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Would you financially support the establishment of a Washington State group?

Would you financially support the establishment of a Washington State group?


  • Total voters
    97
  • Poll closed .

gogodawgs

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Oct 25, 2009
Messages
5,669
Location
Federal Way, Washington, USA
Based on recent events of several OC cases as well as harrassement of OC'rs by Law enforcement in different areas of the state, a number of OC'rs have expressed interest in formalizing a "Washington Carry" non-profit to identify common issues and develop resources to meet the needs of defending the rights of WA citizens in good standing regarding carry issues.

This poll is the first step in guaging interest and support for the establishment of a non-profit organization. This polling tool will be in place for a number of weeks to allow both active and intermittment posters and readers to express their interest.

If enough interest can be determined from this intial poll, next steps will be taken to determine the highest priority needs to be focused on by the organization through a number of venues including group meetings and online discussion threads. Then, resource needs and the framework for an organizational model to achieve its purpose will be developed.

Would you financially support the establishment of a Washington State group focused on carry related issues that are specific and important to us all under our State Constitution?


Yes?

No?
 

1245A Defender

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2009
Messages
4,365
Location
north mason county, Washington, USA
.

im in with a yes..
were batting a thousand!
Oh_Noes-1.gif
 
Last edited:

BobR

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2007
Messages
391
Location
West Plains, ,
I have given a lot of thought to this the last few days, in fact was going to post a feeler about it. We will need to talk to some other states and see how they do it.

I am 100% for starting a rights group here in WA and providing financial support to help it get started and to get stronger with time.

bob
 

skiingislife725

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2009
Messages
400
Location
Lake Stevens, WA
Have you guys heard of porcupine 411? Just signed up for the Seattle one but it doesn't look too active. It's basically a txt/email alert system to liberty-minded/open-carry meets, police harassment in-progress, etc. Might not be a bad idea to incorporate that feature into the organization.
 

Bill Starks

State Researcher
Joined
Dec 27, 2007
Messages
4,304
Location
Nortonville, KY, USA
Have you guys heard of porcupine 411? Just signed up for the Seattle one but it doesn't look too active. It's basically a txt/email alert system to liberty-minded/open-carry meets, police harassment in-progress, etc. Might not be a bad idea to incorporate that feature into the organization.

Someone beat me to an idea I had. At $15 a month it definitely has its advantages.
 

DEROS72

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2008
Messages
2,817
Location
Valhalla
I have mixed feelings about that.Over the last couple of years we have as a group made amazing advancements.Without a former organization.

The concept would require possibly a couple hundred thousand in seed money to start up.Just to pay salaries to those chosen to head it full time.We would be creating a beaurocracy that we might just spend an enoumous amount of resources just to have meetings on how to perpetuate this very beaurocracy.We would have to have possbly dues that could be quite high unless you could get thousands to join.

This recent incident is a good example.We didn't need emergency meetings of a board to decide what to do (who would make that decision anyway) .Within 24hrs we had the press all over this and the we rallied to get behind this all on or own.Now for something like this that may require legal fees we don't need a board of directors to decide if we want to help.Just set up a fund and those that wish to can donate.

We have put together larger and larger gatherings basically beginning with the Willow lake in 09.Untill then there wasn't any press regarding open carry .We have had good coverage so the general public etc is beginning to regognize open carry as a force to be dealt with .
It may be argued that we might have more clout as a more formalized entity .Well we didn't need highly paid directors to decide we were going to Olympia last year to beat down the proposed assault weapons ban.Truely a grass roots effort.We buried that proposal!
This group put together last April in 6 days a very well organized 2A rally in Olympia.Everyone contributed ,sound systems ,printing ,canopies .We had great guest speakers,candidates,coffee,flags music, 300 cans of sodas donated by Safeway. Dave Workman gave the keynote speech.We had on a rainy windy day over 200 show.We did this all without high paid directors ,without any endless meetings arguing over who's doing what yet we got it done big time.

I see the possibility of an entity developing where a few would want to have control over what gets done.
Last week we had assembled a great gathering in Vancouver with info going out to the public just by the grass roots effort of throwing the idea out to the group.So many contributed without a commitee deciding anything and again we had press coverage in an entirely different demographic.
Who would run this? I love this group because of what it is right now ,a true grass roots bunch with so many diverse talents and experiences accomplishing great things through the efforts of all these wonderful people without turning it into a hiper expensive organization that could possibly tear us apart.

I'm not totally opposed and I do see some potential benefits but everyone consider carefully .Is this the way we want to go.
 

.45ACPaddy

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
999
Location
Lakewood, WA
I'd like it to be a volunteer run organization.

We would have a fund for legal stuff, like Josh's case. We have a few on here that are well known for being level headed and reasonable. It wouldn't be an organization that dictates "Ok Washington Open Carry needs to do this, so everyone get on it" or anything like that. It would be a group that we could call on if a major situation occurs, like Josh's, or the Madison 5's. Something that really establishes us Washingtonian open carriers in the public eye. I wouldn't want there to be membership dues, but it would be cool if some bumper stickers or something were sent out as a thank you for a donation. Perhaps it could be called Washington Open Carry, and they could operate the Washington Open Carry Legal Defense Fund.

I would want it serve the purpose of being a legal defense fund, rather than some sort of official open carry organization where you HAVE to be a part of it to be part of the open carry community.

Just an idea.
 
Last edited:

Tomas

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2010
Messages
702
Location
University Place, Washington, USA
...and I agree in essence with the previous three.

The original question was "Would you financially support the establishment of a Washington State group focused on carry related issues that are specific and important to us all under our State Constitution?"

I note that the question I answered related to "carry related issues", not just open carry related issues.

I understand this is an open carry site, forum, and group, and I do sometimes open carry, but ALL carriers are in this boat together, and I suggest that there might be a bit wider support if the volunteer run organization was not quite so narrowly focused as to be JUST open carry.

Keep that as the main focus, but don't make it exclusive.
 
Last edited:

Metalhead47

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2009
Messages
2,800
Location
South Whidbey, Washington, USA
Sticker.

As long as I get a sticker. Gotta have a sticker. Just tell me where to send the check. Won't be a big check, but should cover the cost of the sticker.:p



And like Tomas said, I'd like to see an organization that forwards ALL manner of carry: open, concealed, and the always overlooked duck-taped-to-the-forehead. That widens the potential member base considerably, and might help change some hearts & minds in the CC crowd who don't like us.
 

DEROS72

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2008
Messages
2,817
Location
Valhalla
We have an organization here already in place....The Second amendment Foundation
 

Jeff Hayes

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2009
Messages
2,569
Location
Long gone
Deros buddy I have to disagree slightly with you on this one. I see your points and they are valid. There would be no high saleries or for that matter any salery for anyone or any travel expences etc paid for. I think that we have come a long way over the last few years but if we want to go further we need an "official group" to validate us to the press and the goverment.

Tomas is also right we need to include both CC & OC but the emphisis should always be on OC.

What has SAF ever done directly for OC, they are great people, a great organazation and I support them 100% but they dont do anything for OC or so little it just dosnt matter.

I will be glad to put my money where my mouth is. Dues should be minimal so that everyone can join but no limit to the amount any one individual could contribute either time wise or money wise.
 

amlevin

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
5,937
Location
North of Seattle, Washington, USA
My vote is a conditional Yes. Before any money is collected there is work to be done. Someone has to take care of the necessary paperwork to form a Non-Profit, and a "Mission Statement" needs to be established.

It should be clear how "officers" are selected and how the funds collected are to be spent.

If the organization is to be "informational" in scope, who controls the message?

If it is to be a Legal Defense Fund, who will decide which cases have merit? Which Attorneys will be used?

Lots of questions to be answered and I'm sure there are many more.
 

Ajetpilot

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2007
Messages
1,416
Location
Olalla, Kitsap County, Washington, USA
The time is right...

This is a good time to start this effort. I'm more pi$$ed off about events this week (Spanaway and Vancouver guilty verdict) than I've been since I've been a member of OCDO. If the Kirby case goes south, that will be a trifecta. "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!" Let's get this going and get a "proqupine 411" started for local OC soon:exclaim:
 

Stretch

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2009
Messages
489
Location
Pasco, WA, ,
Maybe we can get some reference from Nik, Wisconsin Carry Chairman, on how they established their organization.

This is about our right to carry, in any legal manner. Wisconsin has a hot line, and some amount of a legal team or a group of lawyers whom believe in our 2A rights as well as our 4A rights as well. I don't see any place where we are paying a member to be a spokesman, etc.

Stickers and T-shirts would be cool... :)
 
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