Militia members keep the peace

If a person carries a firearm for protection, it must always be done responsibly. Carrying a firearm to intimidate those with opposing views is not a good idea. That being said, I will keep my response strictly related to why members of the militia under my command in Charlottesville openly carried long-arms, namely AR-15 rifles.

At 99% of rallies we attend, we only carry sidearms secured in “locked” holsters.

We had done a great deal of research on the groups who were attending the event that day, and most of the groups who were attending, on both sides, were known for their propensity for violence, and many stated they were planning on getting violent. When we attend events as militia, we are a neutral, third party. We stage our people so no one feels as though we are focusing strictly on them.

One reason we carry firearms is for personal protection. In Charlottesville, I believe, there were roughly 6,000 protesters. There were 32 of us.

At most events, we and the police are heavily outnumbered. This raises the question, “How can law enforcement (and the militia when we are present) maintain peace?” Simple, because they’re armed.

When police failed to get involved in clashes that day, we were left to attempt to keep the peace. My people are very welltrained in firearms, and as most of us are veterans, we are also disciplined enough to know when and when not to use them. This was clearly demonstrated by the fact that even though we were repeatedly physically assaulted, not one of my people raised a firearm. Our firearms are a visual deterrent, and it worked that day. For fiveand-a-half hours, we managed to keep things mostly peaceful. People on both sides showed up with clubs, flag poles, helmets, goggles, shields and makeshift weapons. Had we been unarmed, we’d have been ineffective as peacekeepers.

I have no issue with people being armed, as it is their constitutional right, as long as it’s done responsibly and with discipline and training. But it may be better for protesters to leave weapons at home and avoid potential accidents that could leave someone hurt or killed.

Christian Yingling is leader of the Pennsylvania Light Foot Militia.