Last month, Martin Palla, a police officer in Western Pennsylvania, learned this the hard way. Palla, who polices Rostraver Township, stood watching the “March for Our Lives” anti-gun rally in nearby Greensburg, dressed in a deep red flannel pullover jacket and khakis with his AR-15 slung over his shoulder and his dog by his side.

“Anytime a police officer does something that grabs the attention of the public, we have to investigate. While what he did should not reflect the police department, he has a right to legally protest,” said Greg Resetar, the Rostraver Township police chief.

In the spirit of Palla exercising his civil rights, a rally was held last Saturday in front of the same courthouse where the “March for Our Lives” protesters held their event last month.

But there were a few differences. The “March for Our Lives” rally was run by Voice of Westmoreland (a liberal activist group) and the Westmoreland County Young Democrats. The rally for Palla was organized by Brett Seroka, who lives two counties away and has never met the officer. According to his Facebook page, he just felt deeply motivated to show support for the officer and the Second Amendment.

A more striking distinction between the rallies: Pretty much everyone at the Palla rally was carrying, which is completely legal in Pennsylvania, an open-carry state.

The final distinction: There was no national media coverage of the pro-gun event. – READ MORE