Share:
House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 7, 2019 11:39 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Stephen Kinsey |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Prohibiting Weapons at Public Demonstrations |
| The right to express, promote, pursue, and defend one’s beliefs is fundamental to a functional democracy. Civics teaches us that we should be able to exercise this constitutional right peacefully, but current law does not guarantee this. Citizens participating in public demonstrations, marches, speeches, picketing, and vigils are always vulnerable to threats of violence. I believe that the possession of firearms and other dangerous articles during a public demonstration presents a clear and present danger to not only law enforcement and other first responders, but also to people who participate in and attend public demonstrations. To preserve the safety of those exercising their right to peacefully assemble, my legislation would make it unlawful for a person participating in or attending a public demonstration to possess a firearm or other dangerous article. Please join me in supporting this important legislation that preserves one of the most basic principles of our democracy and keeps public demonstrations safe for all Pennsylvanians. |