Second Amendment Cowboy outside Cadillac RV Park is worth a quick stop. Reminding people of their right to bare arms, he guards 3 Cadillacs with mannequins of Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, and John Wayne. This Muffler Man turned National Rifle Association spokesman symbolizes the golden age of roadside attractions. The purpose of this mega attraction is to of course spread a message, but is more or less there for curious travels to have a photo op. Besides the large cowboy proclaiming his right to arm bears, three Cadillacs are jacked up in a visual reference to the nearby Cadillac Ranch, with mannequins resembling Elvis, John Wayne, and Willie Nelson at the wheel.
This highway giant has a bit of history. He is ultimately kin to Glenn Goode's two Cowboys that stand northeast of Gainesville, TX. When Mr. Goode acquired his first Cowboy -- not this one -- in 1971, it was missing its head and hands. He borrowed the head and hat from a Cowboy in Canton, TX to create a mould, and then did something similar with one of Ken's Dallas Half-Wits for the hands.
At some point, Mr. Goode cast moulds of the rest of the body, and two new Cowboys were created. One was placed in front of Glenn's son's business in Sherman, TX, while the other was placed in front of a business in Sanger, TX. This latter one now stands here in Amarillo.
Prior to his movement to Amarillo in 2004, our Cowboy was neglected and used for target shooting practice, and that's where the nickname of "2nd Amendment Cowboy" comes in. Before the Cowboy was sent to Amarillo, Mr. Goode himself repaired all the damage and restored him. He stood in front of the Country Barn BBQ & Steaks east of here until the restaurant closed in 2013, and by 2014, he was standing here at the corner of Hope Road and the I-40 service road. The Cadillac Ranch itself is slightly west of here.
The Cowboy stands 22' tall, with his head tilted slightly forward. He wears a beige Stetson hat, waving with his right hand while his left hand is at his side. His shirt is yellow, with black lettering on both sides, identifying himself as the "2nd Amendment Cowboy". His slacks are dark blue, pressed and pleated, with white stitching on the back pockets, and they're held up by a black belt with a tarnished silver buckle with a longhorn on it. He's wearing silver spurs (which don't spin) on his black boots -- they could use some repair -- and the shaft of the boots is red with blue inlay.
In front of the Cowboy is a faux Texas Historical Marker -- that's not the symbol of the Texas Historical Commission at the top -- quoting:

2nd Amendment to the Constitution of The United States of America
"A well regulated militia being
necessary to the security of
a free state, the right of the
people to keep and bear arms
SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED. "

"A free people ought not only be armed and disciplined, but
they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain
a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse
them, which would include their own government. " George Washington
Interestingly, the Cowboy is not armed, and a twist of irony is that his very name comes from the inability of some to use their firearms responsibly. One can visit the Cowboy at any time, but there are plenty of signs advising of the use of cameras to monitor the goings-on here. They're probably more concerned about the cars behind the Cowboy, but they probably wouldn't take too kindly to anybody's messing with anything here. waymarking.com/waymarks/WMTH4W_Muffler_Man_2nd_Amendment_Cowboy_Amarillo_TX

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Elevation 1,110 m

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Tuesday 4 November

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Location: Potter County, Texas, United States

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