Posted on 04/26/2013 7:05:36 AM PDT by LibWhacker
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A man who walks around his neighborhood with a rifle strapped to his back says he is not a threat to harm anyone, but some neighbors fear he is an incident of vigilante justice waiting to happen.
John Schultz, 19, also wears a bullet-proof vest, carries ammunition and has a knife in a holster as he walks through Walnut Creek, which is off Sunset Road in north Charlotte.
The gun is his grandfather’s 303 British Enfield from WWII.
His walks cause double-takes as well as safety concerns for some. Schultz says others thank him and wave at him.
He says his walks are for exercise and picking up garbage, but also for looking out for his neighbors.
"It's nothing to do with the body armor, it's the person,” Schultz said. “Yes, it just so happens to be there."
“It’s a problem and a concern,” said neighbor Vanessa Aidara.
She says the rifle scares her and scares her kids to the point they won’t play in the yard.
"He could be good without the rifle. The rifle is what scares everybody because why do you need a rifle to pick up trash, get a trash bag,” Aidara said.
Schultz says he's spotted peeping toms and potential burglars in backyards while on his walks, which include in nearby woods, but not on private property.
"I won't brandish a firearm or anything, I won't chase somebody around. I will ask them to stop,” Schultz said.
"Let the police take care of that, not you,” said Aidara.
Aidara says she called police the first time she saw Schultz walking down the street.
“I had a panic attack, didn’t know what was going on,” she said.
She fears Schultz could be an incident of vigilante justice waiting to happen, or someone could target him for violence because he is armed.
"He could get hurt,” Aidara said.
"She's not really wanted to talk to me,” Schultz said.
If she did, Schultz says Aidara would feel different.
He's from a military family, hates garbage, loves his neighborhood and says he isn't looking for a fight.
Aidara wants the rifle-strapped neighborhood walks to stop.
Schutlz’s answer is no.
Police say Schultz isn't breaking any laws because he's not pointing the gun at anyone or threatening anyone with it.
Sure. But it changed for the worse didn’t it?
Are you sure you are on the right forum?
There was nothing wrong with what this kid is doing. If anything, he’s helping.
The attitudes against people doing this kind of thing are pretty telling...
Take a look at the video. I have no problem with this guy exercising his rights...........just wouldn’t want him walking around my neighborhood. Just odd. Would you like it if this guy walked around your neighborhood wearing a knife and body armor(with no gun)? Not me.
Why? Because it is weird, and weird people sometimes do weird things, like start shooting other people for no reason. Someone with a 44 on their hip wouldn't bother me. I might stop and compare guns with him. But a weirdo dressing up and patrolling with a rifle is weird. And weirdos are weird...
Normal:
Weird:
I don’t think dead meant his post the way you read it. There’s no law against being “odd,” and this kid seems relatively upright to me.
I agree on the race thing. I was hearing their side as saying they were feeling oppressed by whitey, which is sad.
Black kid walking a neighborhood with an Enfield gets the SWAT team. White kid doing it, and it’s just another day in NC.
If open carry was legal in FL, I would do it all the time. IMO, we need to normalize this behavior across the nation in the same way that the fags are trying to normalize perversion. Our RIGHT is not perverse, but a bunch of homos marching in a parade is social acceptable?
Thing is, it only takes one instance of Ricky Rambo...the first, because if he had been Ramboing once, he wouldn’t be doing it a second time. Rarely does anyone shoot up a whole bunch of people or Rambo, multiple times.
Open carry is educational. We even do it in the state Capitol building in Michigan.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2999138/posts
Really, Norm? lol. C'mon.
If I saw a guy walking through my very suburban neighborhood in a vest with a rifle slung over is shoulder, I'd go talk to the guy. Granted, I wouldn't call the police first. But I certainly would be curious. Hell, we'd probably end up fast friends.
You can't bring yourself to acknowledge that his behavior, whether we like it or not, is outside of expected societal norms? By typical social behavior of all sorts, it is out of the norm. I can't put blinders on and scream "Constitution" every time something like this comes up.
That said, I support the guy, his rights and his reason. If it makes you feel better, I have stopped a handful of folks in my neighborhood to talk to them when things seemed out of place. I investigated. I threatened to call the police on two white guys in a van that was loitering in my neighborhood if they continued to refuse to answer my questions. I explained they fit the description of two white guys that recently broke into a neighbor's garage and we take that $hit seriously around here. Turns out, they were killing time before a carpet cleaning appointment with one of my neighbors. They had arrived early. They told me their names and the name of the neighbor (which I recognized) and the issue was solved.
I invite you to explain to me, based on the logical posting here, what qualifies me for DU membership.
Yes. I’d be fine with it. I have seen at least one NG reservist that walks are nearby park with a full pack on occasion.
I’m armed. I approve of folks exercising their Rights at EVERY occasion and in any peaceful manner they see fit.
He actually starts doing something dangerous, then come back and talk to us...
“I wonder what Mr. LaPierre has to say about people like this guy, or Mr. Heston?”
Mr. Heston would probably have told him to grow up and get a life.
My name is DC, and I approve this message. ;-)
Must be where you grew up.....a rifle slung over one’s back isn’t a problem for me, particularly a bolt action rifle.
If you want to see “odd”, try coming up to my Walmart here in North Georia....there’s some “odd” people that would give you the willies....better yet, try the “people of Walmart” sites on the web.
ALSO, again, someone please provide me a link or verification this man had ARMOR plating in that vest. From what I’ve seen and the type of utility tac vest he was wearing, it most likely didn’t have ARMOR plates. They are expensive and not real easy to get. If he was using grandpa’s 303 and not an AR/M-4 or an AK clone, he likely couldn’t have afforded the plates that go in the vests...
To the media, any rifle is an AK, any vest is ARMORED...BS.
That’s not a BPV, it’s a tac vest, if anything. Probably has Molle loops and places for a cell phone, camera, some magazines or clips for the Enfield. BPV’s are meant to sit close on the body. That’s def. a milsurp Molle vest.
Doesn’t that depend on who you are?
Even into the mid to late 80s an armed man walking the street wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow in my hometown. We even carried shotguns and rifles into the grocery store on our way out to the woods.
That's what the media myth of white racism would have you believe. If you want intimidation and lack of response, google the 2008 elections, new black panther party, philadelphia. Specious, untrue myths perpetuated by media. In cases as you suggest, let's see what happens when that happens....
Sure.
“But his behavior is out of the norm and at least worthy of investigation.”
Explain what exactly about that is closer to conservatism and the American way than it is to DU and the same hard left crap that spreads liberalism.
When EXACTLY is behaving out of the ‘Norm’ a crime or cause for investigation. An investigation I may add, by the very people wanting to strip him and YOU of your rights?
You do not see a problem with what you said here? REALLY? LOL indeed.
What if he had a towel wrapped up on his head?
I referred to the vest as being armored. I am probably wrong. Maybe it is considered a bulletproof vest but not armored.
I wonder if this guy goes for a walk every three weeks or every day. Just curious.
We used to ride our bicycles to the gravel pit with our .22’s and pellet guns. Never had a problem...
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