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Crowd rallies for gun rights
By Elise Franco
Campbell
About 100 people gathered here to rally for their constitutional rights, despite a last-minute venue change by the city.
Saturday’s rally, organized by the Youngstown State University chapter of Young Americans for Liberty, gave folks the opportunity to protest an ordinance banning gun sales in the city.
“The city passes an ordinance that bans the sale of guns here,” Varg Freeborn, president of the YAL, said, “But according to Ohio law, Ohio is the only entity that can regulate the sale of firearms.”
Freeborn addressed the crowd in the city’s Roosevelt Park.
“In the end, it’s up to you to protect you,” he said. “Because the criminals ... don’t care about the law.”
Originally scheduled at Campbell City Hall, the rally was moved to the park less than 24 hours before, said Ken MacPherson of Campaign for Liberty, whose mission, according to the organization’s Web site, is “to promote and defend the great American principles of individual liberty, constitutional government, sound money, free markets and a noninterventionist foreign policy, by means of educational and political activity.”
MacPherson said he believes the change of venue was meant to keep people from showing up.
“They [city officials] tried to create chaos,” he said. “It’s right out of the book on violating our rights. ... It was purposeful and intentional.”
Dan Moadus, candidate for the 17th District congressional seat and former Girard city councilman, said the worst thing a government body could do is take away citizens’ right to bear arms.
“Of all our rights, the Second Amendment is the most important,” he said. “That right protects all other rights, so it’s time we stand up to the liberals who try to disarm us.”
The ordinance that prompted the rally is expected to be repealed at city council’s meeting Wednesday, said Juanita Rich, Campbell councilwoman. It was approved after a Hubbard man attempted to open a gun-repair shop on Robinson Road in October, and police objected.
Rich said she was the only council member to vote no on the ordinance, but other lawmakers did express concerns about passing it.
“I voted no because I was concerned about my rights and about our citizens’ rights,” she said.