http://www.sierratimes.com/arst042500.htm

here’s the text of the article, but you need to go to the site and see the pictures. WOW!

——–
Pistol Packin’ Mamas Pack Utah Capitol
Sarah Thompson
Salt Lake City, 4-23-00: About 1500 people – mostly women – gathered on the steps of the Utah Capitol Saturday to demonstrate their opposition to gun control. Despite early morning rain, Easter and Passover weekend activities, and the first game of the Utah Jazz NBA playoffs, men, women and children packed the south stairs of the Capitol and spilled over into parking lots and the front lawn. Local residents noted that it was the largest rally they could remember.

The pro-gun rally was organized by a coalition of local pro-freedom organizations in order publicly to oppose the “Million Mom March” in support of gun control, scheduled to be held in Washington, D.C. on Mother’s Day. Utah’s female gun activists held the rally earlier because they believe women would prefer to spend Mothers Day with their families. Participants wore hats to symbolize gun owners who “use their heads”, and use their firearms to save lives. Roughly ten lives are saved by defensive firearms use for each life that is lost to gun violence.

Janalee Tobias, President of Women Against Gun Control (WAGC), said she hoped to teach the “Million Moms” some manners. “It’s not very ladylike to take things that don’t belong to you. Our gun rights and our guns belong to us… If someone is trying to kill you, would you rather call 911 or reach for a 9 mm?” (Sarah’s note: I prefer a .45 or a .308!) Janalee led the crowd in deafening chants of “You can’t have them,” “Guns Save Lives” and others.

Claudia Hepner, Vice President of WAGC, spoke about growing up in Germany, related how her parents insisted that she learn the lessons of the Nazi genocide, and emphasized that gun control inevitably precedes such genocide. Claudia’s infant daughter, Sarah, also attended, although she doesn’t yet speak. Sarah is already a tireless advocate for gun rights who attends legislative committee hearings, loves gun shows, and participates in rallies – and even the meanest gun grabbing politicians can’t make her cry! By the time she’s two, politicians will be running for cover!

Sarah Thompson, Executive Director of Utah Gun Owners Alliance (UTGOA), referred to the “Million Misguided Moms” who advocate gun control. She accused these women of advocating that disarmed women submit to rapists “for the good of society”, and that innocent, defenseless children be murdered in “gun-free” schools for “the sake of the children”. Thompson says she believes she has the right and the obligation to defend her family.

Echoing Hepner’s remarks, she noted that Jews are celebrating Passover, and recalled the biblical enslavement of the Jews in Egypt, reminding the crowd, “Now we are slaves; next year may we be free!”

Ricki Landers, an advocate for both disability rights and gun rights, emphasized that self-defense is even more critical for the disabled and the elderly, who don’t even have the option of running away from criminals. “I can’t chase a thug down the street, but I can shoot him!”, she exclaimed. Landers, Tobias and Hepner are also planning to protest the “Million Moms” in Washington next month.

Gayle Ruzicka, President of the Utah Eagle Forum, spoke about the need for gun rights advocates to become more involved in the political process and to educate and recruit others to join the cause of liberty.

Representatives of all sponsoring and endorsing organizations addressed the crowd, but it was definitely a day for the “Ladies of High Caliber” to shine. Other organizations participating included the Utah Freedom Asembly, the Libertarian Party of Utah, the Utah Republican Assembly, the Utah Independent American Party, the Utah Self-Defense Instructors Network, the Utah Shooting Sports Council, the Utah State Rifle and Pistol Association, Utah Gun Owners Legal Defense Fund and Gun Owners of America.

Sheriff Richard Mack, who successfully challenged the Brady Act all the way to the Supreme Court – and won! – was the keynote speaker. Mack, who was clearly distressed, as were rally participants, by the government seizure at gunpoint of Elian Gonzalez earlier that day, spoke about the proper role and limits of law enforcement. He reminded activists that state governments are sovereign and do not have submit to federal dictates, something Utah’s spineless legislators have refused to acknowledge. He ended his speech by having members of Utah’s minorities join hands and lead the crowd in a call for freedom for all people.

One “misguided mother” also attended the rally. Merlinda Bradshaw, whose daughter, Bethany Hyde, was murdered by a criminal last year, stood off to the side of the rally with a photo of her daughter and a sign saying “Death by Bullet” – ignored by all but the anti-gun media, who flocked to her cause. Bradshaw blames the bullet, not the criminal, for her daughter’s death. “The kid who pulled the trigger shot Bethany, but it was the bullet that pierced her heart,” she said.

But the real story wasn’t the speakers; it was the women, along with their men and children, who made the rally a success. Women carried signs proclaiming “Who will protect me?”, “Keep your hands off my guns”, and “Sen. Hatch supports gun control”. A man in a black ski mask carried a sign advertising “Criminals for Gun Control”. T-shirts exclaimed “If guns kill people, then spoons made Rosie O’Donnell fat”!

Utah’s gun rights activists are particularly incensed by a ballot initiative sponsored by the Utah Education Association and the Parent Teacher Association that would abuse government power to ban guns in schools and force religious institutions to ban guns – whether or not they choose to do so. Women are especially concerned that this will endanger their children as well as women who are being stalked by ex-spouses, while doing nothing to deter criminals who are unlikely to obey any additional gun laws.

Activists repeatedly chanted “No gun control! No compromise!” during the rally, and they obviously want the world to know they mean it. The Misguided Moms for Murder and Mayhem clearly don’t speak for them!

——————————————————————————–
SierraTimes.com
Publishing &
Communication Associates
A Subsidiary of
J.J. Johnson Enterprises, Inc.
1970 N. Leslie Suite 204
Pahrump, NV 89041
Office: 775.727.0627
Fax: 413.581.5806
A Nevada Corporation

——————————————————————————–

Articles & Editorials:

We receive numerous requests to forward Sierra Times articles and editorials to other news outlets, or to publish them on websites.

Permission granted, as long as you include the name of our site, the author, and our URL.
www.SierraTimes.com

All Sierra Times news reports, and all editorials are
? 2000 SierraTimes.com (unless otherwise noted)