Rally at the Alamo Will Call on Texans to Raise Their Rifles High

The New York Times reports:

Hundreds of armed demonstrators are planning to converge at the Alamo in San Antonio on Saturday to test the limits of the gun laws in one of the most gun-friendly states in the country, by openly carrying their shotguns, assault weapons and other types of rifles in public.

Organizers of the rally — a flier declares “Get your guns & Head to San Antonio” — said they were planning a peaceful event. But the demonstration, intended to both celebrate the state’s gun culture and challenge it, has concerned officials. Amid a heavy police presence, more than 1,000 men and women carrying loaded rifles over their shoulders are expected to assemble at the site of the historic gun battle in one of the busiest sections of downtown.

Gun advocates say they have a simple goal — to remind ordinary citizens and law enforcement officials that they are allowed in Texas to legally and openly carry what are known as “long guns,” including shotguns and assault rifles.

In the world of Texas gun rights, size counts.

The carrying of handguns is regulated in Texas: many residents are allowed to carry a concealed pistol if they receive a state-issued permit, but they are forbidden from carrying that weapon openly and unconcealed in public. The carrying of rifles, however, is largely unregulated. Texans can walk down the street with a loaded rifle slung over their shoulder so long as they are not intentionally carrying the weapon in a public place in a manner, according to state law, “calculated to alarm.”

American patriots being patriotic.