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A rolling rally for gun owners' rights
September 1, 2016 By Stephanie Spyropoulos, Express Correspondent
Sunday morning a rolling rally organized by the Gun Owners Action League (GOAL) traveled to Hanson Rod and Gun Club to raise awareness on recent attempted changes to gun laws in Massachusetts.
A member of GOAL's Board of Directors, Jim Finnerty helped organize the rally on behalf of responsible gun owners who want to protest the changes.
"We follow the rules to the letter," Finnerty said. "For the last 22 years (we) have been very careful — if we weren't, we would not be here today."
"The fact that the Attorney Maura General Healey continues to interpret the Second Amendment and most recently the definitions of copycat weapons, is why we are here today," he added.
Finnerty said about 150 vehicles were part of the rolling rally, which began in Billerica, with each participant given a handout packet regarding participant radio communications, appropriate signage and the general rules of being courteous on the road. Finnerty expressed that their group was strictly standing up for their rights and protesting peacefully in a correct manner on public streets — to say they oppose the attorney general's recent practice.
"We were not trying to occupy — we don't like it ( what is happening) but we are not going to misbehave," he said.
Peter Boncek grew up in Halifax and now resides in Kingston. As a member of the Hanson Rod and Gun Club he supported the rally by placing signs along his South Shore roadway but did not ride in the rally.
He has carried a gun license for more than 37 years and is a lifetime member of the NRA. He supported the event on Sunday because he said he firmly believes in the Second Amendment.
"What Maura Healey has done, or tried to do — and we are going to get it back — is totally illegal, and wrong. She doesn't have the right. She is there to enforce the laws not make the laws," said Boncek. "This is why we are here. You get a lot more people when you start messing with the Second Amendment. As you see people here and at the State House just three weeks ago approximately 5,000 people were there on a two days' notice ( to promote the rally)."
Approximately 300 people participated in the rolling rally Sunday and Boncek said he extended his invitation to 7th Plymouth District state Rep. Geoff Diehl, R-Whitman, who did attend the event.
Diehl who has a Class A LTC said he disagrees with Healey's recent attempted changes to the commonwealth's gun laws.
"First of all, I am against what Maura Healey did with the ban on the guns that she has now determined illegal," Diehl said. "There is a lawsuit involved with that. Mike Sullivan, former U.S. Attorney is counsel on that. The legislature, unfortunately, she only did the [ban] with three days to go so we were unable to do anything to reverse the decision." Although, over 100 legislators did sign a letter asking her not to [make the change]. Diehl pointed out the local gun clubs and gun owners rare allying to get people actively involved in protecting the Second Amendment.
Filed Under: More News Right, News
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