Open Carry for long arms Arkansas?

[smalls]

But he didn't ask if it was a good idea. He asked in the legal forum whether it was legal or not. That's for him to decide. Hell, if he gets arrested it might make a good SCOTUS case.

And since when is exercising your rights a bad thing?

I'd better stop typing or they may take away our right to free speech, they probably don't like what I'm saying.

 

[Frank Ettin]

...And since when is exercising your rights a bad thing?...

It's not necessarily a good thing when it doesn't serve your purposes or it cause harm without at the same time providing a benefit greater than the harm caused.

..I'd better stop typing or they may take away our right to free speech, they probably don't like what I'm saying.

Being free to communicate how and what you wish, including by your speech, by your actions, or by your dress, does not mean that doing so is without social consequences. Others are also free to form opinions about you, your intentions, character, values, or beliefs based on how and what you "communicate."

How you present yourself to the world is up to you. But you can't complain when people form impressions of you or make judgments about you based on the way you do present yourself to the world.

 

[Jim K]

Hi, Smalls,

Sometimes, a principle is important enough that people are willing to violate the law, even go to prison, for what they believe in. (The civil rights "sit ins" come to mind.)

But I don't see anything in the original post or the responses to indicate that that is the situation here. The OP wrote about proving a point, not fighting for some noble principle, and you replied on the basis that he can do anything as long as it is not specifically illegal. But if you look at the laws of any state or town, you will find "catchall" laws designed and intended to arrest folks who think like that.

It is not necessary that a law be specific to be enforced. No one is going to write a law that says it is illegal to strip naked and bathe in the city fountain at high noon on July 4th, allowing such bathing at other times. The law will be about indecent exposure, or causing a disturbance, or maybe causing people to roll around laughing. So even if there is no law specifically saying you can't open carry a rifle or shotgun, that doesn't mean you can get away with doing so and flipping the bird at the cops. And no, a case like that won't get to SCOTUS. It won't get any further than a county court, if that far. But if some hotshot DA, owned and operated by Mayor Bloomberg, gets involved and goes for charges like threatening, endangering, brandishing, and so on, it could get into felony territory.

But of course, you would not be the one facing charges. You are just pretending to be Perry Mason, telling the OP that he has no worries and egging him on.

Jim

 

[razorback2003]

You see people in rural areas with long guns in gun racks of trucks, especially in deer season. You might even see people walking with one on a country road or on a four wheeler.

I would not just carry one on foot walking in a populated downtown area just to make a statement or enter businesses with one slung over your back. Though it may be legal, that would not be wise.

The 'carrying of a handgun is prohibited' sign only applies to handguns carried on a license. It does not apply to long guns or carrying handguns under other exceptions.


There was a guy here in Tenn near Nashville who walked down the street with an old cowboy gun openly in his hand and he did harm to the 2nd amendment cause and is probably part of the reason there are some legal 'no gun' signs up all over the state.

 

[smogmage]

Gotta love the whole "exercizing your rights does harm to your rights" argument.... A right is a right period.

 

[smalls]

There was a guy here in Tenn near Nashville who walked down the street with an old cowboy gun openly in his hand and he did harm to the 2nd amendment cause and is probably part of the reason there are some legal 'no gun' signs up all over the state.

This is very different. I think nothing when I see someone open carrying. Someone holding a gun walking down the street is a whole different scenario, if its in their hand I assume they're about to use it.

 

[razorback2003]

It doesn't bother me when people openly carry handguns or even if someone wanted an AR slung over the back.

The problem, especially with having a rifle slung over the back, is the average person in public does not rationalize such behavior. It is an emotional sometimes hysterical response. That is why we have the stupid laws that we have to deal with.

I would be willing to bet if the public and politicians in Arkansas found out it was legal to have a long gun on a college campus, especially after folks started walking down the street with long guns, you can bet that would be made illegal. It used to be legal to have a handgun as a weapon on a college campus if you were in your own business or other leased type property. Some politicians got wind of that about 2005 and changed that to 'save the children'.