By Dean Weingarten
Arizona – -(Ammoland.com)- Arkansas became a constitutional carry state in August of 2013. It took about a year and a half, dozens of open carry marches, and a change of the Attorney General, for that fact to be generally recognized. The picture above is one of the marches taking place in Little Rock. I do not recall a single marcher ever being arrested for carrying a firearm. From thv11.com:
In 2013, former attorney general Dustin McDaniel issued an opinion saying he did not consider Arkansas an open carry state under act 746. We asked new attorney general Leslie Rutledge about her interpretation of the law. “I interpret it to mean an individual may carry so long as he or she does so without the intent to unlawfully employ it against another person,” she said. “But anytime law enforcement and citizens disagree on a law we need to ensure there is clarity to protect our citizens.”
Texas is struggling to make reality match its reputation as a second amendment friendly state. There have been dozens, perhaps hundreds, of open carry marches in Texas this last year, with long guns, as modern sidearms are generally not allowed to be open carried in public in Texas. The infringements on open carry date to reconstruction, after the Civil War, or War Between the States, if you prefer. It appears likely that some form of open carry will pass this year. To help it along, a cross border open carry walk is planned for Texarkana near the end of March. The state line runs down the middle of a street in the city.
From Conley Hennigan, who is organizing the demonstration it will occur on 28 March, starting at 12:00 pm CDT:
Check it out! Arkansas has been a constitutional carry state since August of 2013 under Act 746, Texarkana is the only major city in Arkansas that claims they do not recognize ACT 746. Even the new AG of Arkansas opines that it is constitutional carry. OCT will be crossing into Arkansas after we conclude our event in Texas to open carry modern handguns and educate Arkansans about their rights under 746. CJ Grisham, the president and founder of OCT will also be in attendance. Come take a stand and flex your rights!
Hennigan and others have set up some rules for the march. They have posted the information below. Link on Facebook:
Come and walk both sides of the line with us as we flex our rights and educate the public about the current law in Texas and how it compares to Arkansas as well as many other states and what we plan to change about it! CJ Grisham, the president and founder of OCT will also be in attendance. Come and meet the spark that ignited a wildfire in the push for more gun rights and liberty for Texans! We will be meeting in the parking area between Fuzzy’s Tacos and Wing stop on the Texas side. After we are finished in Texas we will cross into Arkansas to exercise a right denied to us by the state of Texas. We will be carrying modern handguns openly under Arkansas’s constitutional carry law Act 746, no licence required. This is a can’t miss two state event! Be there!
***Long guns and black powder revolvers only in Texas, firearms must be slung or holstered at all times with no rounds in the chamber***
***Modern handguns only in Arkansas, must be in a holster***
***You are not required to be armed to attend***
***This is a family friendly event, feel free to bring your spouse and kids***
This kind of activism is restoring second amendment rights all over the country, but this is the first time that I have read of a march designed to cross state lines.
c2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included. Link to Gun Watch
About Dean Weingarten;
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
