Man arrested for toting rifle.

[mpmarty]

I don't know about Alabama but in Oregon I carry my AK74 in my pickup back window, magazine inserted with thirty rounds and the chamber empty. When my fuel pump died at around nine thirty at night I started hiking home with said AK on my shoulder. Halfway there a deputy sheriff stopped along side me and asked if I needed a lift and took me home. No problem. You guys live in the wrong areas or are just too quick to jump to conclusions with limited information.

 

[JohnBT]

"This reaction, "I would call the police too", is just as much done out of fear and selfishness as what the anti-gunners to do our gun rights in general "

Fear? Pfui.

Prudence. Look up the difinition if you don't know the meaning.

Okay, I'll give you a hint: "prudence is the exercise of sound judgment in practical affairs."

John

 

[rdaines]

When it's a nice day and I go to the range, I always wondered what would happen if I cleaned my (unloaded) firearms on the back deck, in plain sight of all the neighbors. Never have gotten up the gumption to try it.

 

[hornadylnl]

JohnBT - "Yup, a witness."

This same witness would probably be the same guy to describe a handgun as a full auto glock revolver to. If this witness were a true anti, don't you think his bias would be imparted into his account of the events that took place?

 

[hornadylnl]

I can't understand why you guys are in fear of exercising your right to bear arms. You seem to care more about what the antis think than what the constitution says.

What if you were holding a sign of protest on your local courthouse lawn? Someone who doesn't agree with your point of view and calls the cops. They can't arrest you for voicing your opinion but they can arrest you for disturbing the peace. What happened to freedom of speech in this case?

I guess innocent until proven guilty only works with murderers and drug dealers. A guy who does something that isn't illegal is charged and you guys are okay with it.

 

[TEDDY]

Carrying And Fear

I used to go to machine gun shoots in Maine and NH.we stayed at motels.I did not have mg but others at end of day would set up a table out side and clean the mg right there no body cared.as to the city boys and guns I'm one took my rifle to school on bus and used the range at school.used to go to dump and kill rats.this in edge of built up area.police would come by and ask how it was going and shoot a few rats also.Malden Mass pop 60,000.not rural
it was diferant life no activists.almost all schools in usa had shooting clubs.some were church sponsered/legion/boy scouts and other groups.get a pre ww2 Rifleman mag and check junior clubs.I give this country 20 yrs before it starts to break up.
:banghead:

 

[pacodelahoya]

Teddy,if you think it has 20 years in it, I think you are very optimistic.

 

[MechAg94]

I remember a few years back the Nation of Islam did a protest in downtown Houston. They all carried rifles slung on their shoulders. It made a prominent spot on the news. I kind of wish I could have walked by and thanked them for supporting guns rights. I remember the news said the police were watching them, but they weren't doing anything illegal.

Last year there was a story in the TSRA newsletter about a personal experience of one of the writers. He was heading home from black powder shooting and left his black powder rifle in the passenger seat standing up. He stopped by Sonic to eat. Apparently someone called the cops after seeing the barrel standing up. He said the first officer showed up at his driver's window with gun pulled. It took a while before he explained that is wasn't even a weapon. Apparently the other officer there understood the law and had to explain it to the first one. Interesting story though.

 

[wjustinen]

How about violating his civil rights?

There has got to be some kind of suit this guy can file against that person.

"the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed"

 

[Ohio Rifleman]

When it's a nice day and I go to the range, I always wondered what would happen if I cleaned my (unloaded) firearms on the back deck, in plain sight of all the neighbors. Never have gotten up the gumption to try it.

That's odd, since I always clean my guns out on the front porch, in plain view of anyone walking or drivng by. Nobody's ever called the cops or anything on me. As for looks and whatnot...I couldn't tell ya. Too busy cleaning my guns to notice/care. Oh, and I don't do it there with the express purpose of "stirring the pot." I have to, since solvent fumes can get very nasty very quickly, and my mom would kill me if I got solvent on the furiniture or carpet. Though, one person called the cops on me for shooting a little 20lb bow in my yard with fiberglass arrows. I do not particularly care for this particular individual.

Anyway, please, please, please can the defeatism. I can't stand us gun owners saying how in 5, 10 or 15 years that we'll be like Britain or Australia or whatever. Well, stuff like that tends to be self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

[MechAg94]

I guess all we can do now is wait and see what happens in court. Hopefully, this guy can get a little help and get the city off his back.

 

[SVT93]

I can see someone calling the cops to check him out, but if they see that there is no laws broken and the man wasn't drunk or in anyway a danger, they should let him continue on his way.

 

[ProficientRifleman]

Jeez...gimme a break, again!

JaxNovice...

I am going to be in the minority here, but this guy was an idiot. Just because you can do something does not mean you should. Asking for trouble.

He did something you PERSONALLY think is stupid, something that YOU wouldn't do. He did nothing illegal.

Since he did nothing illegal, lets prosecute him for........SOMETHING! Quick!! Think sumpthin up! We gotta teach these simple peasants, that just because something isn't illegal, that doesn't mean we won't prosecute them whenever we feel like it!

It didn't happen to you, did it Jax (this time)?

 

[goings_51]

Right on, man. But cruise up and down in a neighborhood where you don't live and nobody knows your state of mind, with an uncased (presumably) loaded assault weapon in your hands? No, you may not be breaking any laws but don't act so surprised when you draw some unwanted attention.

When I was younger, I used to ride around the neighborhood on my bike with a BB gun., but I was always on my way to/from the entance to a 10,000 acre oilfield where I would shoot it. Even at that, the cops pulled up a time or two and spoke to me. Once they knew what I was up to, they left. I never once felt my rights were violated. I figured someone was worried about their windows or pets.

That is a little different scenereo than an assault rifle with a banana clip sticking out the bottom. When I carry a gun to/from my car, I carry it cased, or at least in a way that anyone can tell it is empty. It is just bad judgement to do this sort of thing in a modern neighborhood in a large city. Out in the sticks, OK. In a case, OK. From house to car, OK. This situation, not OK. In anycase, I would suspect the most he'll get is a fine and I think he deserves it.

If one of us had shot him with our rifle as he walked by and been charged with a crime because he wasn't an "imminate threat," this thread would be going a totally different direction right now.

 

[pacodelahoya]

Oh, I'm all for freedom, as long as it's things I like.

Sorry dude, 20 years is out of the question, I'm thinking more like 2.

 

[ctdonath]

For 20 years, in 4 different locations, I've lived within walking/biking distance of a shooting range.
Pathetic that I couldn't for concern of people calling the cops on me.
Pathetic that members of a pro-gun discussion board think this is a reasonable/acceptable situation.

 

[pacodelahoya]

If one of us had shot him with our rifle as he walked by and been charged with a crime because he wasn't an "imminate threat," this thread would be going a totally different direction right now.

Wa..wa...wa..whaaat?

I'm am hopelessly lost now.

 

[Titan6]

I guess this answers the question on weapons confiscation for no apparent reason.

 

[pacodelahoya]

...The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, unless it is skeery, or goes against the prevailing social mores.

 

[wjustinen]

trueblue1776 said

I don't pretend to understand social boundaries in other communities, so don't say is fine for G-Love to walk down my street with an AK just because no laws are broken.

Sorry, but I am going to say it. It is fine for anyone to walk down your street doing anything that is lawful. That also applies to my street and every other street in this entire world.

If you don't like the AK carrying, perhaps you should consider a residence in a location where mere possession of an AK is unlawful. I wouldn't recommend Britain though, you might feel seriously offended when one of your neighbors drives his battle tank up and down your street.

A civilian doesn't even need a special class of driving licence to do so lawfully.

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

I've walked down a very busy road with my shotgun....got turned around in a new piece of land i was hunting and had to walk a mile back to the truck. A state cop stopped and gave me a ride. that's the kind of leo that i want my tax dollars paying for.

 

[ptmmatssc]

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

Mankind is at its best when it is most free. This will be clear if we grasp the principle of liberty. We must recall that the basic principle of liberty is freedom of choice, which saying many have on their lips but few in their minds.

The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims. The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully and unawaredly enslave themselves.

I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.

Yes , I am one of those guys that likes to quote the founding fathers etc . . But they tend to say it better than I can .

If a guy was walking down the street carrying a rifle , in front of MY house , then I would be aware . Would I "call the cops" ? Good question . Was he threatening me? Should I be "preemptive" in my actions ? Are not that what the gun laws proposed all about? This guy seems to have been judged by what he could have done , rather than what he actually did .

Maybe we should call the cops whenever we see a guy with rope and duct tape walking down the street , or a prybar/crowbar and tool bag . They have to be up to no good . Either rape or robbery . I guess we need to start arresting people with those cars that can do 180 mph , people that have both bleach and ammonia in their house , people that have a lot of fertilizer , etc . . Why wait until somebody actually does something . Heck , we could have a gov agency made just to think about all the things people MIGHT do with legal objects and have them arrested .


Anyways , whatever . We are becoming what we fear . A bunch of control freaks with nothing better to do than tell others what they can/cannot do based on how we "feel" . So much for the free men we proclaim to be .

 

[alligator94]

OK its an AK!! I mean so what?? If open carry is legal there why is that even an issue?? What if he was open carrying a 1911?? Would he still have been charged? If we allow a man with a rifle to be arrested for carrying it legally are handguns next? Bottom line if the neighbors who are "scared" don't like it they can move. What happens if the next time you decide to open carry (legally) your Colt SAA, do you want it confiscated and to be charged as well? This is a very slippery slope...

 

[gyp_c2]

well...

...Ye Gods, I'm gettin' too old...I used to take rifles to school...elementary type...I'm so sick of this PC crap I could
Hell, I'd go out and talk ta' to the guy...geez...what have we turned into...

 

[Joe Demko]

1. Quoting the Founding Fathers, Jeff Cooper, or Mr. Rogers means nothing. "Appeal to Authority" it's called, i.e. so-and-so said it, so it must be right.
2. There's an awful lot of time spent on this board discussing something called "situational awareness" and an even greater amount of time spent heaping scorn upon 'the sheeple" for leading their lives in condition white and being compliant victims. No matter how much chest-thumping you do, and how many way-cool manly soundbites you compose, being out on the street with an AK in 21st century USA is out of the ordinary. Expect attention in most places. Somebody noticing an assclown on parade with his AK is practicing situational awareness, and by calling the publicly-funded police is doing something towards not being a victim.
What this really comes down to is an enjoyment, on some level, of feeling like The Persecuted Members Of The Resistance. The assclown gets to be today's posterboy, however ill-chosen he may be, because he got smacked down for acting like an assclown with a gun without quite breaking any laws.