VigilanceOfFreedom
Regular Member
imported post
And unfortunately, my last for a very long while. First I must apologize for leaving the scene as quickly as I arrived. I was.. occupied with my situation and school for a while..
The reason I became so interested in carry rights in California is partly from being previously a Florida resident with a CCW license and loaded open carry experience in New Mexico and Arizona, but my interest really exploded when I heard my friend Anthony, a UPS driver who used to deliver to the UPS Store where I work in Marina Del Rey had been held up at gunpoint, in broad daylight at 9:00 in the morning during his routine deliveries to the AT&T store. I was shocked. And I was appalled that we live in a society where something like that was even possible without the citizens witnessing this event not raising a finger to help this man; or rather, being completely unable to assist being unarmed. Anthony could have been killed on the spot. His life was in the hands of a deranged criminal.
As I was doing research toward getting the fabled California CCW permit, I found Opencarry.org and was shocked to learn that it was legal to open carry a firearm, granted it was unloaded. I printed out some of the fliers available for download made by Mudcamper and Decoligny and began passing out hundreds at school. I was very surprised at how well the idea of open carry resonated with my fellow students at El Camino College with less than a tenth of the students I spoke with holding strong anti-gun positions. I should have also realized how none of these students, including the people I spoke to on the day I carried, possessed absolutely no drive to take action and become involved in recovering our unique second amendment rights that the law abiding citizens of many other states in our great country enjoy.
I chose Saturday, October 25th, after work to be my first day to open carry. Unfortunately I was relying on when the check I sent with my firearm registration was cashed as an indicator as to when my weapon was registered. Apparently they cash that check whether or not the registration can be completed. In any case, I wasn't too worried knowing that having arrived back in California recently, I still was within the allotted grace period of 60 days to register my gun. In any case, I knew it would still be light out and hoped that the other people out that evening would be laid back. When I closed up the store, I changed out of my work clothes and slid my holster onto my belt, locked my work clothes in my car, checked my gun (a Beretta M9) to make sure it was unloaded, and locked it securely in my holster next to a loaded clip holding 9 rounds of winchester hollow point ammo as required per California law.
After a few minutes, of walking around, I started a conversation with a security guard who I knew as an acquaintance. I brought up the “incident” with Anthony and handed him a flier. After a few minutes he noticed I was actually armed. He was shocked but he thought it was great that someone would take the initiative and exercise our forgotten right. After a few more minutes of answering some of his questions, I directed him to opencarry.org.
I stopped at Kinkos next to run off a few more fliers. I didn't receive any strange looks, and I doubt anyone even noticed I was armed. I left a few fliers at the desk when I paid and since I had not had dinner yet, I dropped by fat burger for a quick dinner. I had no unpleasant interactions or strange looks whatsoever.
I then walked up to gamestop, browsed around for a while and left a flier for the clerk when I paid for a game.
When I returned to my car, the police were waiting for me. I was ordered to the ground and they placed me in handcuffs and secured my weapon. The female officer who arrested me asked if was insane, and I replied calmly that I knew exactly what I was doing and that my actions were within California law and if she would like to reach inside my breast pocket, she could review a copy of the California penal code to verify my statements. After a few minutes several more officers arrived and in a subsequent search of my car they found my stack of copies of the penal code. Within the next few minutes, tensions were relieve and I discussed some light topics with the officers, like manufacture preferences, how long they were in service, what school one of the officers was attending, and of course my interest in later joining the force. All the while the officers were receiving sporadic communication with their Lieutenant.
After nearly an hour they got the order: bring him in.
I was detained for two days until which point I my father came down to bail me out. I immediately sought the best lawyer I could find. The DA has not filed charges and are holding the charges above my head, and are able 'reactivate' the case for to up to 3 years.
My pistol remains in the possession of LE, pending the monumental paperwork process to get it released.
I'm shocked at how I was treated. Every officer on the scene when I was detained acknowledge that I had no intention of wrongdoing. I had no other intention than to exercise my rights and attempt to inform anyone who was curious of these laws and anyone who may have been curious to my reasons.
My reasons were simple: my friend was attacked and his life threatened. I took the only logical action of a law abiding citizen: explore the routes to which I may lawfully defend myself.
I was not deserving of the treatment I received. Laws are meant to punish criminals and deter crime with the fear of punishment. Only a tyrannical government creates a law that oppresses the rights of law abiding citizens, of citizens with no criminal record; where the rights of those who live by the law are trampled. When those who are concerned with the safety and well-being of themselves and their families are cornered by laws that threaten to recognize those good people as criminals, our freedom will be lost.
I'm deeply saddened to how far California has fallen.
Even so, I have not given up my dream to become a law enforcement officer. I hold the men and women who risk their lives every day to uphold the law in the highest regard. I hope I will be able to accept such responsibility in the near future.
And I hope to continue the fight for our Second Amendment rights; the right viewed most important to the founding fathers of our nation. I grew up in California and I refuse to by chased out by the tyrants who abuse their positions of power.
And unfortunately, my last for a very long while. First I must apologize for leaving the scene as quickly as I arrived. I was.. occupied with my situation and school for a while..
The reason I became so interested in carry rights in California is partly from being previously a Florida resident with a CCW license and loaded open carry experience in New Mexico and Arizona, but my interest really exploded when I heard my friend Anthony, a UPS driver who used to deliver to the UPS Store where I work in Marina Del Rey had been held up at gunpoint, in broad daylight at 9:00 in the morning during his routine deliveries to the AT&T store. I was shocked. And I was appalled that we live in a society where something like that was even possible without the citizens witnessing this event not raising a finger to help this man; or rather, being completely unable to assist being unarmed. Anthony could have been killed on the spot. His life was in the hands of a deranged criminal.
As I was doing research toward getting the fabled California CCW permit, I found Opencarry.org and was shocked to learn that it was legal to open carry a firearm, granted it was unloaded. I printed out some of the fliers available for download made by Mudcamper and Decoligny and began passing out hundreds at school. I was very surprised at how well the idea of open carry resonated with my fellow students at El Camino College with less than a tenth of the students I spoke with holding strong anti-gun positions. I should have also realized how none of these students, including the people I spoke to on the day I carried, possessed absolutely no drive to take action and become involved in recovering our unique second amendment rights that the law abiding citizens of many other states in our great country enjoy.
I chose Saturday, October 25th, after work to be my first day to open carry. Unfortunately I was relying on when the check I sent with my firearm registration was cashed as an indicator as to when my weapon was registered. Apparently they cash that check whether or not the registration can be completed. In any case, I wasn't too worried knowing that having arrived back in California recently, I still was within the allotted grace period of 60 days to register my gun. In any case, I knew it would still be light out and hoped that the other people out that evening would be laid back. When I closed up the store, I changed out of my work clothes and slid my holster onto my belt, locked my work clothes in my car, checked my gun (a Beretta M9) to make sure it was unloaded, and locked it securely in my holster next to a loaded clip holding 9 rounds of winchester hollow point ammo as required per California law.
After a few minutes, of walking around, I started a conversation with a security guard who I knew as an acquaintance. I brought up the “incident” with Anthony and handed him a flier. After a few minutes he noticed I was actually armed. He was shocked but he thought it was great that someone would take the initiative and exercise our forgotten right. After a few more minutes of answering some of his questions, I directed him to opencarry.org.
I stopped at Kinkos next to run off a few more fliers. I didn't receive any strange looks, and I doubt anyone even noticed I was armed. I left a few fliers at the desk when I paid and since I had not had dinner yet, I dropped by fat burger for a quick dinner. I had no unpleasant interactions or strange looks whatsoever.
I then walked up to gamestop, browsed around for a while and left a flier for the clerk when I paid for a game.
When I returned to my car, the police were waiting for me. I was ordered to the ground and they placed me in handcuffs and secured my weapon. The female officer who arrested me asked if was insane, and I replied calmly that I knew exactly what I was doing and that my actions were within California law and if she would like to reach inside my breast pocket, she could review a copy of the California penal code to verify my statements. After a few minutes several more officers arrived and in a subsequent search of my car they found my stack of copies of the penal code. Within the next few minutes, tensions were relieve and I discussed some light topics with the officers, like manufacture preferences, how long they were in service, what school one of the officers was attending, and of course my interest in later joining the force. All the while the officers were receiving sporadic communication with their Lieutenant.
After nearly an hour they got the order: bring him in.
I was detained for two days until which point I my father came down to bail me out. I immediately sought the best lawyer I could find. The DA has not filed charges and are holding the charges above my head, and are able 'reactivate' the case for to up to 3 years.
My pistol remains in the possession of LE, pending the monumental paperwork process to get it released.
I'm shocked at how I was treated. Every officer on the scene when I was detained acknowledge that I had no intention of wrongdoing. I had no other intention than to exercise my rights and attempt to inform anyone who was curious of these laws and anyone who may have been curious to my reasons.
My reasons were simple: my friend was attacked and his life threatened. I took the only logical action of a law abiding citizen: explore the routes to which I may lawfully defend myself.
I was not deserving of the treatment I received. Laws are meant to punish criminals and deter crime with the fear of punishment. Only a tyrannical government creates a law that oppresses the rights of law abiding citizens, of citizens with no criminal record; where the rights of those who live by the law are trampled. When those who are concerned with the safety and well-being of themselves and their families are cornered by laws that threaten to recognize those good people as criminals, our freedom will be lost.
I'm deeply saddened to how far California has fallen.
Even so, I have not given up my dream to become a law enforcement officer. I hold the men and women who risk their lives every day to uphold the law in the highest regard. I hope I will be able to accept such responsibility in the near future.
And I hope to continue the fight for our Second Amendment rights; the right viewed most important to the founding fathers of our nation. I grew up in California and I refuse to by chased out by the tyrants who abuse their positions of power.
