It has been absolutely insane that wherever the President has traveled for Town Halls, we see the presence of ordinary citizens displaying guns in the area of his presence.
It may be that states in many cases allow the public display of weapons, including assault rifles, but it should be made clear that they are NOT acceptable at a public event or gathering of large numbers of citizens, such as a Town Hall, whether it is the President or even any other public official in attendance.
The presence of firearms promotes an atmosphere of intimidation and fear, and no state law should put a public official, and particularly the President, in a position where his security agents have to be on the defensive. This is states rights gone amuck.
We have a short memory. Considering all of the political assassinations of the 20th century of national political figures–including Huey Long, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy among others–and the shooting of such political figures as Theodore Roosevelt, George Wallace, Ronald Reagan–and the missed attempts against such leaders as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Gerald Ford–we should ban guns in public gatherings that include major government leaders.
No other democracy allows such freedom, and we need to learn that guns have their place, and that is NOT in a public gathering with major political leaders appearing.