Gun advocacy group to rally in Santa Fe
Posted at: 01/18/2013 5:32 PM
By: Jill Galus, KOB Eyewitness News 4
As the debate over whether to reinstate the assault weapons ban continues in Washington, a gun owner rights advocacy group is holding rallies at capitols across the country Saturday, including Santa Fe.
The group is called "Guns Across America."
Local organizer, Josh Kennedy, said the group is against an assault-rifle ban and will be out in full force outside the roundhouse Saturday to show that.
"We just want the country to realize we're not a bunch of criminals," Kennedy said. "We want them to realize that anyone that is responsible can own an assault weapon."
Hundreds are expected to rally in Santa Fe, Kennedy said, in an effort to show assault weapon owners are armed, but not dangerous.
Sen. Cisco McSorley (D-Albuquerque) welcomes the rally if it gets people talking but thinks there are more effective ways to go about it.
"Bringing guns to the capitol building is not my idea of open dialogue," McSorley said. "You don't negotiate - you don't have dialogue at the point of a gun."
At Calibers off Interstate 40, the assault rifle section was emptied out, with only three options available to choose from.
Employees explained they cannot keep assault riles in stock fast enough. People are coming from across the state to purchase them.
"What they need to crack down on are criminals," gun owner Athena Pacheco said. "The criminals aren't going to turn over their guns if they put this ban on assault rifles. They don't care - there's bans on all these illegal drugs and everything, and it still happens."
The event is scheduled for noon.
"The odds of getting killed by an assault weapon is literally less than getting hit by lightning, and we just think it's ridiculous that he's trying to take these weapons away from us," Kennedy said.
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