Ridley Report

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IMHO these Ridley Report people are doing more harm than good by instigation, contempt, and their childish sarcasm, what do you think?

Here is one exsample of one of their videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xufnLRt2qkw

They have over 1000 videos on youtube, only some deal with open carry, but because they have gotten so big, Im afraid that people are getting the wrong idea, and will tend to lump us together with other groups that we do not wish to be associated with.

Thoughts?

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I don't think its harming the OC movement at all. Most of the videos have to do with liberty, and challenging the status quo of the New Hampshire government.

+1 for the Free State Project.

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I watch most of the Ridley Report videos. I like the guy and I think that he usually takes a centrist position and does not support the "fringe" even when he puts up their A/V. If I had to choose between associating OC with "gun carrying maniacs" and "hippies" I'd go with the latter.

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I like the Ridley reports and do not believe they harm anyone.

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The only harm Dave does is by singing those jingles. :banghead:

Otherwise I think he does good stuff. +1 to Dave.

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There are several ways to look at this. On the one hand yes, there is the potential of doing harm to the OC movement. This is due to primarily two things. 1) The general population is not accustomed to seeing people carrying arms. 2) The police are caught between a rock and a hard place, desperately wishing there was a law prohibiting this sort of behavior.

However, there is the other view of this activity. For too many years, Americans have become complacent about their rights and have moved further and further away form what for most of our history, was completely normal and accepted behavior by her citizens: people openly and honestly carrying arms as they went about their business. THIS IS THE NORMAL BEHAVIOR OF OUR PEOPLE.

Carrying a firearm, whether open or concealed, was once viewed as not only as natural as breathing, but expected behavior and favorable behavior. We really need to get back to this mindset if we are to continue as a free country... not to mention to be a threat to those who would do us harm.

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When I first heard the term "open carry" Dave's videos were one of the first things I saw on the subject. At first I was floored that it existed, and only a small percentage of the population knew about it. I quickly found OCDO afterward. I learned a lot about open carry and rights in general thanks to Ridley Report. I support his videos.

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The RidleyReport is one of the first places I too heard about open carry. My problem is that I think they are doing the right thing the wrong way. I feel their methods are going to put people off to what they are trying to do.

I open carry, I beleive pot should be legal, and if a girl wants to go topless, its not my place,(or uncle sams) to tell her not to. But the sarcasm, and the mocking sing songy voices arentwhat I want people to remember when they see me OC.

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I can't say I noticed any sarcasm in any of Dave's videos, including the one to which you linked here.

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Well I think the distinction should be made that the Ridley Report is mostly about folks in the New Hampshire Free State project and so their goals and actions may not always coincide with the OCDO goals, but they often do. I would say he is as responsible for the folks he films as I am, meaning he is not at all at 'fault' for what they do. That said I think he does no harm reporting on the FSP activities and I support their endevours.

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My favorite Ridley Report is the one where they go to the Police Department with one of them "armed" with a pitchfork. The police officer confiscates the pitchfork on the street.

Made me wonder what the pitchfork control laws were in New Hampshire!

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Ridley Rocks!

You can learn a bit about LEO interactions and OC watching Ridley.

LIVE FREE OR DIE!

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I was determined to open carry before I heard of Ridley or this site. I was trying to do research into what kind of trouble I could expect although I knew it to be legal in my state.

I stumbled across Ridley and really like what they are doing. They are more "active" in their interactions which I think is totally fine. Since they have a good core group and very active about helping each other out. I was excited that I was not alone in wanting to do what I wanted to do although they were across the country.

Then I stumbled upon this site, and was very thankful, it is more about what I am about, "normalizing" open carry. Very knowledgeable folks for the most part who cite law and articles and judgments and come together in non-confrontational ways such as BBQ's and OC meets that is in line more with how I would prefer doing things.

That is not to say that I would not participate in stronger demonstrations if the need would arise.

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stainless1911 wrote:

The RidleyReport is one of the first places I too heard about open carry. My problem is that I think they are doing the right thing the wrong way. I feel their methods are going to put people off to what they are trying to do.

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There is no "they" in the Ridley Report. The Ridley Report is exactly one person: Dave Ridley.

He sometimes uses other people's footage, or reports on their activities, but he's reporting, not participating.

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Yea, I guess if you subscribe to the NRA (negotiate rights away) view of not offending anyone, the Ridley Report WOULD piss you off.

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I like the Ridley videos.

Many of them, as already stated here, are about liberty in general.

First of, the Liberty Activist are... an interesting group of people up there in NH and MA.

All I have to say, there is nothing being done wrong in these videos, at least for the most part. They do get into some questionable areas sometimes about "victim-less" crimes such as letting someone borrow your car that doesn't have insurance which is crap, but whatever.

However, as far as carrying a gun and educating or challenging people to challenge the carrier? No, nothing wrong there. These people, looking for engagements, just need to be careful they DO OR SAY NOTHING to incriminate themselves or otherwise allow the officer to lawfully detain or arrest the carrier.

I watched a video of a Terry stop on youtube where a guy is at a convenient store, openly carrying a holstered sidearm. A female officer and a male officer confront him. They get abrasive and angry at the mans refusal to "cooperate" and the guy was pretty much COOL.... until he threw down the cigarette he was smoking *I smack my head* I'd rather eat the thing than give the cops any satisfaction or reason to detain me. Depending on where you live, they could possibly "hold your gun" while they criminally investigate your littering or even take your gun away because you had it during the commission of a crime. I could be wrong, but why try the system that far?

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tekshogun wrote:

I watched a video of a Terry stop on youtube where a guy is at a convenient store, openly carrying a holstered sidearm. A female officer and a male officer confront him. They get abrasive and angry at the mans refusal to "cooperate" and the guy was pretty much COOL.... until he threw down the cigarette he was smoking *I smack my head* I'd rather eat the thing than give the cops any satisfaction or reason to detain me. Depending on where you live, they could possibly "hold your gun" while they criminally investigate your littering or even take your gun away because you had it during the commission of a crime. I could be wrong, but why try the system that far?

Click to expand...

Do you have a link?

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gogodawgs wrote:

tekshogun wrote:

I watched a video of a Terry stop on youtube where a guy is at a convenient store, openly carrying a holstered sidearm. A female officer and a male officer confront him. They get abrasive and angry at the mans refusal to "cooperate" and the guy was pretty much COOL.... until he threw down the cigarette he was smoking *I smack my head* I'd rather eat the thing than give the cops any satisfaction or reason to detain me. Depending on where you live, they could possibly "hold your gun" while they criminally investigate your littering or even take your gun away because you had it during the commission of a crime. I could be wrong, but why try the system that far?

Click to expand...

Do you have a link?

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As a matter of fact:

Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWKIFXCyEOc

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLf0J_YMTBE

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Seems typical of LEO. Pretty much how my encounter went. "We know better than you so just cooperate" and hostile too. They get so mad when someone decides to stand up for the 4th.

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Thundar wrote:

My favorite Ridley Report is the one where they go to the Police Department with one of them "armed" with a pitchfork. The police officer confiscates the pitchfork on the street.

Made me wonder what the pitchfork control laws were in New Hampshire!

Click to expand...

do you happen to know which one that was?