Guns at Polling Places

The media has made a big deal about this in the last couple of weeks, most recently the Chicago Tribune via the Washington Post.  The report used a story from the Huffington Post to illustrate that people open carrying at polling places are doing so to intimidate voters:

On Friday, voters headed to drop off their absentee ballots at a voting location in Virginia's Loudoun County were greeted by a man sporting both a Trump shirt and a gun strapped to his waist, the Huffington Post reported.

"He's like, 'Who are you going to vote for, crooked Hillary?' And I was like, that's really none of your business," Erika Cotti, an active Democrat, told the website.

It may not have been the most effective mode of political outreach. But it wasn't an illegal one. Virginia is an open carry state - and, as in most open carry states, there is no exception for polling places.

Most states have no laws regarding guns in polling places, because, for the most part, they haven't really needed to make them. The confluence of firearms and polling places isn't something America has been concerned about on a national scale - until now.

It's a right to carry firearms for personal protection, in Virginia, that includes both open and concealed.  As gun owners, we should decide the best methods so as not to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves.

New York Times: Concealed Carry on School Grounds Causes Rift Among Gun Owners in Michigan

The New York Times has a story this morning about legislation in Michigan that, according to the Times, has split gun owners.

When Kenneth Herman visits his daughter’s school, the handgun holstered to his right hip is visible to anyone. And that has caused him problems.

School officials have denied Mr. Herman access to school buildings, asked him to wait in the principal’s office and called the Sheriff’s Department on him. So Mr. Herman, a paramedic who grew up in this semirural community 85 miles northwest of Detroit, sued Clio Area Schools for the right to carry his weapon openly on school grounds, and in August he won the case. The district has appealed.

 

Now his dispute with the school district has become part of a statewide debate over guns in schools that has exposed a rare split among firearm owners. It pits proponents of widespread open carry like Mr. Herman against other gun owners who believe concealed weapons are more appropriate in some settings.

 

The two sides are divided over legislation introduced by Republicans in the State Senate that would allow people with the proper permits to carry concealed weapons at schools, but would ban open carry there. The measure could come up for a vote before the end of the year. 

The Times notes that Mr. Herman and other open-carry proponents oppose the legislation, and that they have formed an alliance with gun ban activists who oppose the legislation because they do not want any weapons carried on school grounds, openly or concealed.

State-level gun owners’ groups have come down on both sides of the issue. Michigan Open Carry, which publishes a guide on how to legally carry a gun in schools, is campaigning against the legislation. The Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners — another prominent pro-gun group, whose board of directors includes Mr. Meekhof and another Republican sponsor of the legislation — supports the legislation. 

On political battles over gun laws, concealed-carry and open-carry groups are in agreement “99 times out of 100,” Mr. Meekhof said. But the debate over his bills reveals how the two camps sometimes embrace conflicting views on displaying firearms in public. 

Michigan Open Carry advocates the visible carrying of holstered handguns, similar to what an on-duty police officer might wear. Its members cite a variety of reasons — practical, legal and symbolic — for choosing to display their guns in public.

Regarding that reference to "symbolic" I go back to what Master Firearms Trainer Massad Ayoob wrote on the topic of open carry.

A few years ago, Mark Walters hosted a three-way debate on the topic on his show “Armed American Radio.” The “pro” speaker came, IIRC, from Georgia Carry.  The “anti-open carry” speaker was a cop from the Midwest who, though generally pro-armed citizen, thought open carry was counterproductive to both the public peace and the Second Amendment cause. I took the middle ground, which I still hold. One the one hand, I would like for every state to allow any citizen who has a clean record and hasn’t been adjudicated mentally incompetent to be allowed to open carry a holstered, loaded handgun. First, because there are some jurisdictions where if the wind blows your coat open and reveals the gun you are legally carrying concealed, a genuinely frightened citizen or vindictive anti-gunner can combine with an anti-gun prosecutor to create a perfect storm of criminal charges for illegal open carry. Second, because if a good person suddenly becomes a stalking victim or the target of death threats, I don’t want them to have to wait up to 90 days (gun-friendly Florida) or six months (the time it takes before a new resident can even apply for a concealed carry permit in California, which for the most part is decidedly non-gun-friendly).  But on the other hand, I don’t think we win any friends for gun owners’ civil rights by flaunting deadly weapons in the face of a general public conditioned to fear guns and their owners by generations of anti-gun media and political prejudice.

He followed up that piece with this:

Gun-banners will never convert most who read this blog, and we who support a responsibly armed citizenry will never win over the Pelosis and Bloombergs of the world. The battleground lies with the vast majority of people who are in the middle on this polarized issue.  I am old enough to remember when Massachusetts and California each held a referendum on whether possession of handguns should be banned in their states.  Neither state had a majority of gun owners in the voting pool, but in each case our side won the referendum, because “the people on the fence” didn’t want to go that far.

Doing things that alarm those people in the middle will do nothing to help the pro-gun side.  Fear is the key ingredient that creates hatred.  Doing things that put the general public in fear will cause more people to hate us, and anyone who seriously thinks flaunting rifles around schools in cities and suburbs will somehow acclimate the public to an acceptance of armed citizens is simply delusional.

The fastest way for us to loose our rights is to let the antis divide us and have us fighting among ourselves.  It seems they may have found a way to start that process in Michigan.

Everytown, Moms Demand Action, Increase Bullying of Kroger on Firearm Policy

It appears Bloomberg's gun ban groups have not given up on bullying Kroger to change their policy related to open carry of firearms in their stores. Forbes reports that Bloomberg's Everytown for Gun Safety and  Moms Demand Action have joined together to released a video ad targeting Kroger that the groups plan to market online. They've also stood up a "microsite" called Groceries not Guns where supporters of the gun ban groups can enter the total of groceries purchased at Kroger competitors:

A representative of the two groups made it clear they’ll carry on pressuring Kroger until the supermarket chain agrees to ask customers to forgo their guns while grocery shopping. Their expenditure on this campaign is just shy of the $1 million mark to date.

Interestingly enough, of the competitors Moms Demand lists as alternatives to Kroger that I frequent (Costco and Target), I don't recall seeing signs posted regarding firearms in Virginia Costco and Target stores.  Please continue to let Kroger know you appreciate them honoring the firearm laws of the states in which they do business.

Update: It appears Costco does have a policy against firearms - they just don't post it.

The Lesson - You Don't Need to Make a Point of Open Carry Carry in a State Where It's Legal

The Richmond Times Dispatch reports that two guys from Chesterfield tried to organize a show of support for open carry but they were the only two that showed up.

More than 300 people were invited on Facebook to walk down Cary Street on July Fourth with handguns, rifles and other so-called “long guns” proudly displayed.

Two showed up — and they were the organizers of the midday event in the family-oriented Carytown shopping district.

As the RTD noted, it is perfectly legal to carry firearms openly in Virginia.  So as one of the people who commented back on the Facebook page of the organizer, exactly what were they protesting?

Let's Hope This Is The Last Time We Have to Deal With This

A great deal has been written on the Open Carry Texas (OCT)/Chipotle incident and the resulting policy announcement by the restaurant chain (not really a change in policy, just fodder for the gun ban lobby to claim it was a victory).  I wasn't going to add to the discourse but after reading an article that was posted on Wednesday over at Legal Insurrection, I thought I would share the article and one of the point's made by the author.

First, for those not familiar with Virginia law, The Code of Virginia is silent on open carry, which means it is not prohibited.  I know people who carry handguns openly and do so in a safe non-threatening manner.  Chances are, most people would not know if the person carrying is a private citizen or an off duty police officer.  For the most part, there are few issues in Virginia with open carry.  I don't personally know anyone who carries a modern sporting rifle openly in public but it has been done in Virginia.  VSSA supports the right of law abiding gun owners to carry as they believe is best for their circumstances.  This writer also believes, as NRANews host Cam Edwards says, gun owners should be good ambassadors for the 2nd Amendment.  The vast majority of us are.  There is however that small percentage (see the above) that doesn't help our cause.

I've read some good commentary on the incident depicted in the photo above but I think the best comes from the aforementioned piece at Legal Insurrection.  After describing his pro-gun bona fides (shooting since he was aged in the single digits, NRA Life Member for some two decades, and an NRA Instructor), Andrew Branca gives what I think is one of the strongest arguments against the practice of walking into a business carrying an AR-15 or similar long gun in the manner in the photo:

I’ve described my gun rights “cred.” If I’m in that Starbucks, and such an “OCIYF!” crowd strolls in, they’ve brightened themselves considerably on my personal “threat radar.” As is my practice any time such brightening occurs, my first move after having identified the threat is to assess imminence, followed by immediately vacating the area.

That, gentlemen, is the degree of alarm experienced, and evasion performed, by someone with a life around guns, more than a few rounds down the barrel of an AR, an effective personal defensive weapon on my hip, and many years of training and practice in its use.

Sebastian notes that Open Carry Texas has changed their protest protocols.  Let's hope this policy change helps OCT in their cause, and stops causing the rest of us a problem.

Hat tip Gun Free Zone, The Gun Wire, and Shall Not Be Questioned.

Be Careful What You Wish For

Bob Owens of Bearing Arms is spot on:

In one location after another, long gun open carry intentionally designed to evoke a response from the public is leading to more anti-gun laws.

Please tell me again how doing Bloomberg’s work for him is a winning strategy.

Open carry is legal in Virginia. Let's keep it that way.

Toby Keith Restaurant Management Explains "No Guns" Policy in Virginia Location

Until this story hit the wires over the weekend, I didn't even know that singer, songwriter, Toby Keith had a restaurant chain.  As is probably the case in most of these type of arrangements, Keith's actual involvement with the chain varies by location.  His newest location opened recently in Woodbridge, Virginia, a growing town in the crowded Northern Virginia county of Prince William.  The restaurant has posted a "No Guns" sign at it's entrance, something Virginia businesses are allowed to do under the law.  Very few restaurants have taken this action since Virginia lifted the ban on carrying concealed firearms in restaurants that serve alcohol in addition to food.  Forbes reports that after a flood of comments on the restaurant's Facebook page, the management of the chain posted the following statement:

While we understand and respect every person’s right to own and bear arms, we at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill, with guidance from the State of Virginia and based on insurance regulations, have adopted a no weapons policy. It is our desire to provided a safe, enjoyable and entertaining experience for our patrons and staff.

I can understand trying to pass off the policy on advice from the insurance company, but "guidance from the State of Virginia"?  Just what agency or individual did the restaurant speak with and who in state government is advising businesses to post no firearms signs?  I think that is the real story here.

Let me also address the comment about a "safe, enjoyable, and entertaining experience for our patrons and staff."  Please show me the evidence that after repeal of the "restaurant ban" that patrons of the thousands of restaurants in Virginia have not had "safe and enjoyable" dining experiences.  Also, please show me the evidence that law abiding gun owners have caused disturbances in restaurants since the ban was lifted.  And finally, please show me the evidence that criminals obey "no firearms" signs anywhere they decide to cause mayhem.

Firearms at Public Meetings

It is not uncommon in Virginia for some gun owners to show up at public meetings openly carrying a firearm.  While it is legal to carry openly in Virginia, there are reasons not to do so. Having said that, the Virginia Gazette has an article examining carrying openly in public meetings in light of a recent murder on Aug. 5 during a supervisors meeting in a rural Pennsylvania township. 

Apparently, that incident has raised the concern of some employees of local governments in some areas of Virginia.  It hasn't helped that the following comments were also made during a recent meeting in Norge, Virginia.

The issue came up again at the county's two recent rural lands meetings. During one, held at Norge Elementary School, W. Walker Ware IV, a speaker who was asked to summarize his comments about government control, said, "I think we take up muskets and start killing people."

Another attendee, Wayne Moyer, immediately asked Ware the speaker to back off the suggestion, saying it "bothers me very much."

At a second rural lands meeting held the next morning at the county's Recreation Center, another resident, who the paper noted had been present at the Norge meeting, carried his firearm openly.  He told the paper that it had noting to do with the statement made at the previous night's meeting but did admit he openly carried his firearm to the second meeting as a statement.

"First of all, I don't necessarily agree with open carry," he said. "Very seldom do I do it. I did it because the night before, I wasn't allowed."

To say this is not helpful would be an understatement.  If an individual carries openly because that is the only way they can carry  (i.e. because they don't have a concealed carry permit or because concealed carry is not permitted but open carry is at a particular location) that's one thing.  But to do it simply to make a statement does more harm than good for our cause.

Few Limitations on Carrying Firearms in Virginia

Today the Richmond Times Dispatch has this article noting that all of the anti-rights bills have been defeated in the General Assembly this year (even before we are half-way through the session it should be noted) and that overall, there are few limits on carrying firearms in Virginia.

With a few exceptions, Virginia prohibits firearms in air carrier airport terminals, courthouses, schools and churches during a worship service. Three sets of people may bring weapons into the General Assembly Building or the state Capitol — legislators, law enforcement officers or people with concealed-carry permits. The state Senate also bars a variety of weapons in the gallery, whether or not the owner has a concealed-carry permit.

That's pretty much it.  If you are 18, you may carry openly and if you are 21 you may carry concealed handguns.  The Code does have limits when it comes to carrying certain rifles in public in certain locations.

One section of the state code does reflect differing views about firearms in more populous areas of the state as opposed to less populous rural communities. In 13 of the state’s most populous cities and counties, including Richmond and Henrico County, it is unlawful to carry in public a loaded semi-automatic center-fire rifle or pistol that is equipped with a magazine that will hold more than 20 rounds of ammunition; designed to accommodate a silencer; or equipped with a folding stock.

That code section has a number of exceptions — for law enforcement officers, security guards, military personnel, people with concealed-carry permits, and those who lawfully are hunting or taking part in recreational shooting activities.

I'm sure those limits would keep a criminal from using those specific firearms in a crime if they were so inclined.

Daily Press Gets It Wrong As Usual

I stumbled across this article from Saturday's Daily Press.  While it is under the "News" tab on the web site, there is no reporting value to it whatsoever, so it must be opinion masquerading as news.  The author, Tamara Dietrich, writes about Thursday's Virginia Tech lock down where three young people attending a camp on campus reporting seeing an individual carrying what appeared to be a handgun covered by something like a handkerchief.  Dietrich, after getting that part right, descends into irrelevance. She shows she has no concept of the law when it comes to concealed carry.

First, let's recap what the three children said they saw: a man holding what appeared to be a gun, covered with some type of cloth.

In other words, a man carrying a concealed handgun.

And if that man also happened to have a concealed carry permit, he was breaking no laws.

Well, no, if the firearm could be seen, it was not concealed.  She goes on to suggest that maybe the law should describe what the meaning of concealed is.  Most people understand that concealed means it cannot be seen.  Apparently the journalism school Ms. Dietrich attended did not teach her basic English.

It becomes clear that her problem is not that someone may have dared to walk on a college campus with a handgun, it is the fact that Virginia allows its law abiding citizens to carry firearms at all, open or concealed.

...Maybe Hanger should ask Cuccinelli to clarify pertinent stuff like this. It's the least he can do, since he's also responsible for last year's law allowing those with concealed carry permits to take concealed handguns into establishments that serve alcohol, so long as they don't drink.

It's an idiotic law, since Virginia already allows law-abiding citizens to openly carry firearms into establishments that serve alcohol and drink as much as they want.

All a permit-holder has to do, then, is take out his handgun, set it on the table and order up a double. ("Idiotic" and "law" aren't mutually exclusive, are they?)

Ms. Dietrich can write anything she wants for the Daily Press.  But the paper should at least be honest and classify something so blatantly opinion as such.

The Next Legal Battlefield - Bearing Arms in Public

Today's Wall Street Journal has this article that discusses the next court battle in the right to keep and bear arms - bearing arms in public.

"Whether the right to bear arms extends to outside the home is the next battlefield," said Adam Winkler, a law professor at UCLA and a Second Amendment expert. "And if that right does exist, courts then have to wrestle with a whole host of other issues, like how far it extends and what kinds of permitting regimes are permissible."

Two suits filed recently in Illinois are among a small group that could provide the U.S. Supreme Court its next opportunity to further clarify the Second Amendment. Part of the need for clarification is due in part to the two cases recently heard by the court; Heller and McDonald, which dealt with the D.C. and Chicago gun bans respectively.

Since the Supreme Court rulings, gun advocates have filed scores of challenges on all sorts of laws at the federal, state and local levels. They have sued over age restrictions on carrying guns outside the home, restrictions to "concealed carry" rules in national parks, and requirements that people show "good cause" and take a firearms course in order to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon out of the home.

Seattle Gun Rights Examiner Dave Workman told the WSJ that it will take years of litigation for courts to hammer the meaning out of what Scalia meant in Heller when he said nothing in the opinion should cast doubt on laws barring the carrying of firearms in "sensitive places such as schools and government buildings."

With the 2012 Presidential Election approaching, it is more important now that a pro-rights candidate is elected.  It is thought that whoever wins next year may make as many as three Supreme Court appointments by the end of their term in office.

State Forest Carry Takes Affect July 7, 2011

On May 6, Governor Robert F. McDonnell approved changes to the Virginia Department of Forestry’s Virginia State Forest Regulation 4VAC10-30-170. The changes will permit law-abiding Virginians to carry a firearm in State Forests.  These changes now allow for both the lawful carrying of concealed firearms by those who possess a concealed carry permit, as well as open carrying for anyone in lawful possession of a firearm.

Current State Forest regulations prohibit individuals from carrying any firearms onto State Forest properties unless exempted because of lawful hunting seasons. The final regulatory amendment would allow persons to carry lawful open and concealed firearms onto State Forest properties under the ownership and management of the Department of Forestry.

The regulation will become final following the conclusion of a thirty day publication period in the Virginia Register, providing that lawful actions don’t delay the process. It will be published in the Virginia Register of Regulations on June 6, and become effective on July 7, 2011.

Please contact Governor McDonnell by e-mail and thank him for improving Virginia’s regulatory environment for lawful firearm owners!

Are the Antis Trying to Divide and Conquer

ABC News has a story on their web site and a related video from the August 3rd Nightline titled "Guns - The Open Carry Controversy." But the story line is two fold - open carry, and what Dennis Hennigan of the Brady Campaign termed a new challenge not only to gun control efforts but to the NRA. That new challenge being the state groups that have gained a higher profile since the Heller decision in 2008 and how they are supposedly leaving the NRA behind in pushing for increased gun rights. One such group profiled was a Maine Open Carry Association. Nightline also included a clip of a Virginia group, VCDL. Hennigan referred to the state groups as "extremists" who take the "NRA rhetoric" to the next level.



If we were to believe Hennigan, there is this big rift in the gun rights movement with the NRA on one side, and all of the local groups on the other, fighting each other as much as they are fighting the antis. And, that may be exactly what the antis want.

There is no doubt that a number of state groups have their differences with the NRA. But, that is bound to happen because the NRA has a larger mission and it acts in what it believes is in the best interest of advancing that mission. Many of the state groups are narrowly focused (this does not include NRA state associations like VSSA, which have much of the same mission as the NRA - to advance the shooting sports and protect the rights of individual gun owners). For instance, VCDL was originally a more regional organization (Northern Virginia Citizens Defense League) that was formed to push for concealed carry reform. They later changed their name to reflect a statewide interest. While they, like VSSA, lobby on all gun related bills before the General Assembly, there is no question their main focus is the expansion of concealed and open carry.

Gun owners need to make sure we don't fall into a trap of infighting. The antis know that they have a better chance of winning if they can divide the forces aligned against them. We don't have to always agree, but we must not have open warfare with groups that have common interests - the advancement of our firearms freedoms.

Firearms Allowed on Virginia Rail Express

The Fredericksburg Free Lance Star reported Saturday that the Board of the the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) overturned a policy that banned passengers from carrying firearms on the sytem's trains. Passengers that desire to do so will now be allowed to openly carry firearms on VRE trains in Virginia. Concealed firearms will also be allowed for those with a permit to do so. The change in policy was required by state law.

"People can carry firearms, therefore you can carry them on the train," said Dale Zehner, VRE's chief executive officer.

However, Virginia law does not apply once VRE trains cross the Potomac River into Washington. For those not familiar with the VRE, it is the commuter rail system that transports Virginians who work in points north of Fredericksburg as well as Manassas.

In typical fashion for an elected official of the peoples republic of Arlington, Operations Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman, who is also an Arlington County supervisor, did not particularly like the decision.

"I think encouraging people to bring guns onto loaded trains is a stupid idea," Zimmerman said.

To his credit, Stafford County Supervisor and Operations Board Vice Chairman Paul Milde said he disagreed with Zimmerman "100 percent on this."

As Supervisor Milde pointed out, concealed carry permit holders are some of the most law abiding people in the nation and there have been no incidents of law abiding gun owners who choose to open carry having committed any crimes while carrying.

Gun owners riding on the VRE need to be aware that once the train heads north across the Potomac River, DC law takes affect.

Gibbs: Laws Don't Change When the President Comes to Town

Say Uncle has this update on the protesters carrying firearms outside of events where President Obama is speaking:

Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, said people are entitled to carry weapons outside such events if local laws allow it. “There are laws that govern firearms that are done state or locally,” he said. “Those laws don’t change when the president comes to your state or locality.”

May Obama did learn something about the Constitution while he was in law school. Hat Tip to Say Uncle.

The Media, Firearms, and Protesters

On Monday, the AP reported:

About a dozen people carrying guns, including one with a military-style rifle, milled among protesters outside the convention center where President Barack Obama was giving a speech Monday...

Included in the story was the term "assault weapon" to describe what one man was carrying.



The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) Blog tried to educate the two reporters on how to accurately report on firearms because after saying the man was carrying a "military style" firearm, they repeatedly use the term "assault weapon" in the story. NSSF has been at the forefront of trying to introduce the media to firearms with their "Writer's Guide to Firearms and Ammunition."

You will note in the AP story it has been "updated" from the original story but it is clear they did not update it with the correct descriptions of the firearm.

Kudos to the Phoenix Police for making it clear that those carrying firearms, including the man carrying the semi-automatic rifle were all legal, that no crimes were committed, and no one was arrested. This doesn't surprise me because in my contact with the Phoenix Police during the NRA Annual Meeting they were all very professional and friendly.

Alan Korwin also wrote about the media coverage of this on his Page Nine blog and notes something else about the man carrying the rifle that you would not have known if you did not see the local ABC television coverage video above:

I mentioned to the local NBC-TV affiliate that the media seemed to be avoiding the fact that Chris, the well-known local libertarian with the rifle (and a sidearm), was black. “Well, we’re not supposed to mention race if it’s not a key part of the story.” My eyebrows shot up. “You have a black man with a gun! At a rally for the black president! That’s not relevant?” So she sheepishly admitted, with a chuckle, “Well, that would take away the whole redneck right-wing extremist thing.” This is known in “news” circles as objective reporting.

Hat tip to NSSF and Alan Korwin.

MSNBC Fixated on Protestors Carrying Firearms

MSNBC points out there were two more citizens carrying firearms outside of an Obama "Townhall."

In a situation similar to last week in Portsmouth, N.H., cameras caught a protester with a pistol holstered to his leg outside of today's event with the president.

Police on the scene were standing right next to the gentleman and were keeping a close eye on him. He's well behind a security barrier outside the convention center in a crowd of protesters.

I'm not sure this helps our cause. I believe a right not exercised is a right denied but these have played right into the hands of people like Paul Helmke:

Bringing loaded firearms to any Presidential event endangers all in attendance. Even though our weak national and state gun laws may allow this dangerous behavior, we should use a little common sense. Individuals carrying loaded weapons at these events require constant attention from police and Secret Service officers, thus stretching their protective efforts even thinner. The possibility that these weapons might be grabbed or stolen or accidentally mishandled increases the risks of serious injury or death to all in attendance.

I know a lot of people that open carry (which is legal in Virginia). It is one of the great things about living in Virginia. In fact, it is the only way gun owners can carry their self defense firearm in Applebees, Olive Garden, and other restaurants that serve alcohol in addition to food.

Having said this, the left and their enablers in the media are already characterizing those protesting against President Obama's policies as an "angry mob." We just need to be careful not to create a caricature for the media to repeatedly regurgitate. I guess it's why I like concealed carry. That way only I know if I am carrying a firearm or not.

Man Carrying Gun Legally Causes Stir on Richmond Transit Bus

I have come to expect this in Northern Virginia where many in the population are transplants from areas less gun friendly but I would have thought it would have caused less of a stir in Richmond. The Richmond Times Dispatch web site is reporting that Richmond police "scrambled in several parts of the city" shortly after 10:00 am this morning upon receiving reports of a man with a gun on a GRTC Transit System bus.

The police found the man in question 15 minutes later on East Broad Street and guess what! They discovered that the man was legally carrying the handgun. The news story said that was after a few "anxious moments" trying to determine which bus it was, where it was and whether there was actually a gunman aboard. Note to the uninformed, most criminals don't intent on doing harm don't usually carry a gun in a holster in plain site.

The incident is more evidence the pro-rights supporters need to work to educate the public that when an individual is seen carrying a firearm openly, it does not automatically mean the individual is up to no good.