White folks were seen totting militaristic weapons in the hallways of Nebraska’s State Capitol in an effort to protect their right to bear arms. Omaha State Senator John McCollister, who introduced the LB 816 bill in Nebraska, removed a provision from the proposed bill that would require a purchase certificate for semiautomatic rifles and shotguns, and folks aren’t having it. As a result, they attended the legislation in droves, carrying AR-15 rifles to oppose the restriction on them being allowed to carry the weapons, according to KETV.
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Brett Hendrix of Omaha was photographed carrying his weapon, while also wearing a military helmet and vest. “Anyone can carry a weapon anywhere they life,” he said.
Brett Hendrix of Omaha with an AR-15 in the #Nebraska Capitol. Hendrix said he brought the gun to demonstrate the right to keep and bear arms. He opposes a gun bill that will be heard this afternoon in the #NELeg Judiciary Committee, viewable here: https://t.co/3k43sJrjfC pic.twitter.com/834lwqOK5Z
— Fred Knapp (@fredmknapp) February 21, 2020
Nebraska is an open carry state.
When asked if him carrying the military weapon would make people nervous, Hendrix replied that it didn’t matter. “The Constitution is an emotionless document, so if there is emotion that is sprung from it, that’s none of your business to care about,” he continued. “Emotion is not something that is meant to change laws. When you do, that becomes a dangerous thing. Your safety does not trump rights, period.”
He also spoke on the amendments, saying that the first through the tenth are not to be touched. “The tenth Amendment prevents the states from touching what Congress can’t touch. If Congress is not allowed to touch the first ten amendments, how is the states doing that now?” the gun rights advocate said.
Hendrix added that other gun rights advocates can keep their weapons home if they like, but he chooses to carry his because “this is the land of the free, so you get to choose how to be free. I choose to carry my rifle.”
If he were black, he wouldn’t still be alive to pose for that photo.
— Bruno Amato (@BrunoAmato_1) February 21, 2020
The legislature introduced by McCollister would also “add suicide prevention to firearms safety courses and expand the time allowed for a firearms purchase certificate background check,” according to a report from KETV.
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts said in a Facebook post, “Thank you to the 100s of #2A activists who have shown up at the State Capitol to oppose LB 816 and protect our Second Amendment rights!”
McCollister also insisted that “nobody wants to take away the rights of gun owners,” according to the report.
Hendrix was among thousands of others who shared his sentiment and felt it was necessary to bring military rifles to Nebraska’s State Capitol to demonstrate their right to bear arms.
Meanwhile, a Black person is considered a threat when unarmed, much less if they have a license to carry a concealed weapon. In fact, hundreds of unarmed Black men, women and children have been killed at the hands of police, and the number is steadily increasing.
In July of 2016, Philando Castile was shot and killed by a Minnesota police officer after revealing that he had a concealed weapon. The officer demanded identification and when Castile went to reach for his ID, the responding officer shot him four times. The incident was filmed on Facebook Live, and the officer was later cleared of manslaughter charges.
Needless to say, the notion that bringing a rifle to prove why you should have a right to bear arms should be enough reason to enforce stricter gun laws.
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