Anxious for the Day
On the morning of February 15, 2020, I was worried I would be late to the rally. I set my alarm the previous night to wake me up with enough time to make the drive to Phoenix from my East Valley home.
I was thoughtful in planning for the day, packing a lunch and placing my chairs into the trunk of my car the previous night. When it was finally time to leave my home, I was anxious. I had been to a Tea Party Rally years and years ago, but I had never been to a pro-Second Amendment event.
Getting to Work
After I arrived in Phoenix at the capitol, I quickly managed to find parking and made my way to our table for Convention of States. There were already quite a few attendees present. I found Allen, already engaged with discussion, so I slipped in behind the table. From that very moment, it was on.
Peaceful Citizens
The crowd of people swelled as the official starting time of the event approached. At first, there were only a few hundred armed members of the public present. This changed after the start of the event and at the peak, there were an estimated 3,000 peacefully-armed citizens in attendance. That number does not include any members of law enforcement who may have been present to oversee the event.
Proud to Carry
There were quite a few people who chose to open carry their AR15s. Many of them also wore plate carriers and body armor but not all of them. I observed between 10 to 15 groups of people who traveled together in groups of four or more with their rifles and gear. The rest of the crowd was comprised of individuals or couples, dressed in civilian clothes and carrying handguns.
Likeminded Generations
Everyone was cordial and courteous, but with the recent events in Virginia still fresh in everyone's mind, the opposition to SB1624, SB1625, and SB1626 was unanimous. I had the opportunity to speak with a lot of people as they walked past our booth.
There were a few adults with young kids and teenagers, but the oldest gentleman I spoke with was in his 80s.
Enough of the Overreach
While the peaceful gathering had a general feeling of good spirits, nobody had anything positive to say about so called "gun control." Most disapproved of the job the federal government is doing. When I explained the purpose of Convention of States to those who had never heard of it, they willingly signed our petition.
Calm in the Storm
For a few short hours, the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix was one of the safest places in all of Arizona. The peaceful protest ended without a single arrest. There were no negligent discharges. There were no mass shootings. There were no injuries or deaths. People in attendance disbanded from the event as peacefully as they had assembled, having shown their dedication to the cause of liberty.
