Odd gun law
In Alabama:
It shall be unlawful for any person, other than a law enforcement officer, to have in his or her possession or on his or her person or in any vehicle any firearm while participating in or attending any demonstration being held at a public place.
So, don’t go strapped at a tea party or anti-war rally. Speaking of, I haven’t seen any anti-war rallies in the news lately. Odd, that.
Update: Rusty reminds us that in TN, if your protest is in a park, that carry in parks bill has not passed yet.
Update 2: Indeed: Sorta Like You Didn’t See Any Tea Parties While Bush Was In Office
But I haven’t really seen those in the news either.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:43 am
So you can only exercise one right at a time?? If you’re exercising your First Amendment right, then your 2nd Amendment right is to be denied?
“Speaking of, I haven’t seen any anti-war rallies in the news lately.” -SaysUncle
Yeah! What’s up with that? I suppose if your man is in office then it’s OK to spend American treasure and shed American blood for these UN/ New World Order, Congressionaly undeclared wars…while still leaving our own borders open.
Seems like the new boss is like the old boss to me.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Personally, I’m thinking about seeing exactly how many firearms I can conceal on my body at one time while at the Tampa Tea Party tomorrow. You know, to experiment on how many firearms it takes to control one’s mind.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:58 am
Yeah,Georgia has a similar law,know as the Public Gathering Clause,which basically does the same thing. However,unlike my neighbor to the west,we have a bill (HB615) to get rid of it introduced this year.
April 14th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Right in the heart of Obama country.
April 14th, 2009 at 11:11 am
No fair, Sean. San Fransisco would have an anti-war protest during the rapture.
April 14th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Mayhaps so, but on the flip side, I still doubt you’d be seeing a vast swath of Conservative protests if President McCain enacted his proposed idea to nationalize mortgages by purchasing them at the original cost, selling them back to “homeowners” at the current market value, and having Uncle Sammy eat the difference.
April 14th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Maryland has a similar law, prohibiting open carry of long guns at public gatherings.
We already have draconian rules for ‘regulated firearms’, with only a select few being allowed to conceal carry pistols. But the rules for carrying a loaded rifle or shotgun are better, and the rules for carrying an unloaded rifle or unloaded shotgun are actually reasonable.
April 14th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
The odd thing is, unless your county sheriff has imposed additional restrictions on the permits they issue, which they are legally able to do, the only other place specifically laid out in the law that you can’t carry, is a public school.
The courthouses typically have metal detectors and won’t let you in if armed, but as far as I know thats a policy position and not law.
Course thats not the only quirk about AL firearms law. Oddly enough the only way we can have an SBR or SBS is if its full auto. Full Auto, suppressors and AOWs are legal as long as you comply with the NFA but SBRs and SBSs are completely prohibited…
April 14th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
NC has the same law… most likely in place to prevent blacks from carrying during civil rights protests… wouldnt want them shooting those hard working white cops that were beating their asses…
April 14th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Actually, there was a “tea party” that the media did cover when Bush was in office.
I seem to remember the Mini-Democrats…I’m sorry, the Republicans losing control of certain parts of the government because of their inability to remain conservative. I also remember a certain presidential candidate who couldn’t garner enough support because he wasn’t much different than Teleprompter Jesus when it came to spending our money.
It’s funny how tightly the regressives have their collective panties in a wad over these protests. It’s almost like their afraid that the message might get heard and the plan to buy off people’s votes might go astray. Then, they’ll have to go back to giant paper mache puppets and drums to fill their days.
I also think the reason you didn’t see more protests like this is because, well, people like me have jobs. This will be my first protest ever because I normally do my ‘protests’ via letters to my representatives and at the voting booth. Now is the time to give a message to all who want to run in the next election that to get our votes, they’re going to have to do much more than just promise to rob Peter to pay Paul.
April 14th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
That’s because large scale anti-war protests haven’t really happened for years.
April 14th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
off topic but…
and the rules for carrying an unloaded rifle or unloaded shotgun are actually reasonable.
Those would be the laws that the plain-clothes state police enforce by staking out the rifle range and watching you download your firearms. then watching you download all your magazines (because a loaded magazine = a loaded firearm in MD). Then watching you lock up your ammo in one box and then watch you lock up your arms and the locked box in the trunk of your car or another locked box.
Then of course, the police follow you to make sure that you don’t go through the drive-thru at Burger-Fling on your way home (for the children of course)
Are we even talking about the same “free state” of Maryland?
April 14th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
There’s a party tomorrow at the federal building in Oak Ridge, off the turnpike (administration road, to be precise). It’s in the grass “park” between buildings… which, gathering clauses or not, is still federal property. I wouldn’t tempt fate or the security guards.
April 15th, 2009 at 1:05 am
Speaking of Tea Parties, did anyone catch the MSNBC hilarity?
April 15th, 2009 at 9:29 am
Being in Alabama, it sucks to have to consider going unarmed to a gathering to exercise my rights. But, alas, I will be. I can say though, that is the only state limitation on our carry permits.
April 15th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
No one will ever know I’m carrying unless I’m forced to protect myself — or someone searches me. They would need a reason to do that and I’m not giving them one.