scout wrote:jshuberg wrote:Anyone with a desire to 'push the limits of my rights and see what happens' should stay focused on speech or religion. There is very little room for people knowingly acting like jackasses in public when it comes to firearms.
epic quote.
After reading this entire thread.... my .002 worth:
1) +1 on both of the above. That really says it all. All pushing the limits of the law does is cause change in the law to the detriment of law abiding citizens. Not once does it work in our favor if someone acts like a jerk - especially within the confines of the law and with the explicit purpose of pushing the limits of it. The Man doesn't like that. The Man won't say "Oh look... he pushed the law so well, we'd better expand that law to give more room between what he does and the limits of the law." No, The Man does the opposite of that and says "hmmm they are pushing the limits so we better cut it back further or just make that illegal and be done with it."
2) Just because you *CAN* do something legally, doesn't mean you *SHOULD* do it.
Examples of perfectly legal things you can do, but shouldn't include, but aren't exclusively limited to:
a) Carrying a large sum of money (anything over a few hundred bucks)
b) Going into a dangerous neighborhood at night (North Minneapolis for example)
c) Flipping off a Hell's Angel biker (and even worse if you're riding one of those rocket bikes)
d) Crossing out gang graffiti
e) Publicly advertising any of these above.
f) .....and many, many, many more.
Let's just say for example that there wasn't any problem at all, legally or otherwise, with someone walking down the street with an RPG, flame thrower, long gun, anything at all.... ok. Do you really NEED to? Again, just because you CAN does not mean you SHOULD. If I could carry anything at all, the LAST thing I'd want to carry is some big rifle or weapon that advertises I have it. Sure, if the SHTF, yeah, of course, who cares then if someone sees you carry a rifle, but in current society in the world of today in which we all hopefully live, I don't want to be seen, noticed, obvious, or anything else when it comes to me carrying. For me, (and everyone is different), but for ME, I want to carry unnoticed....and that's a pistol.