imported post
redhawk wrote:
I don't get it. We have open carry so what's the beef?
No, you have limited open carry in the places where the local governments have not yet decided to take that away from you. Tell me, how long would it be before I got arrested if I flew into Omaha, or even Lincoln, and after I left the airport strapped on my side arm and went shopping? Or better yet, how about if I were to go to a Cornhuskers game with my pistol on my side?
Also, there are times and places where concealed carry is safer and more advised. From what I can find, it is nearly impossible to know exactly where what kind of carry is legal. There are just too many local ordinances regarding firearms.
On my trip to Nebraska last December, I was amazed at how many business have posted no firearms signs. This was in small rural towns where I would think there would be support for self protection. You need to get organized and let these places know that as long as they won't allow you to carry you won't allow them to use your money. Even though I wasn't carrying, I drove from Friend into Crete to buy groceries because the little grocery store in Friend is posted. I also made sure the store in Friend knew what I had done and why. For a small store like the one in Friend, a couple hundred dollars (groceries for Christmas and New Years parties) is a significant impact on their business.
I have spent more than 20 years here in Utah working to make sure that ANYONE who either lives in or visits Utah has the right to carry in as much as this state as possible. We have fought hard to make sure that Utah will honor a concealed permit from anywhere and to make sure that you can carry open or concealed almost anywhere. We have fought for and won the right for people to be able to protect themselves even on our public college and university campuses.
Just in the last week we have pushed through new changes making sure that you can carry open or concealed, loaded or unloaded in any vehicle which you possess legally or have permission from the legal possessor. We also pushed through a change to make sure that a private venue such as an employer or sports venue that provides open parking cannot prohibit you from having your gun in your car.
I can promise you that unless you in Nebraska get organized and start electing people who understand the proper role of government and will stand up for the rule of law and get some statewide preemption laws in place, it won't be long until you are in the same situation as California or even Wisconsin in respect to your rights.
Maintaining your rights requires constant vigilance. Once you lose your rights it take far more work to get them back if it is even possible.
Just because you think an infringement doesn't affect you directly, I promise you that it does because it opens the door for further infringement on your rights.
Does Nebraska have any kind of state wide association of gun owners? I couldn't find one. (BTW, the NRA is not your friend in defending your rights, just last week in Idaho the NRA supported a bill that under certain circumstances requires all weapons in a home to be locked up.)
Please, get organized and protect and restore your rights while you still can! It is much easier now than it will be later.
