TEXAS: Open Carry Crackpots Confront State Rep, Refuse To Leave His Office

Via Mediaite:

Open carry advocates descended upon the Texas capitol for the start of the 2015 legislative session Tuesday and engaged in what even some of their supporters called overly aggressive tactics. One incident, in which members accosted Representative Poncho Nevarez (D-Eagle Pass), unnerved the Texas House enough for lawmakers to call for panic buttons. The meeting in Nevaraz’s office with twenty or so members of the Tarrant County chapter of Open Carry Texas started off polite enough, but quickly turned tense when several members began calling Nevaraz a “tyrant to the constitution” and warning him, “You won’t be here long, bro.” After being asked to leave the members became belligerent, telling staffers not to touch them and claiming it was “the people’s office.” (No arrests were made.) Kory Watkins, head of the chapter, uploaded video of the incident to Facebook.

Today the Texas House did approve the placement of "panic buttons" that will summon police to the offices of state reps. Watch the clip.

Headline Of The Day

The company is called Perceived Carry Decoys.

Headlines Of The Day

Details.

Today In Open Carry Crazy People

Arizona-based trucker and devout "lover of Christ" Rob Kinnison, whose YouTube channel is laden with obscenity-heavy anti-gay rants, is very angry with the gun control group Moms Demand Action. Via Wonkette:

Rob Kinnison is probably not the kind of spokesperson open carry advocates would select for themselves, but that’s not how it works anymore. How it works now is you just yell really loud and threaten people on the internet. That’s what Rob Kinnison did when he learned that the group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is pushing Kroger grocery stores to revise their policy of letting people like Rob Kinnison go shopping with locked and loaded assault rifles on their persons. But really, isn’t it about time you met Rob Kinnison, your new most despicable person of the hour, who legally owns several guns and loves to walk around with them in grocery stores such as Kroger because there’s something or some things wrong with him?

Wonkette suggests turning down your speakers.

Open Carry States Map

Via the Wall Street Journal:

Recently, Target, Starbucks and Chipotle have asked their patrons not to bring their guns. After petitions by gun-control groups such as Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Kroger said it would uphold local and state laws in the 34 states it operates. Carrying a firearm in a concealed manner is legal in all states, but open carry has more restrictions, especially for handguns. Though federal law doesn’t restrict the open carrying of handguns in public, several states—including California, Florida, Illinois, New York, South Carolina and Texas—ban the practice, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Thirteen states require a special permit or license to open carry. The remaining 31 states don’t require one. The laws are different for long guns, which are commonly associated with hunting.

New Kid's Book: My Parents Open Carry

From the Amazon description:

Come join 13-year-old Brenna Strong along with her mom, Bea, and her dad, Richard, as they spend a typical Saturday running errands and having fun together. What's not so typical is that Brenna's parents lawfully open carry handguns for self-defense. The Strongs join a growing number of families that are standing up for their 2nd Amendment rights by open carrying and bringing gun ownership out of the closet and into the mainstream. If you open carry and have a difficult time explaining why to your family and friends, or if you want to learn about the open carry of a handgun, or if you've wondered if open carry is right for you, then this book is what you need. My Parents Open Carry was written in the hope of providing a basic overview of the right to keep and bear arms as well as the growing practice of the open carry of a handgun. We fear our children are being raised with a biased view of our constitution and especially in regards to the 2nd Amendment. Before writing this, we looked for pro-gun children's books and couldn't find any. Our goal was to provide a wholesome family book that reflects the views of the majority of the American people, i.e., that self-defense is a basic natural right and that firearms provide the most efficient means for that defense. We truly hope you will enjoy this book and read and discuss it with your children over and over again. As you read this book, you will learn about the growing practice of open carry, the 2nd Amendment, and the right and responsibility of self-defense. Home School Teachers: This book is an excellent text to use as a starting point on the discussion of the 2nd Amendment.

Matt Barber's site and other wingnut outlets are claiming that the book is already an "Amazon bestseller," but I'm not seeing it in the top 100 for kid's physical or e-books.  From one of the many scornful reviews: "Can't wait for the sequel, My Black Parents Open Carried Until the Police Shot Them 146 Times."

Judge Strikes Down DC's Handgun Ban

A federal judge has ruled that Washington DC's ban on openly carrying firearms in unconstitutional.

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Scullin is the latest in a protracted fight over gun laws here. In 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision striking down the city's 32-year-old ban on handguns. Since then, the city has rewritten its laws, lawsuits have been filed and even Congress has waded into the fight. In a decision made public Saturday, Judge Scullin concluded that the Second Amendment gives people the right to carry a gun outside the home for self-defense. He cited two U.S. Supreme Court cases as important to his ruling—the 2008 opinion striking down the District of Columbia's ban and a 2010 ruling involving Chicago's handgun ban. The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right "to keep and bear Arms." "There is no longer any basis on which this court can conclude that the District of Columbia's total ban on the public carrying of ready-to-use handguns outside the home is constitutional under any level of scrutiny," wrote Judge Scullin, who was appointed by President George H.W. Bush and is a retired Army colonel.

DC officials have requested a stay and plan to appeal. Open carry nuts are celebrating across Teabagistan.

Target: No Guns In Our Stores

"The leadership team has been weighing a complex issue, and I want to be sure everyone understands our thoughts and ultimate decision. As you’ve likely seen in the media, there has been a debate about whether guests in communities that permit 'open carry' should be allowed to bring firearms into Target stores. Our approach has always been to follow local laws, and of course, we will continue to do so. But starting today we will also respectfully request that guests not bring firearms to Target – even in communities where it is permitted by law. We’ve listened carefully to the nuances of this debate and respect the protected rights of everyone involved. In return, we are asking for help in fulfilling our goal to create an atmosphere that is safe and inviting for our guests and team members. This is a complicated issue, but it boils down to a simple belief: Bringing firearms to Target creates an environment that is at odds with the family-friendly shopping and work experience we strive to create." - Interim Target CEO John Mulligan.  Teabagistan is already calling for a boycott, of course.