YouTuber Open-Carries AR-15 Into Capitol To ‘Prove A Point’ [Video]
One YouTuber who decided to bring his AR-15 rifle into the New Mexico Capitol building is getting a lot of attention this weekend. Everything he did perfectly legal and he was not only cooperative, but genial with everyone he came into contact with. Still, critics are questioning the wisdom behind the stunt.
“I’m gonna go inside the state Capitol and see if I can educate a few people,” the man, known as martinrps13 on YouTube, says in the video.
Armed with an AR-15, a pistol and a copy of the New Mexico constitution, “Martin” walked up to the security desk and told the guards what he was doing. After being asked if his gun was loaded (it was), he read his rights aloud to the guards. Guns in New Mexico are banned in schools, banks and bars, but not forbidden in the Capitol.
Martin wasn’t just trying to cause trouble, though. He told police that beyond exercising his constitutional rights, he was also performing sort of a social experiment. He said that he wanted to show people that someone carrying a weapon openly is not necessarily a threat.
Still, his video is causing lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to re-think the law, according to KOB 4.
“”I’m a strong supporter of the second amendment. And I’m also a member of the NRA, but I tell you there’s many buildings that you should not be able to carry a firearm into and one of them is the state Capitol,” Republican Sen. Carroll Leavell said.
“Unquestionably, I think we need to ban guns from the state Capitol, and anywhere there’s large numbers of individuals that gather for a very specific purpose,” added Democratic Sen. Carlos Cisneros.
Several videos of gun enthusiasts open carrying weapons and being confronted by police have gone viral on YouTube since mid-2012. Most of the activists in each video claim that their motives are purely educational.
Do you think that “Martin” was merely seeking attention, or was his a point that needs to be made? Sound off in the comments after watching the video above.
