It's 'shocking' that firearms are allowed where president speaks

Editor:

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I am numb with shock! How could it be accepted that weapons are being displayed in crowds where our president is speaking?

Recently, when President Obama was speaking to a group of veterans in Phoenix, Ariz., a dozen provocateurs with guns were spotted in the crowd. They proclaimed it was within their Second Amendment rights to carry arms, and U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., staunchly defended them. He states that as long as brandishing guns is legal, he, too, saw no reason to discourage Americans from showing up armed at public meetings.

This type of thinking not only encourages violent incidents such as the Oklahoma City bombing, but according to a Southern Poverty Law Center report, "this country has not seen such a rise in extremist hate groups in 10-12 years. All it's lacking is a spark."

Could that spark be ignited at the next Obama speech with the display of guns and assault weapons? Are we provoking our own terrorist attack against ourselves? Has America become so divided that we cannot civilly and respectfully disagree with each other anymore?

Hate groups brandishing arms and uttering neo-Nazi slogans toward our elected officials are disgracing the United States of America. Americans will only have themselves to blame if this disrespect toward government is silently accepted and results in another act of violence.

Nancy Moore

Martinez