Civil Obedience
Well, it’s not disobedience if they’re not breaking the law:
Zach Doty is raising eyebrows by taking the Second Amendment for a walk.
Doty, who turned 18 last month, has been stopped by police twice in the past month after citizens spotted him with a loaded 9mm Glock pistol in a hip holster in plain view.
No citations were issued because Idaho code allows residents 18 and older to openly carry a firearm in public. To carry a concealed weapon, you must be 21 and have a permit.
The second time officers checked out Zach — on Sunday at Poleline and Greensferry — his 15-year-old brother, Steven, was carrying a .22-caliber rifle in a sling on his back. Again, there was no wrongdoing because teens 13 to 17, with parental permission, are allowed by Idaho law to carry a rifle.
The home-schooled brothers said they intend to continue to openly carry guns in public on a regular basis for self defense — both as a crime deterrent and to educate others that it’s the public’s right.
“I certainly don’t anticipate that I’ll need to use it, but I’d rather have it and not need it than to not have it and need it,” Zach said. “There’s no reason for me to hide a weapon.”
It ends with: I’m just trying to exercise a right that I have no reason to hide
May 25th, 2007 at 10:06 am
Ahh, hope for the future.
May 25th, 2007 at 10:32 am
I think where this is legal, firearm owners ought to be out in big numbers walking with firearms.
In my opinion, we ought to be protesting more and throwing our weight around.
May 25th, 2007 at 10:34 am
And I belatedly noticed these guys are homeschooled. They probably don’t advocate this at the local public school, where the Bill of Rights isn’t taught.
Go, Guys!
Here’s hoping these guys get offers from the Idaho Junior Highpower Rifle Team. Just our kind of folks!
May 25th, 2007 at 10:42 am
Think of it like saddle-breaking a horse if you will. You wouldn’t just toss all the gear on an unbroken horse and then hop on, because the horse isn’t used to the saddle or the weight of a rider yet. Similarly, if we actually want to exercise open carry again (something that I fervently hope for) on a nationwide basis, we need to start easy with these people.