Posted on 06/01/2007 1:26:08 PM PDT by em2vn
POST FALLS – Zach Doty typically wears a tie and dress shirt to church. But lately, a new accessory of his is raising alarm in Post Falls.
After turning 18 last month, the Post Falls teenager began strapping a loaded 9 mm Glock 19 handgun to his belt every day. He totes it in full view to Bible studies, the public library, city parks and neighborhood stores and on walks around town.
His 15-year-old brother, Stephen, has joined him, carrying a loaded Ruger .22-caliber rifle slung over his shoulder.
The brothers, who are home-schooled, say they're flexing their Second Amendment right, which allows citizens to bear arms. They say they're protecting themselves and others, deterring crime and making a statement about constitutional freedoms.
"If you don't exercise a right, eventually it will go away," Zach Doty said last week, a handgun tucked in a holster on his hip. "I'd like to raise people's awareness that it's a right, and I hope to encourage others to exercise that right."
The brothers are stirring up concern about citizen safety and gun responsibility.
Residents have alerted police and complained to the city. Police officers have stopped the boys on several occasions in the past six weeks.
And city officials say the brothers' action may lead to restrictions on carrying weapons on public property within city limits. At this time, the city doesn't have an ordinance that prohibits firearms in most public buildings.
"It obviously has created some controversy in the community. …We are fielding a significant number of calls from concerned citizens about how we're going to react to this and how we're going to ensure their safety is upheld," Post Falls City Administrator Eric Keck said. "It really is a matter of defining things very carefully and balancing maintaining one's rights and what has become the norm of society. It's something we're really going to have to examine."
It's the same Idaho today. Nobody would say squat in Pocatello. Frankly, we could use a lot fewer imports of bedwetters from surrounding states. I believe this whiner arrived from Arizona. Adopt the community norms or get the hell out.
Thank you.
All I was saying is just because you have a right....
It's perfectly legal here in Idaho. We have 15 year olds driving cars too. Far more dangerous.
Intimidate? You seem to forget that sniveling people vote. And if there are enough snivelers, open carry will be no more.
And after open carry is banned, then you can come crying on Free Republic about how ignorant those people are.
selfping
City officials will be booted out of office if they even try to infringe on the rights of citizens to carry arms in the city limits. The state attorney general will nail them hard and fast.
Must move to Idaho. I mean it seriously would take some getting use to but I like freedoms and Americana which Pennsylvania has mostly but there are parts that amaze me in the liberalism...
Good call I wondered when someone would pick up on that.
Pennsylvania is working on a bill that would have you registering every gun you own and paying a few per gun ANNUALLY. Not even Kalifornia is that fascist. Our legislature (Idaho) is made of elected citizens that are not professional politicians. They just get paid per diem for the nominal 5 weeks a year that they meet in Boise. That results in far less meddling legislation than you see in states with full time professional politicians.
Wow! Dang I thought that our state was just going purple not all out blue. Man I need to call some people on this one. Thank you for the heads up!!!!!
That said, I think they are being obnoxious and stupid. Not that it is not good to be obnoxious and stupid sometimes in the cause of liberty, but the fact is that they wanted to attract attention to themselves by their activity, and they did.
As an aside to the "guns in church" subthread, it is true that a semi-cult leader who was pastor of Berea Bible Church, a guy named RB Thieme, used to preach in full military regalia, called his parishioners "you blockheads" as though they were in bootcamp, and encouraged his followers to bring weaponry to church. I guess he is long dead, but I remember running into his followers as an undergrad a LONG LONG time ago.
These boys are the very epitome of responsibility. I hope that they become a trend. Our society has a long way to go to regain its former tolerance.
In the 1960, boys carried shotguns to church in NYC, and no one even mentioned it. Guns were a cultural norm. It is only after the decades old assault on the culture that this is even an issue.
“And city officials say the brothers’ action may lead to restrictions on carrying weapons on public property within city limits”
If you restrict your ability to use your rights based on other peoples reaction to their use, you have already lost them.
Cops here in NC will take the position that if someone calls about it, then you are "intimidating" the public with it. I would pull the same stunt as these kids just to force a case, but I don't have the time or the discretionary funds to bankroll a long and expensive lawsuit. Better just to get a cc permit and they will leave you alone. However, the city I live in (Durham) has the dubious distinction of being the ONLY city in NC that has a law REQUIRING you to register a handgun. We ignore it, of course, but it is on the books.
I’m a grandfather. I do not let my 3-1/2 year old or my 2-1/2 year old shoot at my house, period. They must shoot in the dirction away from the house.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.