Posted on 06/12/2012 7:01:42 AM PDT by marktwain
BIRMINGHAM, Mich. -
Gun carrying protestors let their voices be heard during a Birmingham City Commission meeting.
A number of protestors came armed with AK-47’s, a variation of rifles and pistols during Monday night’s meeting. The advocates of Michigan’s open carry law attended the meeting to support a young man who was arrested for openly carrying a weapon.
“We understand that it’s not something that’s apart of the public norm or something you see in everyday life, but there is not a law against it,” said open carry advocate Phillip Hofmeister.
Sean Combs, 18, from Troy was arrested back in April after he was spotted with a loaded rifle slung across his back in downtown Birmingham.
According to Combs, he did nothing illegal. His lawyer wants to see the charges against him dropped, which range from brandishing a firearm to obstructing an officer.
“You stand up for your rights period, regardless of what the right may be you stand up for it. So even if it’s a firearm right, if you want a firearm you have to stand up for those rights,” said Combs.
“He has no driving tickets, no parking tickets, no speeding tickets, or any kind of ticket. I would hate to see his record marked by this especially when he did everything legally right,” said Sean’s mother Pam Combs.
Combs, his mother and attorney did not attend the meeting.
“I hope that council sees that good people carry guns,” said Hofmeister.
Combs pleaded not guilty to all charges.
(Excerpt) Read more at clickondetroit.com ...
Both reasons you cited are good reasons for someone to open carry.
No need for you to bolster my arguments for me, I can do that on my on.
All of this does not have to happen if the police follow the law. Why should you, I or this 18 year old have to follow the law but the police do not. You want to restrict the rights of a law abiding citizen, why do you want to do that.
All this is going to do, is cost the taxpayers money.
The cost to the taxpayers is because of the police and the prosecutor. They are the ones who broke the law and are wasting taxpayer money; the kid is not spending a cent of taxpayer money except for that which is provided for in the constitution (I mean a public defender possibly).
There’s no law that will be changed or corrected.
That is correct it is the mindset of the police, the prosecutor and possibly you that need to be changed. The state should not be trampling our rights and we should not let them do it nor should we encourage them to do so.
I disagree; while it can be true that you're saying "I have a gun" with open carry it does not necessarily make it the point of open carry. While deployed overseas I, and all of my company, were carrying openly. Yes, we were in a warzone, and in uniform, but that is irrelevant to this conversation because the point is that we were all openly carrying for purposes other than "look at me." (Quick, unfettered access.)
Even so, "look at me" may be needed in order to raise awareness among the general populous (yes, it does impact comfort zones to think about why someone might feel the need to be armed), and that may be needed in order to avoid a [real] warzone over here.
In truth though, the NDAA recognizes the continental US as a warzone, so the argument "he's not in a warzone" doesn't apply any more.
There plenty of possible reasons; here's one:
His car wasn't working and he needed/wanted to take the gun to a gunsmith for repairs, accessories, whatever.
Even into the early 80s it was fine to bring guns to my school for hunting purposes after school. If you drove they had to stay in your car. They couldn’t be carried on the bus so a parent had to bring you and the gun left in the office. I rode my bike to school with a gun and left it in the office a few times as well.
In those days, walking around with a gun wasn’t activism, it was transporting it. Our local cops never gave us a second look if they saw us with a gun.
Glad you have a CCL, unfortunately this citizen is not allowed to have one, so concealed carry is not an option for him. He has already been made a second class citizen by the state.
They can’t leave well enough alone. Just to be able to carry should be enough.
Obviously you have missed the point, he could not carry. The police, the state and you feel that he cannot carry. You are all upset that he did carry just like the police were upset. If he could carry then the police would not have arrested him.
Interesting blog, but under comments even some of the retired cops opt for concealed weapons and not open carry...the bad guys are all carrying concealed. My granddaughter graduated from U of M and is living in Detroit. Needless to say it bothers me some, but when I went to her apartment, is was a nice old home in Cork Town. She recently moved, staying in that area, and hope she soon has a CC weapon. A shotgun in the bedroom also is a good idea. As somenme told me, the thief will head for the bedroom, with the bed between you and the door and the sound of a shot gun being racked can change a lot of minds. It doesn’t necessaryily need a great shot at that distance, the doorway frames the thief pretty good..
I have yet to see ANY evidence that an openly carried weapon draws fire.
I had to chuckle at that remark...:O) My granddaughter graduated for U of M a few years ago and lives in Detroit. Its a worry for me but she is due to get her gun permit...Her place is nice and in a relativly nice area of detroit...A nasty dog is next on the list...:O)
There is an area of artists that have moved into the area. She graduated with a Fine Arts degree...
I’m not particularly comfortable with handguns since my experience has been almost exclusively with long guns. According to some, I deserve to be harassed for carrying a weapon that isn’t easily concealed.
My Brother in Law was in the army air corp during WW2 and said the place to be during a war was in the army. They give you the gun... He was (I think) a navagator and was shot down twice...he had a interesting face, had many facial bones broken....He in fact looked exactly like the old Mr Clean (I think thats the bald guy he looked like) dammit, memory and old age sucks big time..
Yes too many including many here are all for the 2nd Amendment as long as it is the way they want it to be. For me it is simple, shall not be infringed.
We may agree more than we think....when I say open carry, I am talking about long guns, not open carry hand guns, My dad used a shoulder holster, but there are belt holsters also...these can be seen depending on what once is wearing...
Nice way to bat for the hoplophobes though...
Apparently not, if you can be arrested for it.
Circa 1980 I had to take a speech class in order to complete my university requirements.
After talking to the professor I toted my Ithaca 12-gauge across campus (it was in a soft case), down the hallways and into my classroom. When it was my turn I got up and gave a speech on how to break down the Model 37 and clean it.
No one blinked. Got an A on the speech. Those were better days.
If I remember right he just got the gun as a gift and was going to show a neighbor.
Then I guess he should have been arrested, if it’s illegal to carry a loaded rifle in downtown.
Downtown, in an affluent suburb of Detroit, with a loaded rifle, to some would be considered in their face.
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