By Lauren Cappuccio
The words of the Second Amendment were spelled out on a man's shirt. A young boy waved an American flag. A woman adjusted the rifle on her back and talked to a young man with a handgun attached to his belt.
These individuals and many more gathered Sunday afternoon in front of the Fulton County Courthouse in McConnellsburg for a rally and walk to exercise their right to carry guns.
With signs that read "Free Men Do Not Ask Permission To Bear Arms" and American flags held high, the walkers listened to speakers who praised the numbers, read the Second Amendment and talked about the importance of their rights before walking from the courthouse through McConnellsburg.
"This is a gathering of like-minded individuals exercising their rights," said Bill Watson, who organized the rally.
Around 120 people marched their way through the streets.
Bill Hurney was among them, going "big and bold" with his Colt.
"I'm here, just like everybody else, for our Second Amendment rights," he said. He participated in the walk for visibility of their cause.
"If each town did it, or state did it, the government can't ignore it," he said.
Janet Fittry, Hustontown, didn't think twice before bringing her children and friends with her to the rally.
"Our grandfathers fought for this right," she said. "That's why I'm here, why my girls are here."
Fittry also came with her sons, who hunt and have been around guns for most of their lives.
At the rally, a speaker brought up the idea that people tell them about their ancestors not being prepared for the high-powered weapons available. Fittry thinks that they would have been marching with them.
"If they were here today, they'd be proud," Fittry said.
One of the speakers, Larry Garlock, spoke as a legislative representative on behalf of state Rep. Dick Hess, R-Bedford.
After reading the prepared statement from Hess, praising their cause and numbers, Garlock pulled out a rifle of his own from behind his back.
"This was my gun when I was defending the Constitution," he said, recounting that he had gained the weapon in Vietnam from an enemy fighter. "And when they decide to come out and take our guns, they aren't getting this one."
Travis Kendall, the district attorney in Fulton County, read the Second Amendment of the Constitution as well as a section of the Pennsylvania Constitution that guarantees the freedom to bear arms.
"There was a radical new idea that people can defend themselves," he said and gave history about the need for weapons. Then he spoke to the crowd about misconceptions that have been prevalent, such as defining the militia as a national guard, which he says is false.
"A militia is the people's army," he said. "Not an organized group."
Kendall went into the idea that most Americans 18-45 registered with Selective Service are considered in the militia.
Other information that Kendall said has been twisted includes the idea of the Second Amendment being an excuse to hunt and not for protection and the idea that high-capacity weapons being the reason the crime rate is increasing.
"We need facts," he said. "According to the Uniform Table Crime Reports, there were only eight murders in the commonwealth this year as a result of rifles."
While other guns had higher numbers, the amount of crimes with other items such as hands, feet and knives, were fairly high as well.
"They ask, 'who needs a 33-round magazine?' Well, who needs a 32-ounce soft drink? Who needs a T-bone steak? Who needs a Harley-Davidson motorcycle?" Kendall said. "It's not about the government telling us what we need."
Linda Myers, 69, came with her husband Jack from southern Huntingdon County.
"Politicians think little people don't know what's going on," Linda said. "Once we lose one, we'll lose more."
Doug Shetron, Waynesboro, helped to organize the gun rally that took place in Chambersburg several weeks ago. He was at the event in Fulton County this time to support the cause.
"There are more of us out there like us then there are people against what we believe in," Shetron said.
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