gogodawgs
Campaign Veteran
imported post
Ok team....
I have stolen this idea from the general 'Why I Carry' section... because I think it is exellent and well thought out!
I recently saw a post in one of the threads here (in one of the State sections, I think...) where someone recommended that OC'ers go to their respective City Council meetings and during the "Public Comments" time of the meetings, inform their local City Council and LEOs that they will be OCing, and that unlawful harassment or infringement of their rights will not be acceptable. He argued that since such announcements are entered into the public record, that it is just one more way for us, as OCers, to cover our legal behinds, and that it removes the excuse from local LEO's that they didn't know who we are or why we were carrying...
So I propose this:
We're always barking on this forum about our 2A rights, but it seems that few of us have taken the opportunity to publicly exercise our 1A rights in support and defense of our RKBA. Perhaps we could draft "statements" for each state, citing statute and case law in support of Open Carry, and take this guy's advise and enter these statements into the Public Record. If EVERYONE who was OCing did this, it would produce a number of results--all positive in my opinion:
1) local LEO's and governments would be officially ON NOTICE that harassment and unlawful detention and searches will NOT be tolerated, and will be met with legal action, as they are in violation of State statutes, Federal Law ("color of law" prohibitions), and Case Law, and
2) The perceived numbers of law-abiding citizens who are OCers would be greatly increased in the eyes of our elected officials, and that would show them that we're not just a few lone gun-nuts, but a growing, vibrant, and well-educated segment of the population, and
3) It serves to cover our butts, because such statements entered into the public record become legally binding to the government and to local LEO's, and erase their "we didn't know who you were or what you were doing" excuse for stopping us and intimidating us for lawful OC.
I'm drafting my own statement (and publishing it here for comment), and planing to attend the City Council Meetings in Washington NC and Greenville NC (where I live, and where I do most of my shopping) at their next sessions in January. If there are any OCers who want to join me, any support would be appreciated.
However, please be advised that the Washington NC City Council meetings are held in the Municipal Building, which also houses the City Jail, and therefore is a "no carry zone". I'm still researching Greenville's meeting site...
Ok team....
I have stolen this idea from the general 'Why I Carry' section... because I think it is exellent and well thought out!
I recently saw a post in one of the threads here (in one of the State sections, I think...) where someone recommended that OC'ers go to their respective City Council meetings and during the "Public Comments" time of the meetings, inform their local City Council and LEOs that they will be OCing, and that unlawful harassment or infringement of their rights will not be acceptable. He argued that since such announcements are entered into the public record, that it is just one more way for us, as OCers, to cover our legal behinds, and that it removes the excuse from local LEO's that they didn't know who we are or why we were carrying...
So I propose this:
We're always barking on this forum about our 2A rights, but it seems that few of us have taken the opportunity to publicly exercise our 1A rights in support and defense of our RKBA. Perhaps we could draft "statements" for each state, citing statute and case law in support of Open Carry, and take this guy's advise and enter these statements into the Public Record. If EVERYONE who was OCing did this, it would produce a number of results--all positive in my opinion:
1) local LEO's and governments would be officially ON NOTICE that harassment and unlawful detention and searches will NOT be tolerated, and will be met with legal action, as they are in violation of State statutes, Federal Law ("color of law" prohibitions), and Case Law, and
2) The perceived numbers of law-abiding citizens who are OCers would be greatly increased in the eyes of our elected officials, and that would show them that we're not just a few lone gun-nuts, but a growing, vibrant, and well-educated segment of the population, and
3) It serves to cover our butts, because such statements entered into the public record become legally binding to the government and to local LEO's, and erase their "we didn't know who you were or what you were doing" excuse for stopping us and intimidating us for lawful OC.
I'm drafting my own statement (and publishing it here for comment), and planing to attend the City Council Meetings in Washington NC and Greenville NC (where I live, and where I do most of my shopping) at their next sessions in January. If there are any OCers who want to join me, any support would be appreciated.
However, please be advised that the Washington NC City Council meetings are held in the Municipal Building, which also houses the City Jail, and therefore is a "no carry zone". I'm still researching Greenville's meeting site...
Imagine, if just 5 people did this in every town. They would think it was a trend.
Imagine if 10 people did this in every town--they might think it was some sort of organization.
And imagine if 100 people--yes, 100 people went to their City Council Meetings, announced that they were OC'ers, and walked out--they'd think it was a movement...
[align=right](apologies to Arlo Guthrie, and "Alice's Restaurant"...)
[/align]
Imagine if 10 people did this in every town--they might think it was some sort of organization.
And imagine if 100 people--yes, 100 people went to their City Council Meetings, announced that they were OC'ers, and walked out--they'd think it was a movement...
[align=right](apologies to Arlo Guthrie, and "Alice's Restaurant"...)
[/align]