Sunday, June 16, 2013

Wheelchair-bound Veteran carries solo downtown

Plans daily armed “rolls” through town

Temple – The news hit Facebook like a thunderbolt. Gary Hays, an Army veteran who prays the next mass shooting will be at the Westboro Baptist Church, said he was going, alone, on an armed hike through downtown Temple, just he and his AR-15.

He gave his route, from behind Temple Mall, across the overpass, thence down city streets to circle the “courthouse,” the railroad museum, the old police station, up the block past the new Martian colony, the Library, and the Visitors Center, where he would wait for his wife.
I'm just letting y'all know that this afternoon I will be starting my daily rolls through the streets of Temple with my AR15 solo. I have my route planned out for my roll from my home behind Temple mall, to the downtown area and make a few laps and return. I will be making these daily rolls at different times of the day, taking different routes to different parts of the city. These rolls will be spontaneous exercises of my 2nd amendment to bear arms, and the Texas open carry laws. I am hoping to do this unmolested as a free citizen of Texas.
Then came word of the return to home base of the successful patrol, and an entire community of gun rights activists heaved a sigh of relief.

I made it there right around 6pm, had a lot of folks eyeballin' me when I went past Temple mall and across the overpass of 36. I got downtown with no problems, a few K9 units passed by slow looking at me but did not stop. I rolled around the courthouse, veterans memorial, visitors center and even the library. Then hot lapped the courthouse for about 45 min, went to the railroad museum by the old police station. A lot of cops drive down that street to get to the new police station I guess. A few drove by, but drove on. Went back and hot lapped the courthouse again, did circle 8s in the visitors center parking lot waiting for my wife to come get me. It was still pretty hot, I could have stayed longer, but there are really not that many folks downtown during that time I guess. I will be doing this again maybe tomorrow morning, hopefully it will be a little cooler. I hope to find the best times to go downtown where there will be more people walking around. Probably during the week when the courthouse and businesses are open. Anyway, it was a start. And I returned "unmolested" The Temple Police were very professional in their work.
Click on the image for a larger view
It's all part of an open carry armed strategy proposed and promoted by like-minded individuals – Don't Comply - Come and Take It America. Their motto: "The front line is everywhere." Apparently, there are no friendlies after dark and the need is now more than ever that those in positions of authority understand that constitutional rights to self defense are God-given, self evident, immutable and carved in stone.
The loose-knit organization plans monthly open carry walks through cities throughout the nation, events just like the dark-thirty stroll through Belton on June 13, 2013, in which Mr. Hays and others carried their AR-15 assault rifles through the streets – unmolested.

Click here to listen to an audio interview of Mr. Hays about why he thinks open carry is important:
https://soundcloud.com/jim-parks-2/armed-carry-by-wheelchair

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