FRANKFORT, Ky. (WDRB) -- About 200 people with dozens of guns showed up, Friday, at the Kentucky Capitol.
They came despite the rain and cold to rally for gun rights, and many of those attending were openly carrying their weapons. The event was spearheaded by a group called Constitutional Kentucky.
"These guys are farmers and doctors, and they are out here recognizing the same thing, that there are rights being infringed on," said organizer Tony Wheatley
Calvin Pinkston came from Valley Station with his semi-automatic M-16 rifle, one of more than 40 guns he owns.
"There's no way in the world I would ever use it against my fellow American, or any of these people, unless I had to, unless it's the safety of my family," Pinkston told WDRB News.
Pinkston said he was there to make sure lawmakers in Frankfort get the message. "We have the right to bears arms and carry weapons," he said.
People attending the rally said their concern was sparked by recent gun control efforts in states like Virginia, where its House of Delegates passed seven pieces of gun-control legislation on Jan. 30.
"Laws get tried out by liberal coastal states, and then they creep inwards. And, we're not going to let that happen," said Benjamin Leneave of Louisville.
They are also against a proposed "red flag" law that would allow authorities to seize guns from individuals deemed to be a threat. Indiana has had a red flag law in place for 15 years.
The event even attracted Congressman Thomas Massie, who is facing a challenger in the May Republican primary.
"They want to take your guns," Massie told the crowd. "Some of them want to take all of the guns from just a few people, and some of them want to take a few of the guns from all of the people.”
Organizers said their goal is to make sure gun rights advocates are on the ballot across the state.
"We're looking for leaders, not followers," said Wheatley.
For Pinkston, the gun control issue is literally one worth fighting over.
"I'm afraid if that happens nationwide, it's going to be an uprising worse than the Civil War ever thought about being," he said. "We don't need that."
Beyond the rally, organizers said they will keep pushing for more communities across the state to become Second Amendment sanctuaries.
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