Open Carry Stop in Middleton Wisconsin

Gun Watch ^ | 18 July, 2018 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

I have been staying in Middleton, Wisconsin for a couple of months. After an injury a couple of years ago, and a serious case of pneumonia, I have changed exercise from running to brisk walking. 

Wearing t-shirt and shorts limits the options for concealed carry. Most of my walking in the area started about 0500, but on Monday, July 9th, I had stayed up late, coming back from a play at American Player's Theater in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

I slept in. I didn't get out to exercise until after 0800. It was a mistake. Instead of a few cars along the route I was walking, it was a minor rush hour north of Lake Mendota.

Madison and Middleton are deep blue in their politics. 41 minutes and three miles into the walk, I saw the SUV with the flat and narrow light bar slowing down and stopping as it approached me.  I was only 100 yards from turning off of the busy roadway, and 300 yards from the end of my walk.

I knew what was going on. The lights came on and the vehicle stopped.  As I approached the Dane County Sheriff's vehicle, the deputy got out. Good morning, I opened.

He stretched out his hand. I shook it. He introduced himself. His tone was apologetic. A hand shake is a time honored tradition between armed men. It shows the weapon hand is empty.

"I know you have the right." he said.  But with all these drivers, we got a call, and I have to check it out. I introduced my self. He said: "Out for a walk?" Yes, I said. Would you like a card? I was thinking of giving him a business card.

No, he said, it is open carry, it is a right. You don't need a card, misinterpreting the card I was offering as an offer of ID or a CCW permit.

I sympathized with his position, having been on the other side of the contact equation.

He was not intrusive, essentially apologized for the contact, and never asked me to disarm or for ID.

It is a serious contrast with what happened to the Culver's five, on September 18, 2010. They were arrested for disturbing the peace, for merely open carrying while eating dinner at a Culver's restaurant in Madison. That case ended in a settlement of ten thousand dollars to the open carriers who had been arrested and falsely charged.

The deputy was polite, professional, and knowledgeable.  He did not approach the "man with a gun" call with a chip on his shoulder. I have been treated with less respect and more fear in stops in Yuma, Arizona.

The police have always been potential allies in the culture wars. Most street officers support the Second Amendment. As more people carry, openly and concealed, the police on the street find the people who carry are the good guys.

Court cases educate them to treat armed citizens with respect. That respect is reinforced with street experience.

I am wary of volunteering information to strange police officers. But all open carriers are, to some extent, representatives of the gun culture. This is a balancing act. The officer made clear he wasn't fishing for information. I did not volunteer much, except I was exercising.

The re-normalization of the gun culture continues.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

[marktwain]

Polite police who respect the Second Amendment.

Quite a turn-around for Wisconsin in seven years.

[taxcontrol]

I often get asked, Why do people need to open carry. This is why. It takes time to first educate the courts, then the police and then eventually the public. The method for creating the educational opportunity is open carry.

[rellimpank]

—I’d be curious to see former Gub James Doyle’s reaction—

[relictele]

He stretched out his hand. I shook it.

Somewhat surprising. I have heard from many people that cops refuse to shake hands eg a show of gratitude from a person they have helped by claiming 'It violates our training' ie they might be attacked if someone has a clamp on one of their hands.

Yes, it's silly, paranoid, melodramatic and counterproductive but so are many police upper management figures.

[marktwain]

That would be fun.

Governor Doyle stymied a shall issue law three times, I think.

Two vetoes, as I recall. One included what appeared to be a judgeship to a retiring legislature in return for him switching his vote to uphold a veto.

Yes, it would be good to know his thoughts on this.

His vetoes made the final version of the bill that passed much more inclusive, protective, and less restrictive.

It is one of the best “shall issue” bills in the nation.

[marktwain]

eg a show of gratitude

---

This was not a show of gratitude.

It was a show of mutual respect.

[mad_as_he$$]

There is a widening gap between sheriff’s and police departments in regard to how the public is interacted with. If the encounter was with the big city police, chances are your experience would have been different.

[rellimpank]

-—and then there was ,IIRC, the mayor of Milwaukee who promised to “throw open carriers to the sidewalk”-—

[Obadiah]

I’m not a fan of open carry. Although lawful, it is unnecessarily provocative, and more importantly, not tactically wise.

In this area of libs, you just know they you are going to get ratted on. In my experience, the local sheriffs here are really good guys, they even have a gun range that is open to the public.

[marktwain]

Police Chief of Milwaukee.

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2014/06/dean-weingarten/open-carry-ok-milwaukee/

[relictele]

eg = example

I was not commenting specifically on your situation.

[wintertime]

“The normalization of the gun culture continues” :)

[marktwain]

No problem.

Just making clear in this case.

[Billyv]

A lib walks Out of a bar and sees an open carry citizen and a citizen wearing a MAGA hat. He only has enough battery for one call to the police, on which citizen does he report? .......

[Arlis]

Agree totally - even here in Virginia where open-carry is not only lawful, but popular.

[so_real]

Great story.

     The re-normalization of the gun culture continues.

Exactly. I firmly believe for every 1 open carry there needs to be 10 concealed carries in proximity. But that one open carry, even with the proverbial target painted on his back, is critical for the re-normalization of gun culture in America.

[BraveMan]

The author was fortunate that he didn’t try this in Milwaukee.

[riverrunner]

Even the city of Milwaukee has learned not to hassle open carriers.

[Leaning Right]

> ‘It [shaking hands] violates our training’ ie they might be attacked if someone has a clamp on one of their hands. <

I’ve been told that some cops won’t shake hands because an observer might interpret it as a passing of bribe money - let me off with a warning and I’ll slip you a twenty.

[Leaning Right]

> I’m not a fan of open carry. Although lawful, it is unnecessarily provocative, and more importantly, not tactically wise. <

Agreed! I’ve long felt that the law has it exactly backwards. Concealed carry should be constitutionally protected. No permit needed. I even think felons who have completed their probation/parole should get that right back. It’s open carry that should require the permit. Open carry is, as you noted, unnecessarily provocative.

Suppose I’m mowing my lawn. It’s not hunting season. And three strange guys are walking up the road towards me, carrying rifles. It’s their right. But I’m not just going to mindlessly keep mowing my lawn. I’m going to be provoked. I don’t know if that’s something I’m just supposed to “get used to”.

For those that disagree with me, consider the First Amendment. You have the right to possess extremely vulgar dirty pictures (or erotica, if you prefer). You want to carry it around in your pocket? well, go ahead. But don’t walk around with those pictures pinned to the front of your shirt.