Free Republic

Ron Gibson carries a semi-automatic pistol on his hip for anyone to see, and insists he's not out to intimidate. When he goes to bed, the .45 caliber firearm is nearby and loaded. "Just because I'm carrying a gun, I shouldn't be viewed as a threat. I don't bring any attention to it whatsoever," he said. Gibson is among about three dozen members of a gun rights group who will "pack" a picnic with their families Saturday afternoon in Warren. They are part of a growing movement of advocates promoting the Second Amendment and the open carrying of handguns. The...

A man was arrested for carrying a gun in the open in the moments leading up to the Coast Guard Festival's fireworks display Saturday night. The man was carrying a Glock 40 handgun in a holster at his side in downtown Grand Haven, said Lt. Mark Reiss of the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety. The man was disarmed by the officers, arrested on a misdemeanor, issued a 90-day appearance ticket and allowed to leave, Reiss said. His weapon was also confiscated by police. While Michigan law allows carrying concealed weapons with a permit, Grand Haven has a local ordinance...

More than fourty civil rights activists openly carried guns in down town Hastings today to demonstrate their right to bear arms. Michigan is one of 44 states where citizens have maintained their right to carry guns openly. Six states have repressed the right during the long years of suppression of the 2nd amendment by the MSM and "Progressive" judges. Even the Brady Bunch acknowledges that carring arms openly is a right. A spokesman for the Brady campaign, Peter Hamm, said that they have the right to carry openly, but called the freedom fighters "childish". The movement to openly display the...

Imagine walking down the street and next to someone with a gun strapped to their hip. It's an image a group of Texans are hoping to turn into reality and they're gaining support by the thousands every day. KVUE's Jessica Vess reports 07/24/2008 “This is a basic right,” said former state Legislator, Suzanna Hupp. In Texas you can fire a gun, you can buy a gun, and you can walk around with a gun, but only if you have a concealed carry permit and the gun is out of sight. “I feel safer. My home should it be breached, I...

Most of you will remember a few years ago when I blogged about the story of Mark Edward Marchiafava, who was unlawfully detained, had his property confiscated and was subsequently told that his right to keep and bear arms was little more than a privilege subject to the interpretation of the Gonzales, La. police, despite what the Supreme Court or the laws of Louisiana say. Many of you will also remember a blurb by Say Uncle a few days ago that gave a small preview of the fact that Mark's case has finally been settled - AFTER MORE THAN TWO...

Brian Ballenger, law director for Northwood, followed through on his promise to contact us this week to continue working to resolve the Northwood Incident. In a phone call with me yesterday, he again confirmed that his office is aware that open carry is legal, and that he has communicated that information to the Northwood Police Chief. Ballenger also reiterated that no charges were going to be filed against OFCC member Edwin Farbrother, an obvious fact since he broke no law. However, he repeatedly stated that he advises against open carry to avoid panicking citizens who may not be aware that...

BOISE - A group of Treasure Valley residents brought their hand guns to Zoo Boise, wearing their Second Amendment rights on their belt straps for all to see. About a dozen gun owners took advantage of Idaho's open carry laws which allow them to carry guns in public as long as they are in plain view and remain holstered. "I don't know that we're trying to make a statement," says Eric Bauer, who came to the zoo with his wife, three kids, and gun on his belt. "Maybe if anything we're trying to educate the public as to what they're...

I know VCDL doesn't specifically encourage or discourage open carrying...and i agree with that policy; it's a personal choice...and we are pro-choice. I, personally, open carry in the summer almost daily. It's just more convenient and comfortable than concealing when wearing shorts and a T-shirt. I was going to relate this story the other day, but got sidetracked and never got it put up. A post and subsequent conversation with an Ohio blogger regarding that state's fledgling open carry movement brought it to the forefront of my mind again. Last week, I was shopping for a birthday gift for my...

An online petition for residents to carry handguns in plain sight in Texas had obtained more than 20,000 signatures last week. The petition will be submitted to Gov. Rick Perry and the Texas Legislature sometime in the future. According to the petition, Texas is one of only six states in the U.S. that ban the use of publicly displayed handguns – also known as "open-carry" handguns. Ten states – Arizona, Alaska, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, Virginia, Vermont and Wyoming – allow residents to openly carry a handgun without a license, the petition stated, including those states as...

Five open carry activists in Pennsylvania have filed two separate federal civil rights lawsuits against Dickson City police Officers Anthony Mariano and Karen Gallagher, and Chief William Stadnitski in the aftermath of a May 9 incident in which the plaintiffs were confronted and detained even though they had broken no laws. Gun Week first reported the incident in the June 15 edition. The first complaint, filed in US District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, alleges that Gallagher and Mariano "illegally threatened, harassed, detained and/or accosted" plaintiffs Richard and Judy Banks, Roger McCarren and Larry Meyer while they were...

And now a fifth person has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Borough of Dickson City and members of the Dickson City Police Department over the “Dickson Dozen” incident. The plaintiff, Edward Kraft, Jr., of Clifford PA, seeks compensatory and punitive damages as a result of civil rights violations suffered during the police response to a call about a group of people peaceably eating dinner, some of whom were openly carrying holstered handguns. Kraft's action, filed in United States Federal District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, follows a similar lawsuit filed by four other patrons on...

Yet another Ohioans For Concealed Carry member experienced harassment from police ignorant of the laws in Ohio regarding open carry. OFCC member Edwin Farbrother took his eighteen-year-old daughter out for ice cream on her birthday in the evening of Saturday, July 5th, 2008 in the City of Northwood. After being there for approximately ten minutes, a police car roared up and skidded to a stop. The officer approached a man later identified as an off duty police officer (department unknown at this time) who pointed Farbrother out to him. Farbrother knew immediately that the officer was there because he was...

I knew gun lovers wouldn't like my Sunday column. No matter how reasonable and even-handed I tried to be (I acknowledged firing guns myself and conceded on concealed weapons, for goodness' sake), I know that people are irrational about their Glocks. So I expected hate mail. But when some helpful Second Amendment literalist posted my column at www.freerepublic.com, my e-mail box filled up - and The Salt Lake Tribune's Web hits took off. I'm still being chastised. Many calmly offered their interpretations of the right to bear arms. They repeatedly compared the Second Amendment to the First, reminding me of...

If Duane Suddeth had his way, he could strap on a handgun and wear it — anytime, anywhere — without concealing it.That day has not come in Texas, but the 42-year-old Bedford man is among thousands hoping it is on its way."This is the public’s right," Suddeth said. "Whether they choose to exercise that or not is up to them."Texas, despite its independence and frontier reputation, is one of only six states where handguns cannot — in some form — legally be worn in plain view.Suddeth is among a group of residents wanting to change that who have joined a...

My 20-month-old nephew loves Elmo and Dora. He also has started making explosion and gunfire noises.     I get the inevitability of little boys' fascination with guns.     What I can't figure out are the men and sometimes women who don't grow out of the gun-crazy stage of childhood, who need to have a handgun on their hips at all times, who need their neighbors to notice.     Ten of them stormed the West Valley City Council meeting last week to back up Travis Deveraux, a 36-year-old credit card company worker, who was detained by police in December while exercising...

WEST VALLEY CITY - With his Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic holstered on his right hip, Travis Deveraux addressed the mayor and City Council on Tuesday. Deveraux says he has been harassed by West Valley City police for carrying that gun and treated like a criminal. "A criminal does not want [police] attention, and they will not openly carry a gun," Deveraux said. With 10 other gun-toting civilians - who came from as far as Bountiful, Santaquin and Lehi - to support him, Deveraux told the council that their police department has consistently overreacted to his gun carrying. And in...

IMAGINE A child barely tall enough to reach the top drawer of the bedroom dresser. Imagine the child on tip-toes opening the drawer because the forbidden object is hidden there. The naughty thrill of reaching under the socks, the shock of actually touching the thing, finding it cold, as if on ice. Such is my memory of furtive encounters with my father's handgun. At the time, Dad was an FBI agent. Where he stowed his weapon when off-duty was absolutely out-of-bounds, which defined its appeal. Invading that drawer is my first remembered act of disobedience. Even at age 4, I...

While Seattle worries about concealed weapons, a new fad in the West is to pack and carry you pistol for all to see...

PROVO, UTAH -- For years, Kevin Jensen carried a pistol everywhere he went, tucked in a shoulder holster beneath his clothes. In hot weather the holster was almost unbearable. Pressed against Jensen's skin, the firearm was heavy and uncomfortable. Hiding the weapon made him feel like a criminal. Then one evening he stumbled across a site that urged gun owners to do something revolutionary: Carry your gun openly for the world to see as you go about your business. .....

Packing In Public: Gun Owners Tired Of Hiding Their Weapons Embrace 'Open Carry' Those who wear their guns in full sight are part of a fledgling movement to make a firearm a common accessory. By Nicholas Riccardi Los Angeles Times Staff Writer PROVO, UTAH — For years, Kevin Jensen carried a pistol everywhere he went, tucked in a shoulder holster beneath his clothes. In hot weather the holster was almost unbearable. Pressed against Jensen's skin, the firearm was heavy and uncomfortable. Hiding the weapon made him feel like a criminal. Then one evening he stumbled across a site that urged...

DICKSON CITY — A Friday evening police incident spilled over into a Borough Council meeting Tuesday, with gun-rights advocates alleging harassment by two police officers. The regular monthly meeting erupted into a full-blown debate on the Second Amendment, with more than 20 Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association members — many of whom were openly armed — arguing their right to carry a weapon in public. Police have yet to release a report of the incident in which a group of customers at Old Country Buffet were questioned about openly carrying handguns in public. At least one of those customers, Rich Banks,...

The patrons at Champps in Reston, an upscale restaurant and bar chain, were eating ribs and drinking beer on a recent Saturday when customer Bruce Jackson stood up and made an announcement: He was armed, and so were dozens of other patrons. The armed customers stood up in unison, showing off holstered pistols. Mr. Jackson said a word or two about the rights of gun owners to carry firearms in Virginia, then thanked everyone for his or her attention and sat down. And the diners returned to their burgers and Budweisers. The Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) organized the dinner...

Openly carrying gun not a crime Sunday, March 30, 2008 3:43 AM By Bill Bush THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH In the political tussle over Ohio's concealed-carry gun law, one fact seems to have been overlooked by many: You never needed a permit to carry a gun in public, and you still don't --- you just can't conceal it. As long as you haven't been convicted of a felony, if you want to wear a pistol on your belt or walk around town carrying a shotgun, Ohio has no law against it. But if you do, don't be surprised if you get...

LAYTON - Among the things that make Utah a special place are its gun laws. Love 'em or hate 'em, they often make living, working and even dining in the state a visceral experience, hearkening back to the heady days of Deadwood and Dodge City. Most Utahns are aware their state issues an easily obtained concealed-weapon permit. By passing a background check and basic course in gun safety, anyone over 21 can qualify to carry an undercover gun. But in how many places, outside parts of Africa and the Middle East, can you legally stroll down the street with a...

More than 50 gun rights advocates protested police conduct during an incident at a city restaurant with some calling for the firing of several of the officers involved at Monday night's Manassas City Council meeting. The public outcry comes two weeks after Springfield-resident Russ Troxel filed a complaint against the police department about an incident involving him and six friends who were openly carrying their weapons while dining at Tony's New York Pizza on Mathis Avenue on the evening of Jan. 13. A second complaint was filed Friday by Fairfax resident Mark Anderson who states that among other things the...

Welcome to the Texas Citizens Defense League Supporters of the Political Initiative for Open Carry of Handguns in Texas Dear Fellow Texans, Did you know that there are 43 states in the union that permit Open Carry of firearms? 11 of these states are known as “Gold Star” states where, with few restrictions, law abiding citizens may exercise their 2Amendment Constitutional Right, and openly carry on their person and in their vehicle a loaded side arm for personal protection. 11 other states have Open Carry laws that allow their citizens to carry their handguns openly with a permit, and the...

Many gun owners fear that Ohio's open carry requirements in a car are going to get someone killed one day. Just last week, another incident played out that demonstrates just how dangerous the mindset of "man with a gun equals criminal" could be for law abiding gun owners. Recently, a concealed handgun license holder was pulled over in Oregon, Ohio (near Toledo) after leaving a gas station. He was ordered out of his vehicle by police conducting a "felony traffic stop", eventually had to crawl out of his window (his doors were locked and he was ordered to keep his...

This is Memorial Day and this is Wisconsin and if there's one thing you ought to be able to do on Memorial Day in Wisconsin it's go to the park, pull out the Frisbee and the German potato salad and have a beer. Except that, in lots of places around here, an area built on the shoulders of brewery workers, not to mention the gullets of the rest of us, you aren't supposed to have a beer unless you get permission from your government. This is a sad and sober fact. In Waukesha County, Racine County and Milwaukee County parks,...

The Table of Contents can serve as an OUTLINE for the NRA to pursue real gun rights, the right of open carry nationwide. License to possess a handgun is, at beast, debatable. But there should not be a license for concealed carry or for open carry. PERIOD! Open carry nationwide in intrastate and interstate travel is absolutely the constitutional norm. This fact is not subject to debate nor interpretation. The problem arises with transient social and legal norms. My lawsuit addresses these points. I have pissed off the NRA, the Second Amendment Foundation, KeepAndBearArms.com and many other people who are...

Tonight the Militia, Police and Public Safety subcommittee heard several gun bills and here are the results: HB 162, Delegate Lingamfelter, allows a person to have a firearm locked in their vehicle in private parking lots. The bill was amended to exempt vehicles owned by a company or parking lots that had gates and/or guards that limited public access. I spoke in favor of the bill. The bill PASSED out of subcommittee and is now on its way to the full committee! Whaa Hooo! HB 705, Delegate Hogan, a bill to take away the ability of a county to regulate...

A Henrico County resident brought more than complaints about rising real estate taxes to a recent budget public hearing. To the surprise of some in the audience, the speaker was also carrying a gun. "I was beyond appall by the presentation of an armed citizen," Bob Atack, a local developer who attended the April 12 hearing, wrote in a letter to County Manager Virgil R. Hazelett. "As I observed his behavior from the podium, almost within arm's reach [of] the most important elected officials and senior management of our county, it caused me to tremble." Snip…

As the gaggle of gun enthusiasts with their assorted handguns sitting openly on their hips dined on hamburgers and chicken tenders at the Fuddruckers restaurant in Annandale, Victor Castellon's eyes grew wide with concern. "I've got to be careful with these guys because they've got guns," he said, sitting at a nearby table with his girlfriend. "It's like the old West." Castellon was observing members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, an organization that believes gun owners have the right to carry their guns anywhere — including restaurants like Fuddruckers that serve alcohol. Under Virginia law, carrying a concealed firearm...

Va. Group Openly Carries Guns in Its Effort to Change Laws RICHMOND -- Philip Van Cleave, a slight, balding, 52-year-old computer programmer, chose beige corduroys to wear this morning, a blue tie and a white shirt with thin blue strips. And a gun to match the outfit. Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, always carries a gun because you never know when you'll need it. But which one to carry and how can be complicated, he said, much like the choice a woman faces in accessorizing her outfit with the right shoes. Today, he picked a compact...

"I will accept the fact that those carrying guns into the meeting were polite, non-threatening, and even pretty good citizens for the most part. But in the very act of carrying guns into a hearing on a policy issue that they oppose they were “acting like thugs,” at least where I come from (South Louisiana). It is a simple truth, and I certainly will not apologize for that." See link for the rest of the article....

In a strongly-worded letter citing the appearance of three dozen armed protesters at the Falls Church City Council meeting last month, Rep. Jim Moran Tuesday urged the leadership of the Virginia legislature to "allow localities to protect the well-being of their constituents."

The latest in a series of anti-gun screeds by the Falls Church News Press: Our Man in Arlington By Richard Barton This is supposed to be a column about Arlington, though at times I have written about other places, such as our vacation destinations and an occasional foray into Richmond topics. This time, however, it was an event in Falls Church that aroused my interest, and then my ire. As reported in this newspaper last week, about three-dozen pro-gun advocates graced the Falls Church City Council with their presence, most of them packing their pieces on their hips. That means...

It seemed simple enough. Falls Church officials recently drafted a policy that would require city workers to call 911 immediately if anyone stepped onto city property carrying a gun. Police who responded would check to see if the gun was properly licensed and report their findings to city officials. ............snip.................. About 30 people, pistols strapped to their hips, strode into the council's meeting this week protesting the policy and warning that it violates their constitutional right to bear arms -- and possibly state laws, as well.

Ever since July 1 - when yet another gun-lovers' law loosened up Virginia's already lax governance of weapons - it's been one big macho-fest for heat-packers who get their courage from strapping on pistols. Not every diner may relish the sight of six armed men at the next table, but unless the General Assembly comes to its senses next year, families out for a gathering will have to get used to pistols and ammo belts with their burgers and fries. Residents have been spotted around Fairfax County, Va., several times in recent weeks exercising their new right to wear arms....

This is the transcript for the 911 call that was made back on March 27 that precipitated my rousting by the Manchester PD for failing to conceal my handgun: Transcript of 911 call: MANCHESTER PD 911: [indistinct] Emergency.CELLULAR 911: 91, Agent 134, cell caller on the line reporting a suspicious person carrying a handgun, Manchester, on South Willow inside the Barnes & Noble.MPD: Inside Barnes & Noble?CELL: Mm-hmm.MPD: Okay.CELL:  Caller is on the line.MPD: Hello, caller, are you there?FEMALE CALLER: Yes, I am.MPD: What’s going on?CALLER: I was just in the barnes and noble on South Willow Street,MPD: Yep...CALLER: ...and...

The Washington Times www.washingtontimes.com Arrests for guns rallying rivalsBy Christina BellantoniTHE WASHINGTON TIMESPublished August 3, 2004 The erroneous arrest of two college students who were legally carrying guns in holsters in Fairfax County has galvanized Virginia's pro-gun lobby and gun-control activists.     The Virginia Citizens Defense League, a pro-gun group, said it has drawn more than $600 in unsolicited donations, including $5 from a Marine lieutenant serving in Iraq, in response to the June 14 arrest.     "The incident at Starbucks sent off fireworks everywhere," said Philip Van Cleave, president of Virginia Citizens Defense League. "That changed everything. The police went...

Those Open Arms Wednesday, July 28, 2004; Page A18 EVER SINCE July 1 -- when yet another gun-lovers' law loosened up Virginia's already lax governance of weapons -- it's been one big macho-fest for heat-packers who get their courage from strapping on pistols. Not every diner may relish the sight of six armed men at the next table, but unless the General Assembly comes to its senses next year, families out for a gathering will have to get used to pistols and ammo belts with their burgers and fries. .....

EVER SINCE July 1 -- when yet another gun-lovers' law loosened up Virginia's already lax governance of weapons -- it's been one big macho-fest for heat-packers who get their courage from strapping on pistols. Not every diner may relish the sight of six armed men at the next table, but unless the General Assembly comes to its senses next year, families out for a gathering will have to get used to pistols and ammo belts with their burgers and fries. As reported by The Post's Tom Jackman, residents have been spotted around Fairfax County several times in the past six...

As horrifying as it is to contemplate, the next gunfight may not be at the O-K Corral; it might be in our own community. Shock and dismay are the emotions most often expressed at recent events either seen or read about in Reston of people walking our streets and dining in our restaurants with pistols on their hips. And it is perfectly legal. In many of my columns I have talked about a rightward tilt of the Virginia General Assembly. In no area is that tilt to ultra-conservatism more evident than with gun control. The minimal laws that existed in...

Police commanders have since issued a reminder to officers that "open carry" is the law of the land in the Old Dominion. In Virginia, as in many states, carrying a concealed weapon requires a permit, issued by a local court. But no permit is required to simply wield a gun in the open, a right reinforced by a state law that took effect July 1

Virginians who exercise their right to carry guns in public have been criticized -- even ridiculed -- in recent days by critics on the both sides of the Potomac. But many gun rights advocates, state lawmakers and residents point out that it's much safer to shop, drive or walk along a street in Virginia than in the District, where handguns are banned and police just declared a "crime emergency." ... Virginia state Sen. Janet D. Howell says she was surprised when a D.C. resident sent her an e-mail saying he won't be crossing the Potomac into Virginia anymore because of...

Virginians who exercise their right to carry guns in public have been criticized — even ridiculed — in recent days by critics on the both sides of the Potomac. But many gun rights advocates, state lawmakers and residents point out that it's much safer to shop, drive or walk along a street in Virginia than in the District, where handguns are banned and police just declared a "crime emergency." "Criminals don't want to come up against somebody who is willing to protect themselves," said Philip Van Cleave, president of the gun rights group Virginia Citizens Defense League. Mr. Van Cleave...

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) - Carrying a weapon in public is legal in Virginia, but it's also upsetting to some. One restaurant chain owner had employees at his four northern Virginia shops post signs last week prohibiting firearms and declaring themselves a "safe zone." Kevin M. Tracy, director of operations for The Bungalow, said the restaurants banned gun-toting customers in March after a man with a firearm strapped to his hip sat down in its Franconia restaurant and ordered a drink. The man properly asserted that Virginia law allows him to openly carry his weapon. But Tracy thinks guns, with the...

<p>On July 2, Fairfax County police received a 911 call from a Champps restaurant in Reston. Six men are seated at a table, the caller said. They're all armed.</p> <p>Dispatchers quickly sent four officers to the scene. The officers were "extremely polite" and were hoping that some of the men were in law enforcement, said Sgt. Richard Perez, a spokesman for the police department. None was.</p>

The Washington Post published two fairly well balanced articles on open carry in Virginia the last two days.July 14, 2004 ArticleJuly 15, 2004 Article

'Exercising Right' Called 'Unreasonable' by Some On July 2, Fairfax County police received a 911 call from a Champps restaurant in Reston. Six men are seated at a table, the caller said. They're all armed. Dispatchers quickly sent four officers to the scene. The officers were "extremely polite" and were hoping that some of the men were in law enforcement, said Sgt. Richard Perez, a spokesman for the police department. None was. The men told the officers "they were just exercising their rights as citizens of the commonwealth," Perez said. Turns out, packing a pistol in public is perfectly legal...