PORTLAND (AP) — About 75 gun rights supporters — most of them wearing side arms — gathered in a public park to exercise their Second Amendment rights Sunday, enjoying hamburgers and hot dogs as joggers trotted by and a small group of demonstrators gathered nearby.
Cory Mills carries a semi-automatic pistol as he attends a gun-rights rally Sunday, April 25, 2010 at a park in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Joel Page)
Police stand near a 1951 Willys Jeep with a working .30-caliber machine gun mounted on it at a gun-rights rally Sunday, April 25, 2010 at a park in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Joel Page)
Kerry Galivan, left, and Cathie Whittenburg, protest at a gun-rights rally Sunday, April 25, 2010 at a park in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Joel Page)
Ken Decatur, left, speaks with a Portland police officer at a gun-rights rally Sunday, April 25, 2010 at a park in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Joel Page)
Shane Belanger, a University of Southern Maine student who organized the display of guns, which included a machine gun mounted on a jeep, said the aim wasn't to frighten anyone. Instead, he said, the goal was simply to show that people have a constitutional right to bear arms.
"A right unexercised is a right lost," Belanger said as the gas grill warmed up on a sunny afternoon. "We're law-abiding citizens, just having a barbecue."
Dave Nelson, of Gorham, brought his restored olive drab 1951 Willys jeep with an operable .30-caliber machine gun mounted in the back and a box of ammunition. He said he doesn't like what's happening in the country when it comes to work ethic and government intrusion into people's lives.
"Things are changing drastically," said Nelson, who wore a 9 mm handgun in a holster. "The government owns too many things. It's trying to control people."
Some critics were incredulous.
"Where does it stop? You're carrying a .38 on your hip. The next one's carrying .45," said Marine veteran Walter McKertich, 73, of Portland. "If I get a 105 Howitzer, is that OK? They want everything. They don't want any controls whatsoever."
Another veteran, Norm Rasulis, of Peaks Island, joined the group protesting the display of guns.
"I've seen no reason to carry (a handgun) since I left the service," he said.
Maine has fairly liberal gun laws, and the Legislature doesn't let municipalities regulate guns. Nonetheless Dan Skolnik, chairman of the City Council Public Safety Committee, said he'd like to see the city have the right to require permits for people to display their guns in public.
"Anywhere in the country, cities and towns ought to be able to regulate when people are walking around with a loaded weapon," Skolnik said.
The gathering in Portland, the state's largest city, is the latest in a series of such open carry events nationwide.
For the most part, police kept the two groups apart. A few people discussed their differences, and the chats were generally civil.
Belanger, the student organizer, didn't wear a gun. Neither did Peter Keef, another gun rights supporter. They said they were happy to have both sides air their views.
"I'm glad that they have the right to do that," said Keef, of Casco, motioning to the counter-demonstrators. "I'm glad we live in a country where that's possible."
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the man in the lower picture
the man in the lower picture ( Ken Decatur) in the yellow shirt is an off-duty police officer. There is so many ignorant biased comments here. So anxious to label other people and calling them racists or names, or suprised they were not wearing hoods.. there was no violence, no loaded weapons that killed anybody, no tea party protesters that scare so many for protesting, no car flipping, no looting, no smashing windows, no stabbings like in so many past violent protests, so keep your shirts on, they were not protesting for anyone being arrested or beaten by cops so they could go on a looting rampage and destroy property.
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was to remind people that rights not exercised are often taken away. Nothing wrong with a peaceful demonstration to ensure that our STATED Constitutional Rights remain.
It's sad that so many people support supposed Constitutional Rights, like free health care for all and the "right" to kill your baby in the womb, but they are horrified when any of us point out that the Founders had the foresight to mention a few BY NAME!
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Tron we held our meeting later that evening. The grand wizzard was very pleased with the days events!!We stoped wearing sheets and hoods, we now where Obama masks so we can hate ourselves with pride!! Seriously get a grip!! How does not wanting a larger federal government, not wanting government takeover of healthcare, not wanting to forced to subsidize less successful people, not wanting the liberals to Redistribute the wealth make us racists!! Not that I am or that I condone Racism, But if you are truely a tolerant accepting everyone Lefty Liberal then wouldent Racists be included!! Or is it OKAY to HATE the HATERS!! We don't take kindly to people who don't kindly around these parts!! Free Speech covers everyone not just the popular speech or the widly accepted speech all of it!! As you test every day on this very blog!!
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as much as they want. I'm just surprised they all resisted the temptation to wear their sheets and hoods.
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Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or did I see a confederate flag in one of the pictures? Maine was hardly part of the confederacy, and doesn't have its seditious tradition. Is this anti-black / anti-Obama symbolism?
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Isn't it pretty, reality? Beats the heck out of a french or mexican flag.
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I didn't notice that in the photo at first. Shouldn't be surprised, I guess. That flag has come to be synonymous with ignorance.
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to make up for their "inadequacies." I am thankful the police were there to prevent bloodshed. They earned their pay, for a change.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.FACT: The vast majority of rank and file...
...Law Enforcement officers support the right to keep and bear arms.
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to make up for their own "inadequacies." While not universal, it is generally the rule.
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Some people will do anything for attention.
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Nice day to show off your gun Id say !Weather was fine and not one person was hurt !!! While they were parading around back bay some of us were exercising our RIGHT by shooting @ the range !!! No matter what it is a right we all have ! I like one of the Protesters when I came home from Military service did not want anything else to do with a firearm,fast forward 45 plus years I now enjoy firearms again! Its a great Right we have and law abiding citizens know the responsibility that goes with it !!
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Unless you can show me they changed the laws to require EVERYONE to take the course, you did not serve in the military you are a Walter Mitty wannabe. So step up and prove that they changed the law that requires ex-military to take the course or sit down and shut up, PHONEY. What's it gonna be boy proof or are you just a phoney like some of the others I have heard from here on this forum. Never mind I answered the question myself you are a PHONEY joepublic.
http://www.maine.gov/dps/msp/licenses/documents/Weapons/CFP%20Booklet.pdf
(5) Demonstrates to the issuing authority a knowledge of handgun safety.
The applicant may fully satisfy this requirement by submitting to the issuing
authority, through documentation in accordance with this subparagraph, proof
that the applicant has within 5 years prior to the date of application completed a
course that included handgun safety offered by or under the supervision of a
federal, state, county or municipal law enforcement agency or a firearms
instructor certified by a private firearms association recognized as
knowledgeable in matters of firearms safety by the issuing authority or by the
state in which the course was taken. A course completion certificate or other
document, or a photocopy, is sufficient if it recites or otherwise demonstrates that
the course meets all of the requirements of this subparagraph.
As an alternative way of fully satisfying this requirement, an applicant may
personally demonstrate knowledge of handgun safety to an issuing authority, if
the issuing authority is willing to evaluate an applicant's personal demonstration
of such knowledge. The issuing authority is not required to offer this 2nd option.
The demonstration of knowledge of handgun safety to the issuing authority
may not be required of any applicant who holds a valid State permit to carry a
concealed firearm as of April 15, 1990 or of any applicant who was or is in any
of the Armed Forces of the United States and has received at least basic firearms
training.
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Okay all you anti's defend yourselves with your words I will support guns til the end just like our constitution says we have a right to bare arms the next time you are attacked by a criminal pull out a book and try defending yourself with it or better yet call a cop with a pansie in his holster instead of a pistol. AND " HAVE A NICE DAY"
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Obama hasn't made any moves to take ones right to own a gun away, some are making this up, see if they can find some facts and prove it, which they can't. This is just a branch off the Teabaggers protesting. Stupid teabaggers and those Republicans who never agree with anything are behind all this sort of stuff lately, just raising false issues so the crazies out there do these things. I hope nobody does something stupid like shoot someone in the government. There's no need to walk around with guns like the wild west. This is 2010 and I would be afraid taking my grandchildren to a park with these people there. You never know, one drunk could start shooting. Guns are to be worn by military and police. The rest should keep their guns home for their own protection. Period.
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He has not done anything as President, but hir record as Junior Senator from Illinois clearly shows his anti-gun bias.
The people walking around with guns on their hips are not the ones to be afraid of.
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How can you categorically say that Obama has NOT made a move to limit firearms or ammunition? No one really knows what goes on behind closed doors at the Whitehouse.
What we can do is look at Obama's voting record on bills that pertain to firearms and ammunition. And in such cases, he has always voted with those who would like to see all civilian arms confiscated or heavily regulated (i.e. make it cost prohibitive for the average civilian to own or use them). His entire staff is a who's who list of anti-gun extremists and hoplophobes who believe the only armed Americans should be Law Enforcement and Military personnel.
John Chick
Monmouth, ME
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." --Thomas Jefferson to Charles Yancey, 1816. ME 14:384
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Ugh...so when the Obama administration made a change in the procedures with military spent brass casings forcing them to be crushed rendering them useless to the aftermarket reloading companies AND eliminating MILLIONS of dollars to the military and it has made ammo prices skyrocket. So you tell me why take the guns from law abiding citizens when you can take the ammo and make it so expensize to buy. Maybe you should take a minute and look up what is going on before you shoot you mouth off.
Also you do know that the Teaparty people who are protecting this country from the wanton disregard Obama has demonstrated are a mix of Republicans, Democrates of all races.
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Everyone should have a Willys jeep with a mounted 30 cal machine gun in case the Martians invade us. A few fragmentation grenades and a rocket launcher would probably help as well.
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HE MAY BE MUGGED BY A JOGGER LOOKS CRAZY
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give it your best shot, you know you want to.
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