HARRISBURG – On Tuesday, April 30, starting at 9 a.m. on the front steps of the state Capitol, Pennsylvania Senate and House Second Amendment Caucus Chairs Sen. Cris Dush (R-25) and Rep. Abby Major (R-60), along with many other pro-Second Amendment state lawmakers, will join together with law-abiding firearm owners and concerned citizens from across the commonwealth for the 2024 Right to Keep and Bear Arms Rally.
“As House chair of the Second Amendment Caucus, it is my honor to help host this event again this year,” Major said. “We must continue to work to ensure our constitutional rights are not infringed upon. If you are able, I encourage everyone to attend this important rally to make your voices heard.”
The theme for this year’s rally (to be held rain or shine) is “Shall Not Be Questioned,” which comes directly from Article 1, Section 21 of the Pennsylvania Constitution. This year’s outstanding featured speakers will be nationally recognized right-to-carry proponents Antonia Okafor Cover and Stephen Willeford.
“The major peril for law-abiding Pennsylvania firearm owners is that even the most ‘well-intentioned’ or ‘commonsense’ gun-banning legislation can rapidly mutate, multiply and come to fruition as tyrannical, Orwellian firearm confiscation and control dictates,” said Dush. “With dozens more constantly being introduced, more than a half dozen of these liberal gun control measures have already been forced through unchecked by the razor-thin Democrat majority in the Pennsylvania House. This is precisely why I have proudly re-introduced Senate Bill 357, to serve as an unbeatable, nullifying legislative checkmate by fully allowing for the life-preserving, Constitution-enforced concealed carrying of legally-owned firearms.”
Boldy proclaiming her uncompromising status as “Black, Armed and Conservative” in 2017, Antonia Okafor Cover founded Empowered 2A – a women-only nonprofit dedicated to increasing female participation through the Second Amendment with firearms training, education and advocacy. She currently operates Empowered 2A as national director of women’s outreach for Gun Owners of America (GOA).
Stephen Willeford is nationally recognized as “The Barefoot Defender” and the “Good Guy with a Gun” for confronting, trading fire and wounding mass shooter Devin Kelly on Nov. 15, 2017. The mass shooting tragically occurred during Sunday services at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Presently serving as GOA’s grassroots and industry liaison, Stephen credits his unwavering faith and penchant for preparedness as to why he was able to step in and help deescalate this fatal incident.
Established in 2006, this annual grassroots event is in direct support of the Second Amendment and Article 1, Section 21 of the Pennsylvania Constitution which clearly states: “The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned.”
“For the past 18 years, the undeniable presence and unprecedented awareness generated through this annual state Capitol rally has set the standard for keeping countless extreme gun control restrictions buried under the epitaph: ‘Shall Not Be Questioned,’” emphasized Dush. “On April 30, we must come together and vigilantly stand our ground against gun control like never before.”
Barring technical difficulties, the 2024 Right to Keep and Bear Arms Rally will be livestreamed on Sen. Dush’s website and RepAbbyMajor.com/livestreams. You can find more information and download a flyer here.
CONTACTS:
For Senator Dush: Ty McCauslin, Communications Director, 717-787-7084 or tmccauslin@pasen.gov.
For Representative Major: Tracy Polovick, 717-260-6358 or tpolovick@pahousegop.com.