One of the folks on the pafoa forums known as JavaProgrammer waited until after the trial was all over to post these thoughts. At the suggestion of other pafoa forum members, the author has submitted the piece to various media outlets hoping they will be published, and has asked others to post elsewhere as they see appropriate.
I am one of the people that went to John Noble's trial to support him. I am also a member of the Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association. I would like to share some of my opinions with you.
Many people, including yourself, have stated that open carrying a firearm near a rally for a presidential candidate was stupid and foolish. There is a belief that this was not the time or the place to bring a firearm. I vehemently disagree. This was the perfect place for open carry.
I would like to remind you of Barack Obama's original comment. He said,
“You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”
This statement was very insulting to the citizens of Pennsylvania and to many Americans across the country. It is insulting because he is lumping people of faith and firearm owners together with racists. He is also saying that our faith and our firearms are a result of bitterness.
I am a disciple of Christ. My faith is not the result of bitterness about the economic situation. I have faith because I realized that I was a sinner, I was lost, and I needed salvation. My baptism was a joyous occasion. God has provided me with peace and contentment in my life. This is not bitterness. Do I cling to my religion? Yes I do and I am proud of it.
I own firearms. I realize that the world is not always a safe place. More importantly, I realize that governments do not always respect the rights of the citizens. My ownership of firearms is independent of the economic situation. I believe that it is important for citizens to be armed, regardless of which government is in power. Do I cling to my guns? Yes I do and I am proud of it.
Mr. Noble took his Bible and his gun to Beaver in order to engage in a silent protest. Was the Bible necessary? Yes it was. It was a demonstration that people of faith are not bitter. We are not dangerous and we do not need to be feared. We do not want to force our faith upon other people. We want the freedom to worship and to teach others about Christ. Whether or not someone actually comes to Christ is their decision.
Was the gun necessary? Yes it was. Since Mr. Noble was not acting in a threatening manner, he was demonstrating that firearm owners are not dangerous lunatics and do not need to be feared. If he had been allowed to engage in his silent protest, then people would have seen that he is a peaceful man and that he is not bitter. He was demonstrating that people of faith and firearm owners are not racists. We are not bitter. We have deeply held beliefs that are not impacted by economic situations.
Mr. Noble also had the gun rights pamphlets. Not only was he there to demonstrate that religious gun owners are not bitter, but he was also there to educate people about gun rights. You have suggested that Mr. Noble could have handed out the pamphlets without having a gun. It is a little hypocritical to be educating people about gun rights without exercising such rights. Actions speak louder than words. When advocating open carry to the public, it is more important to have a gun than to have the gun rights pamphlets.
Mr. Noble's actions were not foolish or stupid. That was one of the most appropriate events to carry a Bible and a gun to. I wish that I would have known about his silent protest before it happened. If I had, I would have joined Mr. Noble at Beaver that night. I am certainly willing to open carry with him in the future.
