vincentpaul

Yeah. Right. In an alternate universe. See, e.g. Oregon Revised Statutes 166.270 which provides in part:

"(1) Any person who has been convicted of a felony under the law of this state or any other state, or who has been convicted of a felony under the laws of the Government of the United States, who owns or has in the person's possession or under the person's custody or control any firearm, commits the crime of felon in possession of a firearm."

CommuterRun

What the heck kind of law is "carrying a firearm in a public place"? That has to be a reporter screw-up.

Really? He's out again, now, but I personally know a fella', a felon, that went back to prison because his wife, no criminal record, took a .22 rifle fishing with them. She was in possession, but he was charged and it stuck. Which was total BS.

As for the woman in the story: Good on the police. I sometimes carry a rifle, pistol or shotgun on a bike. But who the heck would be carrying while riding around town in the middle of the night, unless they were just looking for trouble to get into?

Let's see; a felon, with an arrest warrant out on her, riding a bicycle around town in the middle of the night with a shotgun on her. Oh boy, there's a bright one. Let's not try to keep a low profile or anything, no sireee.

zonatandem

Had a female tandem duo in Tucson that got tired of rear rider being patted on the butt . . . she started carrying a holstered pistol on her left hip.
End of harassment and perfectly legal in AZ.

Booger1

I don't care what state law says.The U.S. Bill of Rights says I and everyone else has the right.It doesn't say anything about being a felon/criminal.If it was up to the government or some people,the only people with guns would be military,police.and criminals,and none of the above can protect us at all times.

vincentpaul

Let's play "Trolling for a Move to A&S."

DCCommuter

Mark your calendars, today is the day that Commuting officially turned into A&S.

DataJunkie

A&S is a disease that is slowly infecting BF as a whole. The last forums to go will be SS\FG followed by Foo.

Intheloonybin

Was not the response I was expecting when I posted it... Have to start an NRA forum after this.

Oh, and had to look up A&S...

I just thought it was pretty funny (and was a little envious). Well... still do think it's funny .

Whatsisname

If you are going to make a bold claim at least do your homework please. In minnesota you need a permit carry to carry a pistol, even to carry openly.

https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/...=s&num=624.714

ubd. 1a. Permit required; penalty. A person, other than a peace officer, as defined in
section 626.84, subdivision 1, who carries, holds, or possesses a pistol in a motor vehicle,
snowmobile, or boat, or on or about the person's clothes or the person, or otherwise in possession
or control in a public place, as defined in section 624.7181, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), without
first having obtained a permit to carry the pistol is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. A person who
is convicted a second or subsequent time is guilty of a felony.

Whatsisname

The constitution allows for the restriction of peoples rights when they break the law. Barring felons from owning firearms is constitutionally acceptable.

Thumpic

don't bring a pop gun to gun fight.............

https://spcustomcycles.tripod.com/military_bike.htm

Old Dirt Hill

Since this is my neck of the woods, here's a better article: https://www.sctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll...102190033/1009

...and by better, I mean it has a picture of the woman's crazy mugshot.

Old Dirt Hill

Since I'm not sure how long the article will be up, here's the text:

St. Cloud police arrested a woman late Monday after they said she had put a slightly different spin on the phrase "riding shotgun."

Police arrested Heather Marie Christensen, 22, after they found her riding a bicycle with a shotgun strapped to her back. Christensen was arrested at about 11:15 p.m. near 14th Avenue North and St. Germain Street, Sgt. Joe Kraayenbrink said.

Christensen had a warrant out for her arrest and also faces possible charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and for carrying an uncased firearm.

Christensen told police she had gotten into an argument with her boyfriend and had taken the shotgun from his apartment, Sgt. Jerry Edblad said.

She was going to buy shotgun shells and wanted to fire some shells into the air because she was frustrated from the argument, he said.

Police were originally called to Third Street North and 16th Avenue on a report that a person had a gun in their lap while they were biking, he said. Christensen was arrested without incident, and no injuries were reported.

Christensen has a felony conviction in Stearns County for check forgery, according to court records.

source: https://www.sctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll...102190033/1009

whatsmyname

BTW, I assume that if the stop wasn't legal, and her behavior wouldn't add up to "probable cause", then the arrest and charge could be tossed out. The weapon wouldn't have to be illegal to make carrying it cause to be stopped - it's legal to own axes and knives, too, but the circumstances in which they're being carried can be suspicious.
This is just untrue, isn't it ? NYC and DC are just two cities that spring to mind where "they" can do something about it. IIRC, in NYC, there's a 3 1/2 year minimum sentence for gun crime (I'm vague on the details and am willing to be corrected).

The Smokester

In CA this is legal only if the unconcealed sidearm is UNLOADED. I've never had the nerve to test this off the range, however.

RomSpaceKnight

The right to bear arms is a worn out tired argument. Originally the US did not intend to have a standing army and rely on citizen militias. Now there is a standing army the right to bear arms should be gotten rid of. This gun nut craze is a late 20th century thing. Historically the US has been as disarmed as Canada. This whole gun thing is a ridiculous fad that has been gobbled up by extremists, isolationist and conspiracy nuts. If you live in a country where you must carry a firearm to feel safe, I feel sorry for you. Why not move the the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan and feel right at home. Compare Canadian gun violence stats and the US. Divided the US figures by 10 and they should match Canada's. They do not. In some cases they are still worse by a factor of 10. Get rid of your guns and stop killing one another. If Osama wants to kill Yanks he should just contribute a few million dollars to the NRA.

vulcan

It was never about a standing army against outside forces. It was about the people's protection from the government.

"Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops that can be, on any pretence, raised in the United States. A military force, at the command of Congress, can execute no laws, but such as the people perceive to be just and constitutional; for they will possess the power, and jealousy will instantly inspire the inclination, to resist the execution of a law which appears to them unjust and oppressive."

Noah Webster, An Examination of the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution (Philadelphia 1787)

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government"

-- Thomas Jefferson, 1 Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it offers a strong moral check against usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them."

-- Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story of the John Marshall Court

As far as feeling safe, if you assume no responsibility for your own safety, you have no business asking the policeman to carry the grave responsibility for you. By the way, the courts have said that the state has no legal responsibility to protect you. There are bad people out there that will hurt you.

The Dalai Lama: "If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun." (May 15, 2001, The Seattle Times)



.. a government and its agents are under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any particular individual citizen...

-- Warren v. District of Columbia, 444 A.2d 1 (D.C. App.181)

DCCommuter

Maybe any town, but not any city. In DC private ownership of handguns is essentially illegal, that walk would get you a mandatory minimum one year in prison.

Of course, the Supreme Court is mulling the issue right now, so that may change any day.

Desert_Donkey

Did the socialist Koolaid taste THAT good?

whatsmyname

Sorry, my views on gun ownership are such that an NRA member would call me some sort of CommuNazi but you're wrong on those two points: the citizen militias are designed to protect the citizens from the domestic government, not foreign armies, and the lower Canadian rate of gun violence isn't directly proportional to gun ownership.

Thumpic

And? It is still one of our rights as US citizens. Despite of our global and domestic problems we are STILL the greatest nation on this planet. Step back and take a look every now and then. There are millions of people all over this country working tirelessly everyday to resolve the problems we face. (battle hymn of the republic slowly fades in)............

But seriously; just look at the presidential race. THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE US WILL BE EITHER A BLACK MAN OR A WOMAN.....(I don't like either of them, but I'm not stupid).....how can you deny this progress?? We are where we are because of our rights and our careful protection of them. I don't think dismantling them is a good idea...........

dedhed

The second amendment doesn't "create" a right, it protects a right that existed before the Constitution was written. It says "The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed" NOT The people shall have a right to bear arms. We'll see what the court says with DC Vs Heller, at least in the beltway.

Unfortunately in WI if I want to carry a gun on a bike it must be unloaded and cased to be legal. I've checked into this a couple of times hoping to ride a Mt bike on the fire lanes partridge hunting. It is legal in a boat or canoe under human power. Apparantly a boat is a "craft" and a bike is a "vehicle" as it was explained to me by the DNR, go figure.

Most problems aren't the guns, but people. I own numerous firearms including pistols and haven't shot or even threatened anyone - YET

Nachoman

Please pass the socialist koolaid, I'm thirsty.

Desert_Donkey

Careful, it's probably got East German antifreeze in it.

graywolf

Follow this advice and GO TO JAIL. It varies from state to state.

And BTW there is a difference between someone with a felony warrant out on them, and an ex-felon, someone who supposedly has paid his debt to society, but then current society is not very forgiving. That comes from living in constant unrelenting fear. The fear is mostly imaginary, but it affects people the same as if it were real, it makes them idiotic to the point where they consider a table knife or a pocket knife a deadly weapon.

It makes for some interesting situations like here in the state I live in it is perfectly legal for an ex-con to own a firearm (state law), but illegal for him to buy one (federal law). In some states you need a permit to buy, a permit to own, and an permit to carry, in others you only need a permit to buy a handgun (federally mandated law). But at least none of them require you to turn in your guns to the state when you are not using them at the range or hunting like many countries do. OTOH there are countries where just about every adult male is in the reserve forces and has his issue automatic rifle in the closet at home.

The whole firearms (weapons) bugaboo is the one of the strangest things about modern society.

A thought to take with you; most folks figure everyone else is just like them, so think about what that says about the ones who think just having a gun will cause you to go around killing people.