do they have "Bar-B-Que" guns up there in WI???
Posted on 05/18/2009 7:21:55 PM PDT by marktwain
TOWN OF ONALASKA — Anyone who expected to see “Rambo” or “Dirty Harry” types at a picnic Sunday celebrating the right to openly carry handguns would have been disappointed.
On the contrary, it was a sober and decidedly nonflamboyant group that assembled in the neighborhood park adjacent to the Marvin Gardens subdivision. Ron Kelly, left, and event organizer Hubert Hoffman discuss open carry issues at the Open Carry Picnic in Onalaska. Erik Daily
Many were former military personnel, and the consensus seemed to be that they wanted to put a sensible face on the issue of openly carrying handguns — a right that Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen recently said exists in Wisconsin.
Pat Rose and his wife, Angel, drove to La Crosse from their home in Cudahy, a Milwaukee suburb.
He said he came to the picnic to demonstrate that open carry is legal.
“I support the Second Amendment,” he said.
His father, Jerry Rose of Blair, agreed. “I think it’s important to make people aware that it’s legal to do it,” he said.
Both wore reproductions of vintage instruments in their holsters. Pat Rose had a copy of a “1911” style military handgun, while is father had a reproduction of a Civil War-era gun.
Jerry Rose said he believes that former military people were more likely to be in favor of gun rights, while those who haven’t been in the military are more likely to oppose them.
Diane Reid of Blair served in the Navy, and she said her father had always been a hunter, and had taught her to use firearms responsibly.
She said she wanted “to give a public face to firearm owners, to show that we’re all law-abiding citizens. We’re not asking for anything that’s not in the Constitution.”
Jake Gosh of La Crosse, who was sitting at a picnic table with his friend Jake Maland of La Crosse, said he was there “practicing our constitutional rights.”
Gosh works as a mechanic at City Brewery, and Maland is an intensive care and pediatric intensive care nurse at Gundersen Lutheran.
Gosh said he grew up on a farm, where weapons were just another tool. The picnic, Maland said, is a “celebration. It’s a win for civil rights.”
They both said they believed that they have a right to carry and own firearms for personal protection.
Maland said he now keeps his loaded weapon in a nightstand next to his bed. But he and his wife will soon have their first child, so he said he will keep the weapon in a gun safe with a touch-tone lock, so that it will safely be out of reach of children, yet quickly accessible.
Bill Schmitz of Redgranite, Wis., had a vanity license plate on his mini-van that said, “LOKNLD” (lock and load).
He and his wife Deb teach a variety of weapons-related classes — including one on how to responsibly carry concealed weapons. Wisconsin does not have a law allowing citizens to carry concealed weapons but neighboring states, with the exception of Illinois, have such laws.
“It’s about your rights and responsibilities,” he said. “We want you to know what the liabilities are.”
Open Carry Picnic Facts
213 people signed in.
99 people carried holstered firearms.
100 burgers, 100 brats and 50 hot dogs were served.
$830.85 was raised by participants for Wisconsin Badger Camp. .
That’s one way to get rid of the ants.
A wonderful development !
Good choice. Keeps my kindergartner safe.
But are you aware of this: FACT: The 2nd Amendment is SELF-incorporated to all government entities at every level. It is MORE ABSOLUTE than the 1st Amendment, or any of the others, because the wording forbids not only CONGRESS, but ANYONE from infringing on it. The 1st says “Congress shall make no law...”. The 2nd say “shall NOT be infringed!” Period! End of debate!
Oh..., for a minute there, I thought we were talking about the town of that name in Washington State... :-)
I get your message, but how many laws are on the various books which do infringe, regulate, tax, level a fee upon, or actually deny the RKBA? Around 20,000 IIRC.
do they have "Bar-B-Que" guns up there in WI???
Great article by Richard Mial. Thanks for posting. Thanks for linking the video rr. Hooray Hubert Hoffman! Thank to all of the OUTSTANDING Americans at the picnic.
Light eaters
“Obviously nowhere near Milwaukee or Madison” self-ping. Wanna keep an eye on this thread.
Whoo Boy! You folks on the DHS far right wing terrorist watch list at the picnic damn near elevated the national threat level to orange. That 2nd amendment celebration thinking is just not going to be tolerated by Zero and Janet.
Thanks for posting the UTOOB link. Lots of good gratuitous bratwurst grilling shots.
Thi smakes the eft demoralized, and they want to join in having the"fun."
So we shluld have open carry "events." Even though we shluld have open carry "period!" as you say.
Designated open carry events are a great way to campaign against the left, wityhout the usual "in your face" carp the lefst engages in. Just a whole ass of people carrrying guns, and enjoying themselves. Drives the left absolutely looney.
We should be doing it all across the country.
Spell check is your friend....
“Pork Porn”
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