Are You Kidding Me?? (OC)

[theGinsue]

I chose to leave because the town had nothing that compelling me to stay and I didn't care to remove the gun. BUT I also realized that my carrying was creating a disturbance. Enough of that is a violation of the law. I liked the idea of open carrying and I was conscious of the fact that I was exercising my rights. I did not like the idea that by exercising my rights I was creating a problem and making othersuncomfortable with my presence. Had I had a reason to want to stay in Crested Butte a little longer, I would have quietly done as I was asked and secured the gun in my truck. Given the circumstances, it would have been the right thing to do.

[Colorado Luckydog]

Good lord....here we go again....the damn cops infringing on our rights!

Here's the deal slappy....someone called the cops on him because they were afraid that he had a weapon..happens all the time. The cop talked to him and asked him to put it in his vehicle as to not scare anymore people. It's a reasonable request. But keep up with the voice recorders trying to catch us dirty cops....you'll quickly turn into yet another douche bag I have to deal with on a daily basis.

On a side note....I would encourage you to open carry in Denver. I'd love to read about it in the paper.

It's not a reasonable request to infringe on our constitutional rights. If you are a cop and you think you have the right to ask me to put my constitutional rights in the car then your days are numbered. He has the right to have that weapon! Not you are any other cop has the right to take it away from him. It's going to change in Denver soon also. Denver will be contested again in court very soon and they will lose. I'm glad all cops aren't as dumb as you! Most of themn are good guys.

[theGinsue]

These are supposed to be friendly discussions where we are encouraged to express different viewpoints.

PLEASE, lets not go the personal attack route! PLEASE!

[Colorado Luckydog]

These are supposed to be friendly discussions where we are encouraged to express different viewpoints.

PLEASE, lets not go the personal attack route! PLEASE!

Your right, I let him get under my skin with the name calling. However I did send him a pm and told him what I think.

This country has some very basic rights and guidlines( The Constitution) that have kept us great for a lot of years. There are those that would take these rights and change those guidelines. Then there are those that will die to protect them. I am of the latter.

[ryanek9freak]

Now don't get me wrong....I'm very pro 2nd amendment....but unlike some, I don't have a hard on for open carry.

No offense Mike, but if that's how you feel, then why don't you try concealing your duty weapon and see how far that gets you.

I bet a criminal would see you as a MUCH easier target if they didn't see a weapon on you. Most of the Springs officers I have dealt with are suprisingly supportive of my decision to open carry. I've only been questioned one time, and they were very professional about it.

[Chief_of_Scouts]

....someone called the cops on him because they were afraid that he had a weapon..happens all the time. The cop talked to him and asked him to put it in his vehicle as to not scare anymore people. It's a reasonable request.

No, it is not. In fact it is completely unreasonable and as a citizen, I interpret it as an unlawful request. If the person open carrying is not handling the gun, brandishing or menacing, then the person "afraid" is making a false claim. With the exception of Denver, OC is legal in Colorado, plain and simple. (check local laws for applicable local ordinance)

On a side note....I would encourage you to open carry in Denver. I'd love to read about it in the paper.

Is that your professional legal advice?

I guess I need to start open carrying now.

[Jumpstart]

I don't close or open carry, but either way if I want to, that should be my option as per the 2nd. I don't think I need to be paperworked to conceal carry either. All this does is compromise law abiding citizens and their privacy (the 4th Amendment) IMHO.

[68Charger]

I believe the overall goal of the open carry movement is to change public perception of an armed citizen...

why is it that people don't freak out when they see an armed Police officer, but panic & call one when they see someone dressed in normal attire that's armed?

They're well within their rights, they have no ill intent- but it scares some people.... which is what the open carry movement is trying to change... it would take time, but if it was common, and every time somebody called the police they were told "he's not doing anything illegal, and he has a right to arm himself" rather than dispatching an officer to harass him (if they don't have cause to believe he's a danger, then yes, I think it's harassment), then eventually they would all learn we're not going to accept their behavior of panic, and they've just to go learn to deal with it..

it's a culture change that has to occur- and in some places (as mentioned in this thread) the culture already accepts it... if someone is told it's not illegal, and that we WON'T ask him to put it away, and if you continue to place these complaint calls without cause, you'll be ticketed for false reporting (or other appropriate charge for harassing the police dept)

[Irving]

I didn't read MOST of the posts in this thread, so excuse me if someone beat me to this.

I always get such a laugh out of people saying that someone open carrying would get "taken out" first. What a joke. Anyone who believes that watches too many movies. No one robbing a liquor store wants to shoot anyone. They use a gun because it gives them a force advantage over someone who is unarmed. They don't want to use the gun in most cases, and rely on the unarmed person not realizing that. People robbing places with guns aren't any more aware than the sheep inside. If they see someone inside with a gun, then they'll just move on, the same that they would if they saw a uniformed cop standing in there. I promise you that no one is running into a busy grocery store with a gun, and scanning a crowd, looking at everyone's hips to see if they might be carrying. It's such a stupid comment to make that it is embarrassing.

[CareyH]

I have not carried open for a few years now, but when I did I never had anyone call the cops on me or freak out because I had a GUN!!! like Ryan said it went unnoticed pretty much all the time, and its not like you could easily miss a Springfield 1911 TRP Operator. If an officer told me to put it in the car I would laugh and request he call his SGT out, at which point his SGT would explain to him THE CONSTATUTION!! I have more than one cop in my family so I am not cop bashing.

I got pulled over a few years ago and the officer asked to see my ID, I opened my wallet and when I pulled out my ID he saw my CCW permit, at which point he asked me if I was carrying. when I replied no he looked puzzled and said " why the hell not?"
what a cool cop.