AR: Pine Bluff Constitutional Carry Walk 15 February

Second amendment supporters march in Pine Bluff

A couple of dozen second amendment supporters marched with openly carried firearms in Pine Bluff Arkansas on Saturday.  The march was in support of Act 746, the legislation that reformed Arkansas law, removing language that made it illegal to carry arms without permission from the government.  The change in the law specifies that it is only illegal to carry arms if the purpose is to use them for illegal activity.   This is the same standard that has been in Vermont  law for the last hundred years.  Vermont is the only state that was able to keep constitutional carry through the Civil War and the Progressive era. 

Attorney General McDaniel, a Democrat, muddied the waters with an opinion that did not mention the most important change in the law.

Supporters gather for the March

In order to clarify understanding of the law in the mind of the public and for the education of the various law enforcement agencies in the state, second amendment supporters have been conducting marches around the state while openly carrying firearms.  These marches have been termed "open carry" marches, "constitutional carry marches" or "celebration of Act 746" marches.  They all amount to the same thing.  Openly walking through town with visible firearms, to show that they will not be arrested and that the law means what it says.

Arkansas Carry is the organization that has conducted many of the marches.  Their facebook page has hundreds of pictures from the many marches around the state.  Arkansas is the fourth state to restore constitutional carry in the United States.  The other four constitutional carry states are Alaska, Arizona, Vermont, and Wyoming.   A half dozen other states considered constitutional carry last year or have pending legislation in 2014.

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