2 guys with ARs in Portland

[ZA_Survivalist]

I don't know. Is it educating the masses? What message is it sending? I think if we're honest, the message that you send by walking the streets open carrying an AR15 is that gun owners are nuts. Not the message I want to be sending.

But thats the stance (your above mentioned) we've been taking thus far and look where its got us..
All too often us gun owners are told to hide our tails between our legs and speak softly.
I for one have grown tired of that mentality. I very much enjoy and support those of us who open carry and help educate the ignorant. How else will they learn? It's not like they (the masses) were ever going to take the time to look up and appreciate their second amendment rights as well as state and fed law. As long as they aren't breaking any laws and they can at least spead the word to at least one person, whats the harm?

We (firearm enthusiasts) let ourselves become demonized and neutered by the media and politicians, so much so that our passions come off as a secret shame of sorts. Now more than ever we need a backbone, enthusiasm and a strong voice to step up and not let them push us around any longer. Advocates everywhere need to do their part. Just writing in here and there or perhaps sending in a few bucks does help, but we need all the help we can get.

Now I understand that these OCs can be a double edged sword because it could all backfire if situations got hot or if ridiculous unconstitutional city ordinances were broken thus only harming our cause.. But I see a lot more educated folks out there spreading the word while OCing and I think it's great.

 

[hermannr]

For God sake, this is the kind of stunt that irritates me with some in the OC crowd. There is a time and place for everything. Carrying an AR or any "Assault Rifle" in public, at this point in time, just because you can is just asinine. People are on edge right now given the senseless murders carried out recently by cowards with AR-15's and other firearms. I'm sure not one person that is anti-gun had the urge to approach them and ask questions.

I would also like to add, when 911 gets flooded with calls about a man with a gun, people with real emergencies will have to wait as the dispatcher and the first responders are tied up dealing with the current non-emergence calls.

Lefty.

The 911 operators and the police need to be EDUCATED too. I have OC'd both a Colt 6" revolver and a CZ85 in portland, and generated no calls to 911. I guess old gray haired pfardts with wife do not raise concern, but an AR or AK...causing calls...that is great. 911 operators, and the police do not (legally) need to respond to MWAG calls any more than if someone called and said there is someone walking down the street with their shirt off.

Reminds me of an overheard call, Mount Vernon DMV...cell phone caller: "there is a man with a gun here at the DMV. Silence...caller..no he is not doing anything with it, yes it is in a holster...silence....BUT HE HAS A GUN!.....silence....Oh, ok, good bye. you fill in the blanks...the cops never showed up, the calller never had the balls to actually say anything to the person carrying... BTw: I OC all the time, even though I have a CPL.

 

[lucifermonkey]

The statement needs to be made.
Look, two men armed with AR15 rifles walking in public and no one was killed.

The more that the common public (ie. not familiar with guns) see guns in the hands of good guys, the less fear and negativity that will be associated with it. We have to show that not every person with a gun in their hand is looking to go on a rampage. I think this action was a step in the right direction.

 

[MountainBear]

I am still torn on this topic. Honestly, I don't know if I think this was a great showing of two US Citizens exercising their God given rights or two people who chose a poor time to do this. Because I am not sure, I will not pass judgement.

 

[hermannr]

I don't know. Is it educating the masses? What message is it sending? I think if we're honest, the message that you send by walking the streets open carrying an AR15 is that gun owners are nuts. Not the message I want to be sending.

No, the message is, someone with an AR or an AK strapped across their body is not automatically a bad guy, Owning and carry of a firearm is a legal activity...you do not go hide your bathing suit do you? (then mabe YOU do). If some idot does not like you to dress the way you do, do you change your clothes?

I am proud to be a gun owner. I am proud that I live in a FREE country and a FREE state. I OC ALL the time...and guess what...my carry has never threatened ANYONE! Well, maybe I sould modify this last statement...it di it's job once in the last 42+ years... one guy that was going to "beat me to a pulp" (I do not know why), changed his mind when he saw I was armed,,,,and my carry never left it's holster. That is the way it is supposed to work.

 

[speeddemon94]

What it comes down to for me it this: Time and place. Have I got a problem with people OCing in Down town PDX? Nope. Now doing so in a town that has tried so hard to outlay and vilify those who own guns, after a rash of incidents...Maybe not with AR's. Pamphlets, literature, and talking to people? You bet. Gaining attention of the media, and showing that we all don't fly off the handle like rabid dogs, awesome.

It all comes down to power in numbers and being heard. If you cause the police to be called, then the folks who called the police in the first place think they've won. It largely defeats the purpose. We need to look and sound like the rational humans we are. They hate it when they cant make us mad.

 

[GreginWA]

I am still torn on this topic. Honestly, I don't know if I think this was a great showing of two US Citizens exercising their God given rights or two people who chose a poor time to do this. Because I am not sure, I will not pass judgement.

Exactly my thoughts, intimidating for attention is not education.

I dont want your ideas forced onto me, so I dont intimidate and force my views onto other. Open Carry in this current climate is a bad idea... ASSAULT RIFLE??? Are you kidding?? *golf clap* Im very impressed... NOT.. Out in the woods? In small towns? Yes. You dont see gay people going to red neck areas, and making out to prove a point.... If that makes sense, or you can go off topic. Nor do you see people openly smoking weed. You still need some discrepancy, even if its legal.

 

[MountainBear]

Exactly my thoughts, intimidating for attention is not education.

I dont want your ideas forced onto me, so I dont intimidate and force my views onto other. Open Carry in this current climate is a bad idea... ASSAULT RIFLE??? Are you kidding?? *golf clap* Im very impressed... NOT.. Out in the woods? In small towns? Yes. You dont see gay people going to red neck areas, and making out to prove a point.... If that makes sense, or you can go off topic. Nor do you see people openly smoking weed. You still need some discrepancy, even if its legal.

I don't know if I'm willing to condemn them like you seem to be. I think the point they are trying to make is a point that needs to be made. The story needs to be told, so to speak, I'm just not sure what I think of the plot line so far.

I am not willing to condemn them outright, as at the very least, gun owners need to be as united as the anti's are. While I think this demonstration of rights pushed things further than I would have, I think we still need to support them, as the anti's are all on the same page to take away our rights.

 

[EUGENE the REALTOR]

To the general public it just looks like a couple guys looking for attention, or a couple guys getting ready to do some damage. I can't think of another reason why I'd do something like this.

 

[Glock Jock]

good for them

 

[Boomerang]

No, the message is, someone with an AR or an AK strapped across their body is not automatically a bad guy, Owning and carry of a firearm is a legal activity...you do not go hide your bathing suit do you? (then mabe YOU do). If some idot does not like you to dress the way you do, do you change your clothes?

There are two parts to communication-- what you say and what the other guy hears, what you do and what the other guy sees.

To us gun owners, it communicates what you say-- someone can have an AR or AK and not automatically be a bad guy. To non gun owners and people who are untrained / unknowledgeable about guns, it says something else-- it makes them afraid, it makes them think gun owners are nut jobs, it polarizes them all the more against gun rights.

I am for open carry if that's what people want or need to do, given their circumstance. All I am saying is it's not doing us (gun owners) an favors in terms of garnering more support for gun rights among the general populance.

 

[devildriver]

Two men walk downtown with Ar-15's. IMO this is NOT helping our cause.

Men armed with rifles walk through Portland to 'educate' - KPTV - FOX 12

 

[Burt Gummer]

I wish "Steve" was more articulate and explained the whole assault weapon BS. One of them could carry a semi auto wood rifle, the other an AR-15 with all the tactical window dressing. Then the 22-yr old (Steve) could nicely explain to the reporter than they are essentially the same rifles in terms of functionality.

That an ASSAULT rifle is a fully automatic weapon. But no, forget educating. Just 'I am doing this because this is my right." A chance to educate wasted. All they accomplished is scaring the neighborhood sheep.

We don't constantly challenge the word play that TPTB constantly use to get what they want. So, we normally lose because word play is their game and they are very good at it.

 

[sheepdip]

I agree, walking around town armed with the nasty black rifles and pistols will do nothing but hurt our image. I would be suspicious of two armed men walking around portland, hard to imagine how the sheep felt.

 

[PMKN_PI]

Two men walk downtown with Ar-15's. IMO this is NOT helping our cause.

Men armed with rifles walk through Portland to 'educate' - KPTV - FOX 12

I grew up in that neighborhood. Its full of far left a55h0les now. People that already hate guns and no lesson in Constitutional law could ever make them change their ways. The little cretin residents were soiling themselves at the sight of these guys. Trolling like that is fine with me. Maybe some liberal who is afraid of their own shadow needs to see that 99.99999999999% of the people that own scary black rifles have no intention of harming them. That was probably the safest that neighborhood has been in years.

 

[Sirmohawk]

Nice, those guys got balls of steel, surprised the cops werent crazy with them considering what happened at clackamas.

Cool as it may seem, I think this kind of stunt will lead to no carry gun laws in Portland by the mayor...

 

[pchewn]

The Portland Police Bureau, however, asks anyone who sees someone armed with guns to immediately call 911.

THIS ^^^^ is why the people want to ban guns. They are being trained that guns = evil = call 911 .

We should call 911 every time we see someone with guns?

At the range?
At the gun show?
Police on the street?

Every time?

 

[Richard972]

This guy does this all the time in southern Oregon. He has a Youtube page showing all his run-ins with the police.

Markedguardian's channel - YouTube

 

[pchewn]

They were probably thinking much like Rosa Parks when she refused to sit in the back of the bus....

And in both cases, the "true supporters" of the cause are saying "what were they thinking?"

 

[Ironbar]

For God sake, this is the kind of stunt that irritates me with some in the OC crowd. There is a time and place for everything. Carrying an AR or any "Assault Rifle" in public, at this point in time, just because you can is just asinine. People are on edge right now given the senseless murders carried out recently by cowards with AR-15's and other firearms. I'm sure not one person that is anti-gun had the urge to approach them and ask questions.

I would also like to add, when 911 gets flooded with calls about a man with a gun, people with real emergencies will have to wait as the dispatcher and the first responders are tied up dealing with the current non-emergence calls.

Lefty.

Thank you for saying what I was thinking. The real surprise here is when hardcore OC advocates get their panties in a bunch when people act surprised by these dooshbags' actions. "IT'S LEGAL!" they'll scream, and berate you for even daring to question their motives. But like the old saying goes, just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you should. People who walk around carrying rifles in their hope to "educate" people are only making things worse, not better.