Crazy! http://texasgopvote.com/issues/stop-big-...pers-not-005861

The sad part is they tried to cover their azz by charging them with something else after they realized they screwed up. That ain't right.

So the guy was attempting to get arrested for something legal? I mean, he carried that particular weapon to that particular location for the lone purpose of inciting an arrest? I don't know how I feel about that.

I am all for freedom, but sprinkle in a little common sense

They knew they would get arrested and still did it. This was a stunt to prove that someone is lacking education in the law, will be interesting to see what a jury says about a handicapped veteran being arrested for carrying a black-powder revolver. What do Texas, New York, Washington D.C. and Illinois have in common? They do not allow Open Carry. California does allow it in rural areas. How about that for being on a list. Think it is a bit foolish in the end but still the part when the trooper reads the pre 1899 exemption is pretty funny. They proved a point regardless.

So is this an attempt to prove open carry in Texas, or just an attempt to prove that some officers don't know all the firearm laws? I would vote for the later, plus the desire to get their 15 seconds of fame on YouTube......

Officers can't tell a cap and ball from a center/rim fire with it in a holster. Worthy of making contact, securing, quite conversation, a call to superiors then give it back and let him go.

I don't totally approve of what they did but they 100% within their legal rights to do so.....

All of the above, infowars is the media present. Staged for the uproar no doubt. They did prove both points though.

I wonder how long it takes before a bill gets introduced to make it illegal? "Brilliance" on both sides.

I cant believe all of the idiots here that are slaming and talking trash about the guys that got illegally arrested.
Who gives a crap about the motives of the OCers. They did NOT break any laws. What they did and what they were carrying was LEGAL.
I support LEO but those Troopers were in the wrong.

Has it occurred to you that now the legislature will probably make it illegal. Many of them realize they are "targets" because they are politicians. Or did you think educating the public that it was legal would not cause the legislature to change open carry to illegal.

Gun owners are about 37% of population, now think real hard about what the other 63% thinks and may want enough to influence legislation.

Reminds me of an old saying "Mess with the Bull, get the Horn."

So what you are saying is.....we have a legal right to open carry a CAP N BALL and long guns but we should not do it, even though it is perfectly LEGAL? Now that makes all kind of sense.

The law ALLOWS it for a reason.....so we can do it. NOT so we can be scared of it.

How else do you figure we should educate the public? News paper add? That will work for sure.

Being that you (and others) think it is ridicules than what difference does it make to you if they change the law?

I typed real slow, if you don't get what I am saying, then forget it.

Because they want to be able to open carry when THEY feel it is appropriate. Because they have common sense, intelligence, and experience. If you would just do what they say, then there wouldn't be any problems.

As for the police attitude, it seems to be "I don't make the law, I just enforce it. Except when the law allows somebody to do something I personally don't like, then I simply take the law into my own hands, and create some BS charge to punish you for not obeying me, even though you are well within your rights."

Ego. Power trip. Occupying force mentality.

No issue with proving a point, but making an officer of the law look foolish is disrespectful. I don't feel right about that.

They are totally within their rights to do it, but it does not endear me to your cause. I percieve it to be machavellian.

Machiavellianism gets it done for the liberals... as for making the officer look foolish, a month ago I was back home visiting some friends who just happen to be the county Sheriff, chief deputy and a trooper. New deputy was sitting at his desk, know what he was doing? Studying the law, page for page(albeit the cliff notes version for LEOs). Not required to but felt it his duty to being doing it. Was surprised at some of what he was reading, he pulled my father-in-law aside (who is a retired GW) and was discussing something about deputy duties and authority he wasn't even aware of.

Think of it this way, if you work in your field and are embarrassed by a customer that knows something better about your field than you is that customer to blame for your ignorance or are you?

Still agree standman, not sure that is going to take me to your side, but I still think it is Concho said, for the attention and perhaps the right reason. I would stand up for them in court though.

I don't think we are on opposite sides. I don't think open carry is a bad idea. I also believe open carry is not a front burner issue for Texas. This stunt (and it was a stunt) did nothing to lead me to think otherwise.

The customer hypothetical you mentioned is a little different than what is happening on the video. This would be more like a competitor going into your store and giving an employee a pop quiz on some technical aspect of a random product (assuming you are selling as many products as officers have laws to enforce) and then telling the public you are an idiot.

"Play stupid games, win stupid prizes"

Just like kids looking for attention and wondering how far they can push it before they get a spankin...

IMHO don't have to be doing anything illegal to legally be arrested, we are all innocent till proven guilty. Legally arrested persons are found not guilty by judge and jury every day. All that is required to be detained and investigated is probably cause. It does not matter if your openly carrying a non shooting replica, cap and ball, or a real centerfire pistol. If it looks like something you can't carry legally, it I can see how it would justify probable cause.

If they carried the BP pistols for the purpose of being noticed, arrested, and detained which it sounds like they did, then disorderly conduct would be a justified citation. It is not the same as a guy walking down a country road with a rifle, not looking for trouble and minding his own business.

It really is a shame. I am for open carry, but these guys hurt our cause 10 fold. Instead of helping open carry, it draws the focus away from their cause. States can and some have created laws that regulate antiques, black powder guns, and even air rifles/pistols as firearms or deadly weapons. It is illegal to even own a blow gun in California. The protesters shot themselves in the foot on this one.

Let's examine your statement. Specifically "States can and some have created laws that regulate antiques, black powder guns, and even air rifles/pistols as firearms or deadly weapons."

You even mention California by name. We can throw New York in there, obviously. And a handful of others.

You state that you do not wish for our state to follow these others in ridiculous restrictions. Then you state that you believe open carry protesters are what will lead to our state passing ridiculous laws, such as California.

What do you base this assumption on? California and New York did not create these ridiculously ignorant regulations because of any open carry demonstrators, as far as I know. As far as I know, those states passed those regulations because the gun community took a "let's just stay under the radar and not bother anybody approach."

And you believe the solution is to take the same path of those that are now under crazy regulations? I don't get the logic there.

I am not saying that open carry demonstrations are the absolute unequivocal solution to preventing more of our 2nd amendment rights from being taken away; but I am clearly stating that flying quietly under the radar led to those states having such crazy gun laws and regulations.

You can't expect different results from doing the same thing. You gotta do something different. And open carry demonstrations are definitely different than the "flying under the radar so you don't upset anyone" types. Open carry won't guarantee that our 2nd amendment rights aren't taken away, but flying under the radar and worrying about everyone's feelings seems to guarantee that 2nd amendment rights WILL be taken. At least it has proven so in the past.

I fully support and encourage the civil disobedience. Maybe some of the more seasoned fellows need to read up on some history. Civil disobedience is most definitely a valuable tool that should be utilized. I may not be participating, but I definitely support those that do.

But abusing the law to punish someone is better than being disrespectful?

Why is disrespecting people wrong? Because it hurts people's feelings. It's rude. I do not want to hurt anyone's feelings, and I don't like it when others do.

But do I think people should be punished by law for hurting someone's feelings?

Get a grip. They did nothing illegal. The police did not care. If a police officer can not handle being disrespected, then he needs to find another job. That sucks to be made to look a fool, but it's not justification for abuse of power.


My goodness, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. People are more concerned with an officer's feelings than an officer taking the law into his own hands?

I agree with you. You don't have to convince me. There are a lot of people once on the fence that we have brought to our side as shown by what new laws in Texas have been passed. So several have obviously been brought to our side of the fence. But it is the people on the other side of the fence that you have to convince on this one.

If you live in a populated area and have some community owned land down the road that you would like the local or state govt to open up to deer hunting, but community leaders are not so sure about it. You don't bring attention to your cause by strapping a dead deer on your hood with blood running down the sides doing loops around the block honking and yelling to all your neighbors look at me, then hang it from your front yard tree to butcher it in front of all your neighbors kids. Then wash the blood off your driveway and let it run down the street past all your neighbors downhill from you. You may have a right to do it, you can tell your neighbors get over it, I'm doing nothing illegal.

But when you go to ask your community for support to have that land opened up for hunting, you will not only have some of those neighbors there speaking against it, those neighbors on the block that were on the fence that would not have cared one way or the other will turn on you. The original request will be lost in the drama. Those against you will use your deer parade protest as a debate tactic to rally your neighbors to demand regulations be passed to not allow publicly displaying, butchering deer.

It is not about being punished by law for hunting feelings. Such things may rally those that are already asking lawmakers to pass this. And the publicity may bring in much needed money donations to the non profit businesses behind the cause, but it is those that don't own guns, those on the fence, keeping those that just came off the fence to our side, and convincing those against our cause that you are not a danger to them. They are the path to bringing lawmakers to our side. Drama is not and can only hurt it.

The many different directions shown by the quick cut and paste from the various replys on this thread backs up my point.

I don't know how I feel about that, but sprinkle in a little common sense, to prove that someone is lacking education in the law, or just an attempt to prove that some officers don't know all the firearm laws? I would vote for the later, plus the desire to get their 15 seconds of fame on YouTube......, I don't totally approve of what they did, Staged for the uproar, I wonder how long it takes before a bill gets introduced to make it illegal?, but those Troopers were in the wrong, now the legislature will probably make it illegal., "Mess with the Bull, get the Horn.", Ego. Power trip. Occupying force mentality., making an officer of the law look foolish is disrespectful. I don't feel right about that., it does not endear me to your cause. I percieve it to be machavellian., This stunt (and it was a stunt) did nothing to lead me to think otherwise., "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes", Just like kids looking for attention and wondering how far they can push it before they get a spankin..., My goodness, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. People are more concerned with an officer's feelings than an officer taking the law into his own hands?

If these are the comments from a cross section of the 37% gun owning public, just imagine how far from discusson about allowing open carry the comments from the 63% non gun owning public have gone as a result of this stunt.
We need positive protests and public education for open carry, not drama and stunts.