Kory Watkins has a simple but noble goal in which a majority of gun owners can rally behind. That goal: to bring open and Constitutional carry to the Lone Star State.
Yet when it comes to achieving that goal, at times, Watkins appears to be his own worst enemy. Recently, the gun rights activist released a video where he expressed his ire toward legislators who are unwilling to embrace the full purview of the Second Amendment.
“We should demanding these people give us our rights back or it’s punishable by death. Treason. Do you understand how serious this is Texas?” Watkins asks in the video. “This is treason against the American people. You don’t sell my right back to me. You’re going to find trouble.”
Watkins has since removed the video from Youtube and clarified his remarks, saying he didn’t mean to threaten anyone. However, it was too late; the damage was done. MSNBC and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America pounced on Watkins.
“These antics are no longer just theatrics and dramatic advocacy, open carry extremists have been threatening the safety and sanity of our communities for far too long and now they are threatening the lives of Texas legislators,” said Mom’s volunteer Claire Larson.
“Make no mistake, if Texas lawmakers continue to prioritize the expansion of open carry in any form—they are condoning this type of dangerous behavior. Texas Moms understand how serious this is – and we urge Texas lawmakers to take these threats seriously too, respect the legislative process, and oppose the expansion of open carry in our state,” she continued.
“After all, there are no panic buttons on the playground like the ones they had installed in their offices,” Larson, a former NRA-certified rifle instructor, concluded.
Expanding gun rights is all about winning hearts and minds. Specifically, winning over the hearts and minds of the non-gun owning public. That task becomes increasingly difficult when we give the opposition ammo to portray the gun community as radicals and zealots. In short, we can’t let our frustrations get the better of us.
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After way too much reading on the same things restated over and over, I recall a post about the same behavior of this fella being celebrated every 4th of July. Yes, I feel that in a political context, this guy expressed his opinions in a very incorrect way. And I also think that (based on other comments alone) it would make very much sense that he could be somebody acting specifically to tarnish the image of constitutional advocates. But regardless of why he did what he did, he is also completely correct. If more people acted out as he did, things would be very different them they are now. In fact, this country was founded by people that expressed the exact same behavior. There was just a lot more of them. I don’t think the way he went about it was anywhere near close to the best way to do it, but (even if it wasn’t real) that mentality is what it is gonna take for our government to realize that we are serious about our constitutional rights. Our government is supposed to work for the people. Period. As far as I know, this country is the only one that was founded on behalf of the people. As history has shown us time and time again, eventually we will have to fight for that principal. We need to get ready to show agrrivated response to our 2nd ammendment right infringements, as well as the rest of our constitutional right infringements. If we are really patriots in the original American sense, we need to defend any attempt to dissuade the people in charge of any attack on our constitutional rights. Any act of defiance against people attacking our freedom is better than no act at all.
I’m lost — I thought I read one group from the article say something like, “…[Since this dude is extreme in his views, his (open carry) goals are therefore totally without merit and should never be pursued….]”. How can that be the only conclusion? I do not believe this is the majority feeling in Texas at this time — I remain hopeful. I have issues with how some folks go about keeping the subject in the news, sure; but I still believe we need to keep the idea out there — preferably with education, word of mouth, and totally without threat. The movement is moving — sometimes in spite of what happens on the extreme.
This turd has singlehandedly killed constitutional carry in Texas. For all you Constitutional experts out there, I can open carry a handgun in Texas. I can carry on my property. I can carry on someone elses property, including work, if the owner gives his permission. I can open carry when I’m hunting or taking part in a sporting function involving handguns. I can open carry any long gun as long as it’s not done in a threatening manner. The Constitution of the United States regulates what the federal government can do. It does not give anyone rights or freedoms. It does not regulate what any state can do unless the citizens of that state take it to court. The open carry dumbasses have not filed any court briefs and have only antagonized the very people whose support they need legislatively. I find it incredible that licensed carry is even being discussed in the Texas legislature, forget Constitutional carry. This man is a fool and quite honestly, will probably wind up pissing someone off and getting shot himself.
You know, I’ve seen plenty of ranting and raving, pissing and moaning on mainstream media about the goins on in Tarrant County. Always painting law abiding folks as crazies because they choose to exercise their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms in various public places. CEO’s and business owners trying to walk a fine line so as not to offend one group or another, but often siding with the lawyers and nixing guns on their property, or property they control. Then folks come here and blame the open carry advocates. You know what, open carry advocates do not need to ask permission. It’s their right, backed up by the highest laws of our land. They have not hurt anybody. Meanwhile, our president and our nations highest law enforcement official Eric Holder both flaunt many laws and encroach on more every day. Violations of oath, violations of states rights, international firearms laws, national firearms laws, blatant obstruction of justice. People are getting killed on both sides of our southern border, and Benghazi was about gun running. We all know it. I shop regularly at J&G Resalers based in Prescott Arizona. I purchase firearms and ammunition regularly. Sometimes I have sent my wife at the time to get ammo and accessories from the showroom. My mother and stepfather have gone there at times to purchase gifts for me. This establishment was one of the stores that ATFE was working a little operation out of known as Fast And Furious. Here’s my point of view. The federal government, Obama and Holder, are systematically working to undermine my gun rights. During the time at and around 2010 there were stories planted as news articles with FBI, ATFE and Democrat lawmakers being quoted lamenting the dangers gun stores selling firearms out the back doors to Mexican cartel associates and gang members. All the while, myself, my wife, my parents were sharing that dirt parking lot at J&G with the lowest of the low cartel associates and gang members, who were not even supposed to be on the property let alone be sold firearms and ammunition. These guys are mean, crazy and dangerous like rattlesnakes. I shake with anger when I write this even now. What would have happend if one of em blew a gasket when my wife was there? Do you think ATFE would have owned up? THEY STILL HAVEN’T! I walk the streets and drive my car in good faith that police and government are looking out for me. There are laws, some of which I agree with and some I don’t. But by and large, I follow em. When I go to the gun store, I show my ID, I sign and sign again. I answer all the questions truthfully on penalty of perjury. On good faith, I damn well demand our government do the same. That’s the only thing I’m asking for now. Local, state, municipal, they must respect the law as it is written. If not, we have anarchy. Tell me that’s not what you want CJ? If it isn’t, then cut this guy some slack. He’s had enough of the lies and endangerment. The twisted facts, and the slander. the outright ignorance of educated people who know better and keep doing what they’re doing anyway. Why don’t you hold Moms Against The Constitution, and MSNBC to some standards instead of jumping on their bandwagon and ripping a guy, who whether anybody likes it or not, is telling the truth? I’m just about at his very same point in this country. Two elections of this president? six years of his lawlessness? All of his cronies riding high? When are you going to side up with decent folks who give a crap about or country and take it back instead of siding with the enemy? All of you people here dumping on a guy that just stands up for his freedom and yours. Stop being timid fools for criminy sake……….
Hi Kalashnikov Dude,
I like your “tell it like it is ” no PC way of thinking.
For all we know, this video was made by anti gunners to start some BS on George Soros paid media news.
All these cry babies talking about a guy making us firearm enthusiasts look bad, need to think before posting.
I tried to hold back, but I’m going to chime in on this and say; People in America can act however they want to, and until they break the law, you shouldn’t condemn them.
We’re not all the same, and we don’t think alike, and come from many backgrounds in different zones of civilization.
So have some tolerance and confidence in yourselves and let others live as they want, as long as laws are observed.
Kalashnikov Dude,
I hear your shock when you realized you were in the proximity of F&F operations
This is what I’m talking about when I mention American civil diversity.
Others couldn’t know this about you, or know where this open carry guy is coming from.
I live in a crime zone that is very evident, and can only imagine what’s going on behind the scenes.
Others may live in “fairyland” where all is well, and nothing goes wrong.
Good for them, but it’s probably why they bitch and moan about this guy, they don’t really know where he’s coming from.
Not to mention, this could be Just another; “S.H. BLANNELBERRY Special” that nobody knows is legitimate.
Once again, to make us fight and look bad.
Let me know if this guy ever actually breaks the law, and maybe I will get some concern.
But it still wont change my mind on OC.
Do it if you see it fits you.
I don’t have a problem with it or how other Americans live their lives.
PS. I like your name K.D. (my favorite rifles)
CJ…you should read the Constitution.
The Bill of Rights were enumerated by the very same venomous gut wrenching hatred for an oppressive governing authority. We the People got so infuriate over the taxation of TEA and the ever-changing overreach of authority.
Constitutional carry simply means some men with character and forethought wrote those Rights down..even though many..such as yourself felt they already had the ability to defend themselves. Why write these know..unalienable..Rights down?
You enjoy your pompous pulpit only due to people who have the intestinal foretitude to say what should already be known. The Republic is awash with feathered chickens dressed as peacocks.
3 yes only three percent of the colonists initiated a Revolution, under penalty of certain death if caught.
Have you ever given a flying fuck at a rolling donut about Honor, Intergrity, Courage or standing up against tyranny whatever form it has morphed into today.
You ever watched as a fellow Patriot died..not from the wounds sustained in combat, but from the unrelenting razor cuts of insults, deception and yes CJ even treason. Over time many submit and even join the can’t we all get along movement.
The time will come when that weapon you gleefully taunt, as long as you are lawfully allowed to do so..in your misconceived fantasy of freedom.
No I doubt you’ve ever been outside your comfort zone.
I could provide numerous treasonous acts perpetuated by our Representatives, but ridicule condemnation and the force of LAW shrouds the guilty.
Google these three topics limp dick;
Obama’s secret data
Resettlement Executive Order in year 2014
Qualified Immunity.
As a soldier, I was stripped of Rights.
As a civilian, actually working..I see the erosion of Liberty as a Call to Arms.
Not because I’m an extremist, but for the freedoms I served to protect.
Don’t imply stating the truth will lead to my death..If you are Politically Correct you Are the dumbass.
This guy is high ! As a resident of one of the states that have legalized Marijuana I’m familiar with the look, and he has it. Dangerous combination, this idiot and open carry. He should be locked up before he does more harm to the proponents of responsible firearm ownership. As a life member of the NRA, I believe the Second Amendment as written, “Shall not be infringed” is clear and concise, however people like this give the gun control fodder for their agenda. I have a concealed carry permit, and I carry, but I don’t advertise the fact that I do.
You just did…….
I agree with this guy. It’s hard to find a real American these days.
I agree with this guy. It’s hard to find a real American these days.
Treason can be punishable by death. That’s the law. There are people who want to see other people tried as felons for exercising their God given, Constitutionally affirmed right to keep and bear arms which shall not be infringed. These people swore an oath to uphold and protect our Constitution and faithfully execute the laws of this nation. Working against the promise of this oath in some cases is treason. These are simple facts. It’s not “extreme”. Extreme is what organizations dedicated to further threatening the rights and very well being of American citizens with criminal charges, incarceration, and potentially deadly reaction from both police and criminals. It’s hate speech and demands address as such. Hate speech against America, hate speech against law abiding citizens. Time to take it back people!
Barack Hussein Obama’s news channel
You speak truth.
How frightening, an employee being told by his boss to straighten out and fly right! These people are not our rulers, they are our servants, put in power to do the bidding of the people. As in any job there are guidelines to be followed. In Nevarez’s case, his employee handbook includes employer options for immediate dismissal as do most. Nevarez’s employee handbook complete with “Standard Operating Procedures” is the U.S. Constitution and it’s Bill of Rights. The fact that MSNBC doesn’t recognize the true function of Government in this country is their problem. Nevarez was aware of his terms of employment when he took the job, if he cannot perform his duties properly he needs to resign or face dismissal, it’s just that simple, he’s an employee! It’s obvious that Nevarez has been approached before about the matter at hand and has indicated to his employers that his desires are superior to those of his employers and that he obviously considers his handbook to mere suggestions. Good luck with that! Even the most lowly government employee, the E-1 in the military, understands that his job description calls for the ultimate price for dereliction of duty or treason which consists of imprisonment at hard labor or even death!
I think that most of us all agree TO A DEGREE with what this guy is saying! But the way he is saying and speaking his views is do an incredible amount of harm to all of us who believe in these rights! Really my question here is What side is this joker on? By the level of damage he is causing all of us I think its pretty apparent!
“…or it’s punishable by death. Treason.” It seems he’s advocating violence, which is not acceptable and will not further his course. And advocating violence is a felony. As for “treason” – I can’t imagine a sane person advocating the overthrow of a government because s/he can’t open-carry. I live in a state where open-carry is legal in many areas and I don’t. Why? I am respectful of other people and my surroundings. Get a CCP and let it go.
This guy is not a “responsible” gun owner. In fact I think the guy is mentally unstable and I would feel better if the Feds came down on him and took all his guns. Anyone who thinks he needs a AK-47 to go shopping at Walmart (for more stupid hats) doesn’t have all his marbles. He looks mentally challenged and if he lived near me, I would not trust him one bit with a gun. He is a whack job. No doubt about it.
I believe in background checks and this kid needs an in depth one.
David..the distain you have for this guy is sorely misplaced! You, like many in this land of the free, fail to comprehend the sacrifices of those warriors who most gave some and some gave all.
Those aren’t advertising gimmicks!
When a man’s ( yes women also) last moments on this Earth is spent in the embrass of a fellow comrade in arms, your perspective is altered forever.
Freedom and Liberty should be palatable everyday rising from your slumber..not knowing if you’ll die before putting your toes in your shoe.
David..smell the gunite and feel the boiling disdain of those “representing You” for those of us who will stand for the UNALIENABLE rights.
You can speak you mind Only due to the sacrifices of real pissed off Patriots that acted to stop treason.
There was a time when Sheriff’s were unpaid, a prosecutor tepresented the accused and men were gathered in a posse to defend the rights in the community. Horse thievery was a hanging offense and a man could be persuaded to act civilly by a 70 years women with a shotgun.
Now go back in you store, pull the shades and hide under your desk.
I’m sure those that do will face the enemy no matter the disguise.
IF NOT, I’m very sure you’ll have a visit to pick up that gun your holding. Just keep moving your hand up and down as that’s the only way your gonna shoot you wad.
This guy is a disgrace! Will somebody shut him up! I’m a concealed carry person in Texas, and I don’t want to be associated with the likes of him. Spare me his BS! He is actually hurting gun owners, the NRA and the second amendment! STFUP!
The only thing people respect is control, secured through violence or the threat of violence. In the 1700s the gun control congreesmen would be tarred and feathered.
It is enough of threats. These crazy people undermine the fight for our rights. Now they think we are all crazy.
The first person a crazy will shoot is the one with a visable weapon .Just get a CC and carry concealed.
Haha hey I’m all for open carry, but come on. This is where every gun owner and gun right activist is now gonna be seen like this character…nice fadora idiot. We take so many miles forward for our gun rights not to be infringed upon and all it takes is one extremist to take out of context a simple strait forward 2 amendment to bring negativity towards it. I applaud what he is doing I too open carry my pistol…yeah my pistol, not a big giant AK or AR due to the fact that it could intimidate people more than it has to. Let’s be smart hear. The general pop sees cops with pistols all day long. So when they see a civilian carrying its not a big deal. Yes the constitution gives us that right to carry and weapon…. But don’t be an idiot and stroll through Walmart like the world has just ended. you only hurt the non ignorant gun owners playing their cards right for a cause rather than the idiot throwing away the positive view on gun owners. They aren’t going to abolish our gun rights. Thats easy to see, it the best detergent against any home grown threat or abroad. I’m a prior marine , 71 combat engineers with 1/6 multiple deployments back to back. I’m not some Joe smo who I wish I was in the military but it was too hard so I’m gonna play military and carry a big gun everywhere and ignorantly portray gun owners as bully’s for their cause. All I got to say is grow the hell up , stop giving idiots like this attention it only fuels them. If you really want to help, educate your friends and family on the importance of gun safety , gun ownership and the sportsmanship it brings to a ton of people everyday. You have to grow friends on this issue and all I see is people like this growing enemy’s. I do not condone nor support this idiots tactics.
Shhh…nobody point out every July 4th we celebrate men who actually did this.
For my two cents I think this guy is a moron. He does incredible damage to the legitimate, legal, gun owners and CCP citizens of this country. I don’t think we should have to “negotiate” with the government for a right guaranteed under the 2nd amendment. However its the hand we’ve been dealt by decades of acquiesence by those who think they are “helping” the cause. People like the 2nd Amendment Foundation who still thinks we should “negotiate” with the government.
I personally think this guy and those like him who brandish (which is against the law in most states) a weapon in public as they have are really anti-gun zealots trying to portray the rest of us as “NRA crazies”. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of his funding came from Bloomberg and the Brady bunch.
I fully agree that our Constitutional rights are being eroded day by day by people that lied to get elected, and that is treason. But, there is a common sense way to work to address the problem, and to reach sensible people you have to have some common sense yourself. Watkins seems to be lacking even a small amount of common sense. In a war of words, you do not supply ammunition to your enemy, which he has. Personally, I see no advantage to open carry unless you are hunting, or at war. If a deranged person walks into an area to kill people indiscriminately, the first target will be the guy that is visibly armed. I prefer the element of surprise in a gunfight situation, and can see no reason for open carry of a rifle in a restaurant or other public place unless you are facing an already known threat. All the open carry advocates are doing is arousing the already nervous nellies to push for more gun control. I personally pack concealed daily, and ignore the gun free zone signs. I have yet to have anyone comment, or even notice that I am packing. So much for the safety of “gun free” zones. If I were intent on going on a killing spree, no one would know I was armed until I started to kill innocent people. I do not choose to be a helpless victim, and so I pack in these areas. In most cases , except for federal buildings, and in some states a business that serves liquor, and I can live without frequenting such businesses, all the management can do is ask you to leave. The act that gets you arrested is in refusing to leave when asked. Just why would a person want to carry openly unless they are making the statement, “Look at me, I’m a bad ass with a gun.” Use some common sense for the good of the cause. Look at the states that now have concealed carry laws, where years ago they were very few and far between. Gun owners have made great strides in gaining acceptance from the general public, but idiots like this can undo the good that has been done.
I have a CCP and carry almost every day. No one knows and I’m not about to tell them.
I’ll say it until I’m blue in the face: GUN FREE ZONE=TARGET RICH ENVIRONMENT.
I agree with Mr. Navarez in feeling like he has been threatened. The whole issue of the second amendment has been tarnished to the point that some people, like this kid Kory Watkins, is getting a little crazy over what they think they have the right to say. This kid has really caused even more problems with maintaining the right to bear arms. I agree that the second amendment is our right to bear arms and I have done so just like hundreds of thousands of others doing the same thing. We are not the threat, and I have to say that the government should be mindful of what our forefathers put into place long before they were even born. We cannot allow our second amendment rights to be stripped from us as this is one of the fundamentals to being free. If this happens, the bad guys first off do not care about rules and laws because if they did, they would not be bad guys in the first place. Statistically if there is a state of even county where the people are told they cannot own a weapon or get a permit to carry a weapon, the crime rate in that area is much much higher. I do not agree with the way Kory Watkins approached Mr. Navarez and it is people like Kory that need to rethink what he is saying and especially how he is portraying the gun carrying majority.
Kory Watkins was thrown out of Open Carry Texas for this kind of irresponsible behavior and then started his own group called Open Carry Tarrant County. There is growing information that Kory Watkins may be getting funded by MDA and Bloomberg to discredit the Open Carry movement. This may explain why no charges have been filed against him for terroristic threats. A look at his criminal history does not show him to be anywhere close to a law abiding gun owner. This criminal history disallows him from being able to obtain a concealed permit in Texas. Ask yourself why any responsible gun owner would deliberately act out and cause trouble, the way he does, in order to advocate for open carry.
You are absolutely correct in everything you say, ResponsibleGunOwner !! I agree 100% and I have to wonder how our people that believe guns should be outlawed are contributing to such a person. No different than the big issue of Pro-life where people that wanted to force a lady to have a child actually were the violent ones. I believe in Pro-choice just like I believe in the second amendment, “The right to bear arms”.
As has become usual, some self appointed dim wit with a video camera makes asinine statements that play right into the hands of those who would further restrict our rights. I read several comments on the validity of the video about the residential gun range being a put up job but not a squeak about this guy. It may be the camera angle but he looks to me to be under the influence of something other than constitutional fervor.
I wish the open carry people would stand back and look at themselves. They are hurting not only the open carry cause but gun rights in general.
So how do YOU propose we restore our rights? Between the government, liberal media, and public school brainwashing, our population has come to view firearms (which account for less than 1/100th the deaths per year as automobiles) as an evil danger that must be removed from society. The only way I see to change that is to show them that guns (and therefore gun toting citizens acting normal (or is it the other way around?)) are not crazy killers. IOW, the only way to change brainwashing and constant bombardment by the media is for people to experience peacful law abiding gun owners. Observe, half the posters on this subject claim that our right to keep and BEAR arms is “Over the top”????
I emailed this idiot a few months ago, after he and his cohorts were getting bad press from an armed romp through a local fast food joint, whereby they scared the crap out of a bunch of soccer moms with kids. I ripped him & reminded him of the bad press and negative impact he would have on all of the firearms owners if he kept up with his stupid stunts. I told him to knock it off.
Seems he didn’t read the email…
Or he did read it and is deliberately doing it to sabotage Open Carry? Follow his background from Florida to Texas. He is anything but a responsible law abiding gun owner. But if you wanted someone to sabotage Open Carry, you couldn’t find a better person.
So why hasn’t this nut job been locked up? Oh, I know, it’s the lobbyist that are trying to squash the second amendment who are supporting him. Do they even care about the collateral damage this is going to have? I sure wish somebody would finally stand up and tell the truth about what is really going on, on Capital Hill.
It’s idiot statements such as a death threat that gives the PoS’s at the NYT and MSNBC ammo against us.
Kory Watkins and his never-ending desire to be in the news has caused us gun owners more harm than Shannon Watts ever will. He needs to be described accurately as a nut with a gun fetish, not a pro-gun activist. And that goes for his merry band of followers as well.
I get what this joker is trying to say, but the gun control nitwits will glom onto this and say “see, these people are dangerous”. People like this work against law-abiding firearm owners. I feel open and concealed carry is a responsibility, not necessarily a right. People pi– all over rights in this nation and pervert them to mean “do whatever the hell I want”. Open carry of a long gun is way over the top-this ain’t Syria. I hope he does us all a favor and quietly goes away.
Reading is fundamental: “The RIGHT of the people to keep and bear arms shall NOT be infringed.” ….Or do you just not believe the constitution?
He’s just expressing his opinion and interpretation of his second amendment right, as is his right to do so. That’s called Freedom of Speech. I’m an advocate of the most open and expansive interpretation possible of the 2nd Amendment, but I acknowledge the rights of others to have differing views. Education reforms, though, not insults. You’ll only cement the positions of opposition by attacking them.
The gun control people call ALL people who favor the full enforcement of the Second Amendment to the US Constitution “nuts.”
This boy’s remarks don’t show the mens rea for a conspiracy to commit murder. They’re clumsy and scary, but not illegal.
I can’t believe your article gave credence to MSNBC, the most socialist news in the U.S. Not to say this Watkins person has the
proper or mindful way of getting his point across. His frustration can be found all over the Country and these politicians, from Barry on down, really need to uphold all of the Constitution. Not just parts, if that.
It’s not the way I read it before but it says the same thing, treason, the issue is punishable by death. Anybody disagree?
Rome started out a republic and in 200 years became an imperialistic state. It could be said that we are already there. Look into it.
he looks kind of like ron paul \\mental stability also seems similar?
I thought he was more like one of the Bush boys. They get to threaten world leaders.
I couldn’t even finish it. That kid is painful to look at.