Two arrested at Austin Capitol during open carry rally

[Cedar Park Dad]

If you're trying to protest you don't sneak around the law with a cap and ball. You take a nice unloaded deer rifle, and all your friends bring deer rifles and you flood the jails with arrested compatriots.

And you do it over and over and over and over.

[tomtexan]

I often wonder if these type of people in these videos are too lazy or just don't want to go through the process to get a CHL. Or maybe they are ineligible to get a CHL because of some past history and this is possibly why they advocate so strongly and in such a manner for open carry, just so they can carry a weapon. I really can't imagine anyone that has a CHL going and acting the way those people do and yelling the horrendous obscenities to those DPS troopers the way they did. I know I sure wouldn't. I was brought up much differently than that.

[Charles L. Cotton]

...... " I just wish those rabble rousing troublemakers wouldn't do that..... They keep this sort of thing up......next thing you know ...we won't even be allowed into Woolworth's or on them buses at all......."

I'm going to agree to disagree. Carry on..................

Trying to equate this event with the plight of blacks in the 1950's is a clear sign you cannot justify the in-your-face tactics being used on their own merit.

When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white person on the bus, there was no organized, effective campaign/organizations fighting to protect the civil rights of blacks. Rosa's defiant stand was the spark that ignited the civil rights movement for blacks.

That's not the case with open-carry. An open-carry bill has been filed in the last two sessions and during 2013, both NRA and TSRA supported it, even though it was not on either organization's political agenda for 2013. A factor that made their support possible was the greatly diminished bomb-throwing tactics that had been so widespread in 2009 and 2011.

Unfortunately, the same in-your-face tactics are once again being used and videos are being posted showing confrontations with law enforcement. This does not help pass open-carry. The general public is very supportive of concealed-carry, but they oppose open-carry. We change their minds by being consummate statesmen, not by intentionally provoking law enforcement to make an arrest, or forcing Wal-Mart Managers to ask people to leave the store with their "weapons." If a picture speaks a thousand words, a video speaks a million words. All the general public is seeing of open-carry are people being defiant and confrontational. In their minds they are thinking, "these are the very people who will be openly-carrying handguns, if it ever becomes legal and I don't want that to happen!"

I am absolutely convinced that there is a segment of society that value confrontation and their personal 15 minutes of fame above all else. Otherwise, they would attempt to change the law by using methods that have proven successful for decades, rather than resorting to those that always fail.

SherwoodForest, I'm sure you disagree so tell me precisely how the confrontation in Austin moved the open-carry cause forward.

Chas.

[texanjoker]

...... " I just wish those rabble rousing troublemakers wouldn't do that..... They keep this sort of thing up......next thing you know ...we won't even be allowed into Woolworth's or on them buses at all......."

I'm going to agree to disagree. Carry on..................

Trying to equate this event with the plight of blacks in the 1950's is a clear sign you cannot justify the in-your-face tactics being used on their own merit.

When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white person on the bus, there was no organized, effective campaign/organizations fighting to protect the civil rights of blacks. Rosa's defiant stand was the spark that ignited the civil rights movement for blacks.

That's not the case with open-carry. An open-carry bill has been filed in the last two sessions and during 2013, both NRA and TSRA supported it, even though it was not on either organization's political agenda for 2013. A factor that made their support possible was the greatly diminished bomb-throwing tactics that had been so widespread in 2009 and 2011.

Unfortunately, the same in-your-face tactics are once again being used and videos are being posted showing confrontations with law enforcement. This does not help pass open-carry. The general public is very supportive of concealed-carry, but they oppose open-carry. We change their minds by being consummate statesmen, not by intentionally provoking law enforcement to make an arrest, or forcing Wal-Mart Managers to ask people to leave the store with their "weapons." If a picture speaks a thousand words, a video speaks a million words. All the general public is seeing of open-carry are people being defiant and confrontational. In their minds they are thinking, "these are the very people who will be openly-carrying handguns, if it ever becomes legal and I don't want that to happen!"

I am absolutely convinced that there is a segment of society that value confrontation and their personal 15 minutes of fame above all else. Otherwise, they would attempt to change the law by using methods that have proven successful for decades, rather than resorting to those that always fail.

SherwoodForest, I'm sure you disagree so tell me precisely how the confrontation in Austin moved the open-carry cause forward.

Chas.

and well said.

[bayouhazard]

Reality check. Those folks at the Capitol were engaged in a peaceful, and lawful assembly, and were violating NO TEXAS LAW.

The Travis County D.A.'s office did not like the message they were communicating plain & simple.

I disagree with you on other points but I agree with this. If they thought a real crime was being committed, they wouldn't have given the protestors a chance to pack up and go home quietly. Bank robbers don't get a free pass to take the money and run. On the other hand, if the objective is silencing the protestors, getting them to leave under their own power accomplishes that goal.

[texanjoker]

Reality check. Those folks at the Capitol were engaged in a peaceful, and lawful assembly, and were violating NO TEXAS LAW.

The Travis County D.A.'s office did not like the message they were communicating plain & simple.

I disagree with you on other points but I agree with this. If they thought a real crime was being committed, they wouldn't have given the protestors a chance to pack up and go home quietly. Bank robbers don't get a free pass to take the money and run. On the other hand, if the objective is silencing the protestors, getting them to leave under their own power accomplishes that goal.

Comparing trespassing to a bank robbery ? In most cases a person trespassing is afforded the opportunity to leave as was this case vs tying up resources making a misdemeanor arrest. There is no agenda in that other then to keep from wasting time on a petty misdemeanor arrest.

[bayouhazard]

Now the charge is trespassing instead of open carry? I see.

[Beiruty]

Now the charge is trespassing instead of open carry? I see.

How do you trespass on public land/building?

[talltex]

Reality check. Those folks at the Capitol were engaged in a peaceful, and lawful assembly, and were violating NO TEXAS LAW.


Comparing trespassing to a bank robbery ? In most cases a person trespassing is afforded the opportunity to leave as was this case vs tying up resources making a misdemeanor arrest. There is no agenda in that other then to keep from wasting time on a petty misdemeanor arrest.

where did the trespassing comment come from?

[EEllis]

Reality check. Those folks at the Capitol were engaged in a peaceful, and lawful assembly, and were violating NO TEXAS LAW.

The Travis County D.A.'s office did not like the message they were communicating plain & simple.

I disagree with you on other points but I agree with this. If they thought a real crime was being committed, they wouldn't have given the protestors a chance to pack up and go home quietly. Bank robbers don't get a free pass to take the money and run. On the other hand, if the objective is silencing the protestors, getting them to leave under their own power accomplishes that goal.

It was a disturbance charge if I remember right and the officers were willing to allow them to stop the "disturbance" by placing the handguns in their cars and continue on with their protest. That doesn't seem like trying to halt anything but the activity that the officers felt was causing the disturbance. At no time did I hear the officers ask anyone to leave just that they stopped what they believed was illegal behavior. While you state as a fact "They were violating NO TEXAS LAW" there is precedent to say otherwise. Clearly and obviously there is more than enough PC to put such a case in front of a court who can then decide what if any laws were broken.

[TrackinPat]

One day these fools are going to get us all backed into a corner that we are going to be forced to fight our way out of.

I'm all for the right to open carry, but yes you are right, these idiots that go out and jump around and say, "LOOK I HAVE A GUN AND YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!" make us look like the gun-crazed people that anti-gun people think we are. The two arrested were arrested for trespassing... SERIOUSLY?... You couldn't just protest 400 feet down? These guys are really pressing the issue wrong.. nothing wrong with peaceful demonstrations, but damn don't mess it up in the process.

[TrackinPat]

Reality check. Those folks at the Capitol were engaged in a peaceful, and lawful assembly, and were violating NO TEXAS LAW.


Comparing trespassing to a bank robbery ? In most cases a person trespassing is afforded the opportunity to leave as was this case vs tying up resources making a misdemeanor arrest. There is no agenda in that other then to keep from wasting time on a petty misdemeanor arrest.

where did the trespassing comment come from?

In the top paragraph of the article it mentions they were arrested for criminal trespassing.

[texanjoker]

Now the charge is trespassing instead of open carry? I see.

Did you not read the article and see what the men were arrested for? I'll say it again, one cannot compare a trespass with a bank robbery.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — State troopers arrested two men said to be carrying antique pistols outside the Texas Capitol on Saturday during a demonstration by a gun-rights group that also helped spearhead a rally of openly armed supporters last week at the Alamo.

The two men were arrested for criminal trespass and have refused to identify themselves to authorities, Department of Public Safety spokesman Tom Vinger said.

[texanjoker]

Reality check. Those folks at the Capitol were engaged in a peaceful, and lawful assembly, and were violating NO TEXAS LAW.


Comparing trespassing to a bank robbery ? In most cases a person trespassing is afforded the opportunity to leave as was this case vs tying up resources making a misdemeanor arrest. There is no agenda in that other then to keep from wasting time on a petty misdemeanor arrest.

where did the trespassing comment come from?

In the top paragraph of the article it mentions they were arrested for criminal trespassing.

Thank you.

[TrackinPat]

Reality check. Those folks at the Capitol were engaged in a peaceful, and lawful assembly, and were violating NO TEXAS LAW.


Comparing trespassing to a bank robbery ? In most cases a person trespassing is afforded the opportunity to leave as was this case vs tying up resources making a misdemeanor arrest. There is no agenda in that other then to keep from wasting time on a petty misdemeanor arrest.

where did the trespassing comment come from?

In the top paragraph of the article it mentions they were arrested for criminal trespassing.

Thank you.

Yes sir!