Another open carry demonstration gets publicity....

[CoastRange57]

Way to go there guy. You just help advance gun rights, by letting the media put its spin on your " look at me" demonstration.

If you thought it might be the wrong thing to do, but did it any way you are an idiot. Put your name on it if you are so convinced.


<broken link removed>

HILLSBORO, Ore. – Sometimes, a point is best left unmade.

Even the man who caused a scare at four Hillsboro schools on Thursday admits carrying a gun around in the neighborhood probably wasn’t a great idea.

The man said he was trying to make several points about guns when he walked around the outskirts of Century High School and three other schools, causing a panic and an immediate change in policy.

On Friday, the man – who asked that his name not be used – told KATU News his plan might have been misguided.

"It wasn't in my mind that I was really gonna terrify or scare anybody," he said. "It was just the route I usually take when I go run."

The man said he was making a point about gun rights, offering condolences to victims of gun violence and trying to demonstrate that gun owners aren't by and large evil people. It's not the first time he's open-carried around the schools, packing either a shotgun or handgun.

On Thursday, he was carrying both.

It turns out, his mother is a teacher at Century High. He said she doesn't know it was him carrying the gun, and that she'll likely be upset when she finds out.

Still, although it was inadvertent, he said he thinks he might have made Hillsboro schools safer.

“Yes, in a way,” he said. “Did I intentionally mean to scare everybody? No. Is this a safety precaution to help secure the schools? Yes. Will I carry around schools again? Probably not. Once again, that wasn't my intent to scare or terrify anybody."

The man walked around Century, Imlay Elementary, Ladd Acres Elementary and Brown Middle School, all of which are within a couple miles of each other.

The district responded to the flood of complaints it received by revising its policy to require schools to go into immediate lockdown if somebody is openly carrying a gun nearby.

No state or city laws prevent the open carry of legal firearms in Hillsboro. Had the man been on school property, he would’ve been arrested.

Open-carry advocates have been increasingly active the past few months, publicly carrying firearms to remind the public it’s legal.

Still, the man said he might’ve been in the wrong this time.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have,” he said.

But ...

"Hillsboro schools has taken a new policy to those ... with guns."

Read More

 

[Misterbill]

Yep, thanks a lot jerkwad. You managed to frighten the sheep and cement firmly in the minds of people who were on the fence that gun-rights advocates are dangerous idiots. WAY TO GO!!

A rifle is a TERRIBLE choice for self-defense in an urban environment vs. criminals. So don't tell me it's about self-defense.

And it will NEVER be "normal" to walk around carrying an AR/AK or a rifle on a sling in urban areas. I o/c a pistol almost every day. I'm all for O/C for a lot of reasons. But this is attention whuring. And it actively damages the cause. People have said something to me about my O/C pistol which has led to productive discussions.

If I carry a rifle around in the same way, they won't say anything to me, they'll just call the cops. -And rightfully so, because doing so would indicate that I'm clearly either too stupid to bother engaging in a conversation or a nutcase or both.

STOP SCARING THE SHEEP. Scared sheep vote for bad laws.

 

[44mag2ndamend]

Yep, thanks a lot jerkwad. You managed to frighten the sheep and cement firmly in the minds of people who were on the fence that gun-rights advocates are dangerous idiots. WAY TO GO!!

A rifle is a TERRIBLE choice for self-defense in an urban environment vs. criminals. So don't tell me it's about self-defense.

And it will NEVER be "normal" to walk around carrying an AR/AK or a rifle on a sling in urban areas. I o/c a pistol almost every day. I'm all for O/C for a lot of reasons. But this is attention whuring. And it actively damages the cause. People have said something to me about my O/C pistol which has led to productive discussions.

If I carry a rifle around in the same way, they won't say anything to me, they'll just call the cops. -And rightfully so, because doing so would indicate that I'm clearly either too stupid to bother engaging in a conversation or a nutcase or both.

STOP SCARING THE SHEEP. Scared sheep vote for bad laws.

I was for this at one point with all the people attempting to inform the public that it is law. But around a school!? I agree against it now, it would only take one incident, or bad apple if you will to change everything for the worst.

I hope this individual thinks out his actions a little more in the future.

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

Proving once again that the general public considers long gun open carry to be taking it too far.

 

[Mark W.]

Luckily for the gun control nuts we know how to shoot ourselves in the foot. Starbucks and the Oregon State Capital building both proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

 

[CoastRange57]

I hope this individual thinks out his actions a little more in the future.

This guy is a complete a**ho*e. Doing this around schools specifically to make his point ?? You can bet he is on the cops radar big time now. And his mom is a teacher in the same district. Hope she likes teaching broomsticks in the janitors closet the rest of her career. She can thank her ignorant son for that one.

These dudes just do not get what they are doing.

 

[Kevatc]

I've been saying for years that open carry, no matter how legal it is, does not help the lawful gun ownership issue. OC maybe legal but currently it is a poor poor way of bringing attention to the cause in a positive light.

 

[Misterbill]

I've been saying for years that open carry, no matter how legal it is, does not help the lawful gun ownership issue. OC maybe legal but currently it is a poor poor way of bringing attention to the cause in a positive light.

O/C of a rifle, I completely agree. If you're including pistols, I don't.

 

[Kevatc]

O/C of a rifle, I completely agree. If you're including pistols, I don't.

I was primarily thinking long guns. I could see a drop leg tactical holster to OC with as a bit more of an attention grabber. Personally I run a Raven Concealment Systems holster and I would think most folks wouldn't hardly notice that I was OCing with that set up.

Personally I'd rather go about my business with a minimal amount of attention paid to me so whenever I can I carry CC. I really am not interested in making a political statement or garnering a bunch of attention in Starbucks.

 

[Navman]

What Can Starbucks Teach Us as a Community? | Shall Not Be Questioned

 

[DaveO]

A very well discussed subject around our range (a private club of over 2500 members) and generally, while open carry is legal, it's also generally agreed that it's just not too dang smart to poke the bear like this "individual" did. In-your-face tactics seldom impress the crowd who are already nervous about "school shootings". Thanks to this hero, it's one step forward and 10 backwards.

 

[The B]

jackass.

 

[Misterbill]

I open carry a pistol every day.

I USED to be of the opinion that this was a bad idea in most places. I WAS WRONG.

Witness the Zimmerman case: Does ANYONE seriously think that Trayvon Martin wouldn't have seen an O/C pistol and decided that giving Zimmerman an educational beatdown was maybe a bad idea and gone home? -Kid still alive, Racial incident didn't happen (even in people's imaginations), Zimmerman's life not DESTROYED.

Look, I live in Yakima County. People here don't give a rip. They just don't. Most actually assume I'm a cop. But I O/C in Seattle. Or Mercer Island. It's perfectly legal and DOESN'T scare the crap out of even GUN OWNERS.

O/Cing a pistol in a holster is rational. It actually serves a self-defense purpose. I actually have a chance to employ that weapon in a plausible situation. O/Cing a rifle does none of the above. It's meant purely as attention whuring. It's INTENDED to upset people.

Who here thinks it's a good idea to scare voters into thinking that gun-people are dangerous or incredibly stupid? Raise your hands. Seriously O/C rifle guys, stand up and be counted.

1. A rifle SUCKS as a PDW against any remotely plausible threat. -You'd be better off with a knife or bare hands or a club. I can make your rifle USELESS in 2 seconds simply by grabbing it. Shoot me. I dare ya. Meanwhile, I'm gonna proceed to kick the ever-loving crap outta you because I know how to use my hands and feet and knees and head, and chances are, you don't nearly as well as I do. (Sure, someone here will kick my ***. You are not representative of the mall-ninja rifle-O/Cing crowd. admit it).
2. Everyone with an ounce of sense KNOWS this.
3. Scaring the Bejesus out of people (reasonably. I'm not talking about the crazy antis) does not help advance gun rights.

So tell me what the potential upside of O/Cing a rifle, ESPECIALLY around a school, does to help our cause. Anyone? Bueller? Ya, that's what I thought.

This utter stupidity, which does nothing but play into our opponents hands, really needs to STOP.

I O/C a pistol for very specific, rational and defensible reasons. NONE of those exist for O/Cing a rifle.

Tactically retarded.
Politically VERY harmful.
Downright un-neieghborly.

What's the upside? To "Normalize" tactically stupid and defensively useless methods of OC?