NEW: III% Militia, Pro-Gun Activists Hold 2nd Amendment Rally In Annapolis
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Second amendment supporters and militia groups assembled today at the Maryland State Capitol in support of gun rights as part of a national day of rallies in response to the "March for our Lives."
The Maryland activists particularly focused their attention on the proposed "Red Flag" law in the state. The law would make "lethal violence protection orders" that would allow family members and friends to ask a judge for a temporary order allowing law enforcement to seize firearms from an individual before any due process hearing takes place.
The event was entirely peaceful and participants were not openly armed. The consensus among the speakers and attendees is that using the political process is essential to preserving gun rights, but that the second amendment itself provides a final line of defense.
"You water that tree of liberty. What do we water it with?" asked Michael D. Smigiel Sr., a former delegate in the Maryland House of Delegates. "The blood of patriots and tyrants. Now, I'm not asking anybody to go out and water that liberty tree yet. But she is parched."
"It is parched," one speaker added. "But there's two ways to water it. One is with the blood of patriots and tyrants. But while it's parched, why not water it with the tears of our foes?" He went on to propose a direct action plan to pressure politicians to vote pro-gun rights.