Wisconsin Carry Inc. - Chairman
Wisconsin Carry, Inc.
At 11:00 this morning I received a troubling email with the following information regarding the Saturday AFP tea party rally on the Capitol Grounds:
The bold/underlined was as it came from the sender, Nancy Mistele.
The red highlighting is my emphasis.
As requested by Nancy Mistele, I am passing along this information to everyone who I think might need to hear it.
Nancy Mistele has informed me that whomever "we" is (I assume her and other tea party organizers" intend to "point out anyone open-carrying to the police."
I sent Nancy Mistele an email letting her know the following:
The following is a portion of Wisconsin Carry's mission statement and reads as follows:
Wisconsin Carry, Inc is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and reclamation of the basic rights critical to a free society. Our organization believes in the founding principles of our country and our constitution: That all are created equal, that governments exist to protect the rights of individuals, and that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed.
Wisconsin Carry believes that ALL rights are important. We support all rights, even those we may not choose to exercise because we believe that is needed if we expect others to support rights THEY may not choose to exercise.
Its clear to me that Nancy Mistele believes that the Capitol grounds and "their" rally are not the place where people can exercise the rights they do every other day of the year.
I find this very unfortunate.
Over the past year and a half since our founding Wisconsin Carry has expended massive resources to defended the rights of law-abiding citizens who carry for self-defense in the ONLY way Wisconsin law allows.
We would politely ask that instead of encouraging law enforcement to violate the rights of people who open carry "pointing them out to the police" Nancy Mistele and Americans for Prosperity would JOIN us in the effort to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens.
Carry On,
Nik Clark
Chairman/President - Wisconsin Carry, Inc.
Edited to add:
I CANNOT confirm that the Capitol Police intend to hassle or arrest anyone for doing something that is completely legal. Nancy's email is my only source of information.
I did not receive a response from her and due to the close proximity to the event and many of our member plans to attend I feel that we have an obligation to inform people that Nancy Mistele has promised to summon police if she or any of the other organizers see people doing something that is completely legal.
I know many of our members prefer at all costs to avoid any and all interactions with police.
WCI is not suggesting that members carry or not carry, rather that they be aware of Nancy Mistele and AFP's position.
I will pass along more information if it becomes available. I do know that I personally would have a difficult time going to show support for AFP when they take such an unfortunate position on this issue.
From: "Nancy Gmail" <nmistele53@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2011 10:25:50 -0500
To: ******************t>
Cc: <teapartymadisonvolunteer@gmail.com>; *************************>
Subject: Constitution Carry
I don't believe we're acquainted but would ask, if you are in a position to spread the word to anyone who might need to hear it, there will be Absolutely NO OPEN CARRY at the tea party event on the capitol grounds Saturday April 16, 2011 between the hours of 7am and 4pm (includes set-up and tear-down.) It is our understanding that Open Carry will result in arrest on the Capitol Grounds.
While we believe in a person's right to carry, it's important to pick our battles wisely and this tea party rally, co-mingled with a Farmers Market and likely protest from pro-union forces is not the time for that battle. Our rally is not the time or place to make a statement on Open Carry and if any one attempts this we will point them out to the Capitol Police.
Thanks for any assistance you might provide to make this a family friendly and respectful event.
Nancy Mistele
The bold/underlined was as it came from the sender, Nancy Mistele.
The red highlighting is my emphasis.
As requested by Nancy Mistele, I am passing along this information to everyone who I think might need to hear it.
Nancy Mistele has informed me that whomever "we" is (I assume her and other tea party organizers" intend to "point out anyone open-carrying to the police."
I sent Nancy Mistele an email letting her know the following:
Nancy,
I find it truly offensive that you suggest you will "point out" people open carrying to the police.
Why wouldn't you just politely approach them and warn them that the police have suggested they will arrest people (despite the fact that what they are doing is totally lawful)and suggest that they may wish to go put their gun away.
Second, most people who open-carry do so every day. They are no more 'making a point' when they would open-carry to the tea-party rally than they would when they open-carry to the grocery store. They carry for self-defense like MILLIONS of people in this country do every single day. Are millions of people "making a point" every day?
This is a critical point that I would expect someone who sides on the side of rights and freedoms to grasp. When people in other states conceal carry are they "making a point?". If our members were ALLOWED to conceal carry, the vast majority would. However, they carry for self-defense and open-carry is all Wisconsin allows.
I will surely warn all of our 4000+ members that their rights will not be respected on Saturday. I don't want any of our members getting arrested. I'm VERY worried many will now show up without their sidearm but with a sign asking why the tea-party and AFP is behaving like the liberals?
If the police have promised to arrest people for open-carry, I would NEVER fault you for wanting to warn people of this. But for you to not grasp why people carry, and go so far as to promise to POINT OUT people to the police. People who may not have ANY advanced warning of the potential unlawful behavior by the police and unsuspectingly carry into or near the rally. Not all people who carry in Wisconsin are members of Wisconsin Carry. Many will have NO warning of the police's supposed intent to arrest.
Do them the courtesy of warning them instead of pointing them out to the Police.
Nik Clark
Chairman/President - Wisconsin Carry, Inc.
The following is a portion of Wisconsin Carry's mission statement and reads as follows:
Wisconsin Carry, Inc is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and reclamation of the basic rights critical to a free society. Our organization believes in the founding principles of our country and our constitution: That all are created equal, that governments exist to protect the rights of individuals, and that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed.
Wisconsin Carry believes that ALL rights are important. We support all rights, even those we may not choose to exercise because we believe that is needed if we expect others to support rights THEY may not choose to exercise.
Its clear to me that Nancy Mistele believes that the Capitol grounds and "their" rally are not the place where people can exercise the rights they do every other day of the year.
I find this very unfortunate.
Over the past year and a half since our founding Wisconsin Carry has expended massive resources to defended the rights of law-abiding citizens who carry for self-defense in the ONLY way Wisconsin law allows.
We would politely ask that instead of encouraging law enforcement to violate the rights of people who open carry "pointing them out to the police" Nancy Mistele and Americans for Prosperity would JOIN us in the effort to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens.
Carry On,
Nik Clark
Chairman/President - Wisconsin Carry, Inc.
Edited to add:
I CANNOT confirm that the Capitol Police intend to hassle or arrest anyone for doing something that is completely legal. Nancy's email is my only source of information.
I did not receive a response from her and due to the close proximity to the event and many of our member plans to attend I feel that we have an obligation to inform people that Nancy Mistele has promised to summon police if she or any of the other organizers see people doing something that is completely legal.
I know many of our members prefer at all costs to avoid any and all interactions with police.
WCI is not suggesting that members carry or not carry, rather that they be aware of Nancy Mistele and AFP's position.
I will pass along more information if it becomes available. I do know that I personally would have a difficult time going to show support for AFP when they take such an unfortunate position on this issue.
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