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Right to bear arms
Alamogordo group wants to inform people about Second Amendment, state open carry laws
Alamogordo Daily News
By Duane Barbati, Staff Writer
Posted:11/13/2009 12:00:00 AM MST
Members of the Alamogordo Second Amendment Task Force, from left,... (J.R. Oppenheim/Daily News)
The newly formed Alamogordo Second Amendment Task Force is looking to educate people about firearms and their Constitutional freedoms.
Member Dan Woodruff said there is a need nationwide for the public to be educated about firearms.
Woodruff said when people surf the Internet, watch the news on television or read the newspapers, they see reports about illegal guns.
"What constitutes an illegal gun," he said. "The group wants to educate people on what's an illegal gun, and what is not an illegal gun. We want to educate people on what their freedoms or rights are."
The ASATF is planning a get-together at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars bingo hall, 700 S. U.S. Highway 70, for anyone who wishes to join the group.
The Second Amendment to the Constitution states, "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
The mission statement of the ASATF is "to provide the citizens of New Mexico with knowledge of the true meaning of the Second Amendment. Armed with this knowledge, they will be able to conduct themselves as responsible citizens of the republic, in the manner envisioned by the founders of this great nation."
It is legal to carry a firearm openly in New Mexico by anyone over the age of 19. A person can openly carry in most places, except in a bank, bar, jail or prison, a school and other places.
ASATF president Justin Cummings said he believes most people don't know it's legal to open carry a holstered firearm.
"In the future, we'd like to train people on gun safety and education," Cummings said. "Educate people on gun safety in the home. There are a lot of accidents. Accidents happen because of the lack of education."
He said a lot of people see someone carrying a holstered gun and automatically think the person is a criminal.
"People are scared of what they don't understand," Cummings said. "I think the media, in general, is uninformed about guns. They put a negative spin on guns."
Woodruff said a recent example is the Fort Hood incident with the Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who is accused of killing 13 soldiers last week.
Hasan was charged Thursday with 13 counts of premeditated murder as he lay in a hospital bed.
"It was circulating around that the gun this guy used was labeled a cop killer," he said. "They put a bad label on a certain tool. The gun to the general populous becomes a horrible thing."
Woodruff said the Fort Hood incident was horrible because a person used a handgun to kill his fellow soldiers.
"Most guns have numbers associated with them," he said. "I haven't seen a gun actually labeled a cop killer. It's the individual behind the tool that gives it the bad name."
Cummings said it's the person shooting a gun that makes a gun bad.
"A gun is only as bad as the person using it," he said. "There is no such thing as a good gun or a bad gun. It's all about who operates it."
Cummings said the group is not affiliated in any way, shape or form with a political group.
"Politics are chucked at the door," he said. "We don't care if a person is Republican, Democrat or independent. We welcome anyone who wants to join and help teach other people."
Cummings said the group wants people to open carry responsibly.
"A person can come to our events and not own a gun," he said. "A person doesn't have to carry a firearm to be educated. If a person wants to come out to get a feel for or be educated about firearms, we wouldn't be a group unless we had someone to educate."
All ASATF meetings are open to the public. For information about the group, its meetings and contact information, go online at http://www.alamogordo2atf.org.
Contact Duane Barbati at dbarbati@alamogordonews.com.
http://www.alamogordonews.com/ci_13776585
Right to bear arms
Alamogordo group wants to inform people about Second Amendment, state open carry laws
Alamogordo Daily News
By Duane Barbati, Staff Writer
Posted:11/13/2009 12:00:00 AM MST
Members of the Alamogordo Second Amendment Task Force, from left,... (J.R. Oppenheim/Daily News)
The newly formed Alamogordo Second Amendment Task Force is looking to educate people about firearms and their Constitutional freedoms.
Member Dan Woodruff said there is a need nationwide for the public to be educated about firearms.
Woodruff said when people surf the Internet, watch the news on television or read the newspapers, they see reports about illegal guns.
"What constitutes an illegal gun," he said. "The group wants to educate people on what's an illegal gun, and what is not an illegal gun. We want to educate people on what their freedoms or rights are."
The ASATF is planning a get-together at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars bingo hall, 700 S. U.S. Highway 70, for anyone who wishes to join the group.
The Second Amendment to the Constitution states, "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
The mission statement of the ASATF is "to provide the citizens of New Mexico with knowledge of the true meaning of the Second Amendment. Armed with this knowledge, they will be able to conduct themselves as responsible citizens of the republic, in the manner envisioned by the founders of this great nation."
It is legal to carry a firearm openly in New Mexico by anyone over the age of 19. A person can openly carry in most places, except in a bank, bar, jail or prison, a school and other places.
ASATF president Justin Cummings said he believes most people don't know it's legal to open carry a holstered firearm.
"In the future, we'd like to train people on gun safety and education," Cummings said. "Educate people on gun safety in the home. There are a lot of accidents. Accidents happen because of the lack of education."
He said a lot of people see someone carrying a holstered gun and automatically think the person is a criminal.
"People are scared of what they don't understand," Cummings said. "I think the media, in general, is uninformed about guns. They put a negative spin on guns."
Woodruff said a recent example is the Fort Hood incident with the Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who is accused of killing 13 soldiers last week.
Hasan was charged Thursday with 13 counts of premeditated murder as he lay in a hospital bed.
"It was circulating around that the gun this guy used was labeled a cop killer," he said. "They put a bad label on a certain tool. The gun to the general populous becomes a horrible thing."
Woodruff said the Fort Hood incident was horrible because a person used a handgun to kill his fellow soldiers.
"Most guns have numbers associated with them," he said. "I haven't seen a gun actually labeled a cop killer. It's the individual behind the tool that gives it the bad name."
Cummings said it's the person shooting a gun that makes a gun bad.
"A gun is only as bad as the person using it," he said. "There is no such thing as a good gun or a bad gun. It's all about who operates it."
Cummings said the group is not affiliated in any way, shape or form with a political group.
"Politics are chucked at the door," he said. "We don't care if a person is Republican, Democrat or independent. We welcome anyone who wants to join and help teach other people."
Cummings said the group wants people to open carry responsibly.
"A person can come to our events and not own a gun," he said. "A person doesn't have to carry a firearm to be educated. If a person wants to come out to get a feel for or be educated about firearms, we wouldn't be a group unless we had someone to educate."
All ASATF meetings are open to the public. For information about the group, its meetings and contact information, go online at http://www.alamogordo2atf.org.
Contact Duane Barbati at dbarbati@alamogordonews.com.
