The anti-gunners aren’t the only ones who can rally. Pro-gunners can be very activist-like when they want to be. A prime example comes from Minnesota, where thousands attended a pro-gun rally at the state capitol.

About 2,000 people, some toting handguns and rifles, gathered on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol Saturday to support gun owners’ rights and to decry firearm regulations proposed by some legislators.

The rally was organized and promoted by several gun-advocacy groups, including the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, the Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance and the National Rifle Association. A handful of speakers, including NRA board member Willes Lee, spoke in support of gun ownership.

“I call B.S. on the government … taking our civil rights,” Lee told the crowd, to cheers. “The Second Amendment affirms my God-given right of self-defense.”

Other speakers included state Republican Party Chair Jennifer Carnahan, state Rep. Marion O’Neill, R-Maple Lake, and two Republicans who are running for congressional seats. All urged the crowd to support GOP candidates in November’s midterm elections.

Rally attendees booed mentions of Gov. Mark Dayton, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and state Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park, who introduced two gun-safety measures that were rejectedearlier this week. They jeered mandatory gun registration, chamber limits and universal background checks.

“There’s some that don’t want to carry a gun on their hip or own a firearm to protect their family, [and] that’s fine,” said Pete Stauber, who is running for a congressional seat in Minnesota’s Eighth District. “But you don’t take it away from us defending ourselves, our families and our grandkids.”

Several in attendance had handguns holstered to their waists or rifles slung across their backs and chests.

I’m not a fan of carrying a gun at a political rally or protest for a lot of reasons, but partially because it gives journalists a reason to mention it, thus painting us all as loonies who can’t go a single minute without a gun in reach, like we’re addicts.

But I get that not everyone agrees, and it’s not the end of the world.

What really matters, here, is that thousands stood before their state capitol and made it clear that they support the Second Amendment. While anti-gunners routinely think the public is really with them, this sends lawmakers a clear signal that polling numbers are irrelevant in the face of determined patriots who aren’t going down without a fight.

This is especially true, considering many who may support gun control don’t make it a priority while those who support the Second Amendment do. In other words, come after the guns if you wish, but it won’t work out well for you. Like the flag warns, “Don’t Tread On Me.”