Op-Ed: Man Carries Assault Rifle to Obama Town Hall Meeting

A number of people have begun carrying assault weapons and pistols to town hall meetings as a form of protest. Can this be safe?

Recently it was reported by CNN that a man carrying a pistol in a holster on his leg was spotted outside a town hall meeting with Barack Obama. Then yesterday, according to CNN another man came to a speech Obama gave to veterans. Only this time the man was carrying a semi-automatic weapon. There were also several other people carrying firearms protesting at the speech. We recently passed a concealed weapon's law here in Missouri. It is now legal to carry a concealed weapon here in Missouri if you have a permit. I used to run a restaurant and it made me extremely nervous to think of my customers toting weapons while they were dining. I know that company policy forbade them from bringing them into the store, but the thought of one of them having one in the car made me nervous as well. So far the increased violence hasn't happened here like in other states that have passed similar laws, but the worry that somebody might whip out a gun and blow your head off if you cut him off in traffic still lingers. Don't get me wrong, I'm pro second amendment. I've owned guns in the past when I lived out in the country. I used to bring one to work with me when I worked alone at a convenience store in the wee hours of the night. I'm all for being able to hunt, (even though blowing the brains out of a helpless animal doesn't hold much attraction for me). But I don't think that people should be able to carry a gun around in public. And allowing them to show up at a speech by the president just seems totally ridiculous, even if they are kept outside. We are in the same kind of political climate that set the stage for Kennedy's assassination in the 60's. There is a small contingent of right wing nut cases in this country that hate the president and have publicly stated that they would shoot him if they had the opportunity. Can you imagine if someone tried to carry a loaded gun to one of President Kennedy''s speeches? The secret service would have been all over them. There's just no reason to come to a presidential speech fully armed unless you are looking for trouble. Lots of places put restrictions on when you can carry a gun. In the case of the president, weapons should not be allowed anywhere in the vicinity of where he's speaking, even outside. You have every right to have a weapon to defend your home or to hunt, but if we don't keep them away from the presidential speeches and town halls, it's going to be a disaster just waiting to happen.