Open Carry
Open Carry: Homeland Defense Aid or Hindrance
Milliahn Valentino
Wilmington University
Armed and ready, the Miracle family of Sterling Heights, Michigan is fully prepared to take on any terrorist threat. Like a growing number of Americans, they believe such readiness, including a house with 25 firearms, is their civic duty. According to Lee Miracle, “We see preparedness as like having a fire extinguisher – you never want to use it, but it is there”. Lee Miracle also believes in his right to bear arms as provided in the US constitution. He, along with others, feels that by openly carrying their weapons they are standing on the front lines of America’s homeland defense. (Alison, 2010)
Lee and his family are members of a militia that cherishes the constitutional right to bear arms and to protect your own homes. "We are similar to the Home Guard in the UK during the Second World War. We're normal families exercising our constitutional rights to bear arms and to protect our way of life and our community". Mr. Miracle explains that militia members believe self-defense is a fundamental human right and emphasis individual responsibility. "We are first and foremost great patriots. We don't think the federal government can be there to protect us all the time, every day. We can't expect emergency services funded by the taxpayer to just arrive and help us when we are in difficulty. You have to make a stand for yourself, to look after what is important to you." Of his militia group affiliation, Miracle says: "We like to think of ourselves as a giant Neighborhood Watch. I want to know that if something like Hurricane Katrina happened here, I'd know how to protect my family from looters or social unrest." (Alison, 2010)
The practice of open carry, where gun owners openly carry handguns while they go about their daily business, has seen an increase in the U.S. in recent years. This activity has been encouraged by libertarian groups like OpenCarry.org,
Milliahn Valentino
Wilmington University
Armed and ready, the Miracle family of Sterling Heights, Michigan is fully prepared to take on any terrorist threat. Like a growing number of Americans, they believe such readiness, including a house with 25 firearms, is their civic duty. According to Lee Miracle, “We see preparedness as like having a fire extinguisher – you never want to use it, but it is there”. Lee Miracle also believes in his right to bear arms as provided in the US constitution. He, along with others, feels that by openly carrying their weapons they are standing on the front lines of America’s homeland defense. (Alison, 2010)
Lee and his family are members of a militia that cherishes the constitutional right to bear arms and to protect your own homes. "We are similar to the Home Guard in the UK during the Second World War. We're normal families exercising our constitutional rights to bear arms and to protect our way of life and our community". Mr. Miracle explains that militia members believe self-defense is a fundamental human right and emphasis individual responsibility. "We are first and foremost great patriots. We don't think the federal government can be there to protect us all the time, every day. We can't expect emergency services funded by the taxpayer to just arrive and help us when we are in difficulty. You have to make a stand for yourself, to look after what is important to you." Of his militia group affiliation, Miracle says: "We like to think of ourselves as a giant Neighborhood Watch. I want to know that if something like Hurricane Katrina happened here, I'd know how to protect my family from looters or social unrest." (Alison, 2010)
The practice of open carry, where gun owners openly carry handguns while they go about their daily business, has seen an increase in the U.S. in recent years. This activity has been encouraged by libertarian groups like OpenCarry.org,