have been nice to have the Arlington Virginia rally join us in D.C. Doesn’t it make more sense to protest in a place where your 2nd amendment right has been taken away? Appearing with an empty holster makes a bigger statement than appearing with a gun. Maybe the next one should be held in Chicago!
Given the rabid
Given the rabid sensation-seeking press, I think the armed Virginia crowd actually helped our cause. The press would have ignored us to a great extent if we didn't have them for counterpoint. Most of my friends couldn't take leave from work.
Notice there are still SAM events planned nationwide. With the tanked economy, I imagine a lot of 2A supporters are trying to find something local to attend because they can't afford a trip to DC.
Meticulously clean park afterwards!
Kudos to the volunteers and attendees who made sure not a piece of trash was left on the grounds. I didn't see even a single cigarette butt on the ground at the end of the day. I saw people who had worked all days at tables making sure nothing was left behind to show we were even there. THANK YOU!
Totals for all the SAM events?
Since there were SAM events held at the national, state, and local levels on different days, I'm wondering if you've tried to at least do a guesstimate of the total number of people involved in all SAM activities?
As an example, I saw an article stating there were 7 SAM events being held in Illinois cities alone.
Thank you for the wonderful event
My husband and I attended the Second Amendment March in Washington, DC. We flew in from Kenner, Louisiana (a suburb of New Orleans). The event was so nicely run, with such a great lineup of speakers, we couldn't have been more pleased.
The attendance was not what I thought it should have been, but I have learned that people coming out on a work day is very difficult. One of the biggest problems we have as "activists" is the fact that we work, and that we don't "get paid" to protest, as the other side does. And it costs us personally a lot of bucks to fly and for hotel rooms and taxis, etc, whereas those expenses are paid by the anti-freedom organizations. So... taking all of that into consideration, I am really pleased that the people who showed up, were able to show up, and did.
I love the feeling of empowerment to be with like-minded people, and to have the opportunity to learn so much, from people who have spent much time educating themselves on the subject of Liberty and the United States Constitution.
I was interviewed by various news organizations 4 times, but I am finding that if my dialog pertains to Liberty, the Constitution, or common-sense topics such as SELF-DEFENSE! ... my interviews usually don't get printed. I found it funny that there was so much media there wondering among the crowd.
I was grateful for the Virginia armed rally, because I don't think our rally would have gotten any attention, had the other rally not been taking place. And it was so funny to see articles contrasting the two, and having the SAM made out to be the "good guy" because we weren't armed. I am really proud of our brothers and sisters in Virginia for their Restore the Republic rally.
I want to thank all of the organizers of this event, for their dedication and time and efforts to make The Second Amendment March a great success for my husband and I. My family and friends were so interested in hearing about it, which was great.
... Connie Z
PS The music was fantastic!
+1 on the music! I would
+1 on the music! I would love to have a collection of the music played throughout the day!
Recycle Reuse Reload
Someone was wearing a Recycle Reuse Reload T shirt with the green recycle arrow triangle and a piece of brass in the center of the triangle. Anybody know where to get one of those, I've searched high and low on the internet with no luck.
Thanks,
Brian Morton
BrianRMorton @ yahoo . com
Conclusion!
The whole event was great! The spouse and I came from Alaska to support the cause.
What I enjoyed the most was after the event! My spouse finally understood why our Second Amendment means so much to us all!
If this is what it took for her to wake up, I would do it all over again!
She is proficient and does carry but only when I ask if she's going to.
After hearing Suzanna and Nikki's horrific events, she now has a clear picture why it's so important to protect yourself and loved ones. She says now that she will pick up her carry piece first and then the phone!
thanks again Skip
gs
A Success?
I don't think so. I was there.
If after 14 months of Skip's planning, only about 800 people show up from across the Nation, it definitely was not a success.
Moreover, if this group thinks they promoted the Second Amendment, they are sadly mistaken. The topic of conversation on our bus heading home was the man in the dress, not gun rights.
We had children with us. Little did we know we would have to explain to them why someone who looked like their father was dressed like their mother.
BTW, there was no March -- only a rally.
I would have preferred more
I would have preferred more people in DC, but remember Skip also arranged for marches and rallies nationwide that competed with the Washington rally. The official counters gave a figure of 2000+ at the monument, although the max at any one time may have been closer to 800, as you indicated.
This was Skip's first experience doing a nationwide event, so we now know that if we want to have a larger centralized rally, the focus needs to exclusively be on that one rally. Also, the NRA's annual meeting is next month, and a lot of people can't afford to do both, so they are choosing the event that gives them several days of events and bigger celebrity speakers.
Some groups are even more likely to be targets of hate crimes than others, and they have the right -- or even obligation -- to raise awareness and speak on behalf of their groups to encourage people to exercise their rights.
March in Iowa
I really wanted to be with you all in DC. As the Iowa state coordinator, I was running our rally at the state house in Des Moines. We had about 75 people and 5 speakers. A surprise was Rod Roberts, Candidate for Iowa Governor showed up and we got him to speak. He spoke about what he want's for Iowa and the second Amendment. All of our speakers that are candidates are all lifetime shooters and hunters. Brenna Findley, candidate for Attorney General Gave a very passionate speech about growing up on the farm around guns and shooting from a young age. Kim Pearson, candidate for Iowa house district 42 was also raised a shooter and hunter. Dave Funk, running for the US House district 3 spoke about what is wrong with the current crop in DC and why our rights are in danger from things like the health care scam. Sean McClanahan, the President of Iowa Carry, gave possibly the best speech of all. His passion for what we are doing in Iowa showed through as he talked about our fight at the capital this year and finally getting "shall issue" passed. The Governor said he will sign the bill Thursday morning at 9:00 AM. I joined Iowa Carry 5 years ago, about a month after they got started. It has been a good fight and we got our bill passed this year. We had a lot of good help at the state house this year including the NRA. I think everyone that owns a gun should be a member.
A great first step
I attended the rally, and met some great people both at the Washington Monument and at the Sheraton on the afternoon and night before the march. What I found truly amazing was the quality of the speakers and more important, the availability of engaging them one on one after they spoke. This was a wonderful experience for both my wife and myself. Before I was committed to keeping our rights under the Constitution, now I must say I'm obsessed...
Skip, Thanks for taking this on! Tim Schmidt, thanks for your sponsorship. If I might ask, WHERE was the NRA??? We met to promote their primary agenda, and all they provided was a membership booth???
That certainly makes me wonder if they are committed to our rights, or just to my funds....
Jeff Miller (USCCA/NRA/Maryland Shall Issue)
Monrovia MD
Thank You
Thanks Jeff,
Thanks for mentioning the NRA and their lack of support.
I will check the NRA site and see if we can get an answer. I've been a long time member and didn;t need a booth however, I did speak with the fellas running the booth to see how they were doing and it turns out they did sign quite a few members and that's great but,NO EXCUSE.
They need us as much as we need them. Hopefully we will get their attention and a great deal of support in the future. Where was uncle Ted?
Thanks again for your support and comments.
Mike B.
Lapeer MI
Where was the NRA
Mike,
I did go to the NRA site, but frankly, I couldn't find a way for members to request their support, just more ways to contribute. I get my membership 5 years at a time, but not a month goes by without them contacting me to do more fund raising. Unless the funds are used to bring more grass roots level support in the states, it is in my mind wasted money.
If you find out how to contact them to request support for an issue, I'd love to have it so someday I can help make Maryland a "Shall Issue" state...
Jeff Miller
Maryland
Hooray!!!
This is a BIG A victory for home grown terrorists all over the nation.
The supreme court has made it even easier to home grown terrorists to kill Americans
Now they can walk into a local gun shop in any city in our nation, purchase all the guns and ammunition they want, practice to their hearts content and be ready for the big day.
Bombs are unpredictable. They can often fail. Just ask Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab who tried to blow up an American airliner with a bomb hidden in his underwear. Or ask Connecticut resident Faisal Shahzad whose crudely home made bombs failed to detonate in Times Square
Handguns, on the other hand, are designed to work every time...even for someone with very little training in their use. Just ask Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal killed 13 soldiers at Fort Hood and wounded 30 using a semi automatic pistol he purchased legally at a civilian gun store. He was well known to be sympathic to terrorist causes but with the NRA protecting the rights of "suspected terrorists" like Hasan there's nothing much you can do except ask him if you can show him other weapons he might like to buy.
If you were a wanna be terrorist, which weapon would you choose...a crudely home made bomb or a factory tested semi automatic weapon that even a child can operate?
Just Another Antigun rant
So what is your point? The 2nd Amendment gaurantees the right for al citizens to keep and bear arms. The flaw that you belive we have is the simple concept of innocent untill proven guilty. When the Ft Hood killer purchased his sidearm, he was a citizen in good standing. He had commited no crime. How do you propose that we take away someones rights without due process before they commit a crime. Have a precrime force like the movie Minority Report? And who would decide that someone is going to commit a crime in the future?