- Joined
- May 5, 2006
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imported post
I just returned from my brother's funeral (where practically the entire local police force was in attendance) and I found yet another email asking me about the rabid anti-LEO direction that OCDO seems to be taking lately. I am emotionally drained and exhausted, so if I sound like I am lecturing then I apologize, but I need for you guys to consider the following.
OCDO is a forum solely dedicated to supporting open carry and gun rights in general. It is not an anti-LEO board! In the last month, I have been asked several times about the direction the forum has taken in this direction.
Because open carry, by its very definition, involves exercising our rights in a very visibile manner, this often leads to encounters with law enforcement. Because there are many law enforcement officers who do not fully understand their state and local gun laws, these are not always perfect encounters.
However ... the way we are seen as a movement is based upon how professionally we deal with these "not so perfect" encounters. I can say without fear of contradiction that Mike and I and the entire OCDO community as well as the gun rights groups of your state will support you if you have such an experience. But to speak of resisting "improper arrest/detention" with deadly force is ludicrous and provides ammunition (no pun intended) for those who wish to portray us as extremists.
I do not wish for us to be marginalized as just another group of internet wackos!!! There are plenty of those and their voices are not heard in the halls of power. I want us to be known as a thoughtful group who can be counted upon to support gun rights and one another at every turn.
I have several points I want to make and then I will climb down from my angry soapbox and go to bed.
1) Most LEO's are honorable men and women who are willing to place their very lives on the line for their communities.
2) Many LEO's are pro-gun
3) There are those who are either ill-informed or intentionally make life difficult for gun owners.
4) When you encounter one of these, the time to address the issue is after the encounter has been safely concluded. Comply with all demands even if you feel they are unlawful.
5) Document the encounter as completely as possible including video taping or voice recording the event if your local wiretapping laws allow this, writing down every detail as soon as possible and always get names, badge numbers and business cards.
6) File FOIA requests
7) File a compaint
8) If necessary, organize a group to attend the city council/county board of supervisors meeting to ask for action.
9) Expecting a perfect world is fine but being willing to help make an imperfect world better one step at a time is what real activists do! The guys from the Tony's 7 event never got a public apology, but by following the steps above, they made Manassas just a little better for the next generation of open carriers!
10) I find it very beneficial to be able to get a LEO perspective from the LEO's who are members here. Feel free to disagree with them on any point of fact or opinion, but our rules are clear ... no personal attacks on anyone!
I hope that no one feels I am directing this at them personally because I am not. I just want us all to think a little before we post even if we feel strongly about an injustice we have just read about.
Now I am going to go off and lay me down to bleed for awhile (metaphorically speaking).
I just returned from my brother's funeral (where practically the entire local police force was in attendance) and I found yet another email asking me about the rabid anti-LEO direction that OCDO seems to be taking lately. I am emotionally drained and exhausted, so if I sound like I am lecturing then I apologize, but I need for you guys to consider the following.
OCDO is a forum solely dedicated to supporting open carry and gun rights in general. It is not an anti-LEO board! In the last month, I have been asked several times about the direction the forum has taken in this direction.
Because open carry, by its very definition, involves exercising our rights in a very visibile manner, this often leads to encounters with law enforcement. Because there are many law enforcement officers who do not fully understand their state and local gun laws, these are not always perfect encounters.
However ... the way we are seen as a movement is based upon how professionally we deal with these "not so perfect" encounters. I can say without fear of contradiction that Mike and I and the entire OCDO community as well as the gun rights groups of your state will support you if you have such an experience. But to speak of resisting "improper arrest/detention" with deadly force is ludicrous and provides ammunition (no pun intended) for those who wish to portray us as extremists.
I do not wish for us to be marginalized as just another group of internet wackos!!! There are plenty of those and their voices are not heard in the halls of power. I want us to be known as a thoughtful group who can be counted upon to support gun rights and one another at every turn.
I have several points I want to make and then I will climb down from my angry soapbox and go to bed.
1) Most LEO's are honorable men and women who are willing to place their very lives on the line for their communities.
2) Many LEO's are pro-gun
3) There are those who are either ill-informed or intentionally make life difficult for gun owners.
4) When you encounter one of these, the time to address the issue is after the encounter has been safely concluded. Comply with all demands even if you feel they are unlawful.
5) Document the encounter as completely as possible including video taping or voice recording the event if your local wiretapping laws allow this, writing down every detail as soon as possible and always get names, badge numbers and business cards.
6) File FOIA requests
7) File a compaint
8) If necessary, organize a group to attend the city council/county board of supervisors meeting to ask for action.
9) Expecting a perfect world is fine but being willing to help make an imperfect world better one step at a time is what real activists do! The guys from the Tony's 7 event never got a public apology, but by following the steps above, they made Manassas just a little better for the next generation of open carriers!
10) I find it very beneficial to be able to get a LEO perspective from the LEO's who are members here. Feel free to disagree with them on any point of fact or opinion, but our rules are clear ... no personal attacks on anyone!
I hope that no one feels I am directing this at them personally because I am not. I just want us all to think a little before we post even if we feel strongly about an injustice we have just read about.
Now I am going to go off and lay me down to bleed for awhile (metaphorically speaking).
