Rally participants zero in on gun rights
People attend the Patriots’ Day Rally, sponsored by Ohio Carry, Ohioans for Concealed Carry and the Buckeye Firearms Association, Saturday at the Ohio Statehouse.
As Shawn Fryman and Nicole Johnson stood at the back of the crowd on the lawn of the Ohio Statehouse waiting for the Patriots’ Day speeches to begin, their two young kids flipped through pocket- sized copies of the Constitution.
Asked what he was reading, 7- year- old C. J. was quick with his reply: “A history book.”
Johnson smiled, and said the couple brought the children to Saturday’s rally — led by the organizations Ohio Carry, Ohioans for Concealed Carry and the Buckeye Firearms Association — for just one reason. “We’re trying to teach them their rights,” she said.
The organizations advertised the two-hour event as a celebration of patriotism and freedom. It has been held for the past several years on or near the date of April 19, which is the date of the first battles near Boston in 1775 that signaled the emerging independence of the Colonies would be won in the Revolutionary War. This was the first year the groups secured a permit, making it a more organized affair.
American anthems, military music and patriotic songs blasted from speakers set up in front of the west- side steps of the Statehouse. Many in the A gun owner shows his patriotism at Saturday’s rally.
crowd of between 200 and 300 waved U.S. flags; a few literally wrapped themselves in the flag of “Don’t Tread on Me.” Many people openly carried their guns.
A fundamental part of Americans’ freedoms, Fryman said, is the Second Amendment. As he spoke, an AR- 15 rifle hung against his left side, and a Glock 17 pistol rested against his right.
“We’re here to show our politicians that we won’t have our rights taken away. It’s as simple as that,” said Fryman, a 29-yearold factory worker from Galloway. “To keep all our rights, you have to be able to defend them.”
Just before she welcomed the crowd and kicked off the event, Carolyn RobeyWarren, president of Ohio Carry, said Patriots’ Day is a holiday for anyone who
loves America.
“It’s why we have our freedoms,” she said, as the lyrics of “Yankee Doodle Dandy” nearly drowned her voice.
Among the speakers was 18-year-old Rhemington Lorms, a senior at Tolles Career & Technical Center in Plain City and whose dad owns a Clintonville gun shop. She cradled the tealcolored AR- 15 she calls “The Unicorn” against her, and told the crowd that shooting sports aren’t just hobbies to her. They are her passion.
“My right to keep and bear arms has helped me grow into the person I am today,” she said. “I am an American and I live free and the Second Amendment protects all my other rights.”