GRAFTON -
January 19 is National Gun Appreciation Day and Grafton residents went to Quality Home Comfort to show support for their second amendment rights.
"I think gun owners need to be vocal, very vocal right now for our rights," said Bill McDaniel, a support of the event. "Or we're going to lose them. They'll take them one piece at a time."
Don Shaw agrees with McDaniel. He thinks that gun advocates need to come together to protect their second amendment rights.
"I just think it's important that people stand up to that," Shaw said. "Where is it going to stop. Does it stop with the assault riffles or does it keep going on down the line."
Local residents showed their support by going to the event. They were also asked to sign a petition.
Dennis Shumaker spearheaded the event locally, and provided different things for people to learn about what is happening.
"There's a lot of literature that has to do with the constitution and the second amendment and different things," said Shumaker.
Shaw said his 2-year-old son is already showing an interest in hunting, and he hopes that some day he'll be able to share in that sport with him.
"Being an American and a law abiding citizen, no felonies or anything like that, I have that right and they're going to take it away from me. I don't think that's right."
McDaniel said that even if it's not only used for hunting, it's his right to own a gun.
"Not just on a national level but the West Virginia constitution says you have a right to own a weapon to protect yourself, period," said McDaniel.
McDaniel also said he believes the government will not be able to prevent gun crime in this way.
"The laws that they're passing I think, criminals don't care about the laws, they don't care," said McDaniel. "They're doing more to harm law abiding citizens than anything else."
Gun Appreciation Day was a national event. The purpose was to allow gun advocates to come forward and show their support.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WBOY. All Rights Reserved.
