Gun Rights Rally Draws Hundreds in Harrisburg, Pa.
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- Hundreds of gun rights supporters gathered this morning for their annual rally on the steps of the Pennsylvania state capitol.
The featured speaker at the rally was author and former US Army Ranger Sean Parnell (photo), who said the fight over gun rights is being waged not just in Congress but in state legislatures and courtrooms across the country.
"Without the political forces needed to actually change the Constitution, many have sought to marginalize the Second Amendment in every way possible," he said. "This is the new front line: the battle over the Second Amendment."
In response to the rally and what was billed as a Second Amendment "day of action," the gun control group CeaseFirePA released a statement saying that background checks, requiring the reporting of lost or stolen guns, and tougher penalties for gun crimes do not infringe on anyone's rights.
Many of the gun rights activists are supporting a bill in the state legislature that would seek to render any new federal gun laws unenforceable in Pennsylvania.
