Chickens are far safer than firearms and laws allowing for open carry need to change, said Scheffler of Appleton. “Carrying a loaded assault weapon in downtown Appleton, the fine is zero dollars,” he said. “The fine for carrying a loaded chicken - and she is loaded - is $263.50.” This follows an incident a few weeks ago where police allowed two men to walk around the farmer's market openly carrying AR-15 rifles.
Scheffler and the group felt it was time to prove how ridiculous open carry laws are, but others feel this stunt isn't helping. Appleton police asked the Scheffler to leave with his chicken because bringing animals to the farmer's market violates city rules. They say they are just enforcing the state ordinances. "It's our job to make sure that the laws are enforced and in this case open carry is legal," said Appleton deputy police chief.
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Charles Branstrom walked through the farmer's market carrying his loaded pistol, but just a few weeks ago he was the one of the men stopped by police for having a rifle. He thinks this chicken protest isn't comparable. "That can be a health hazard, there's food being prepared down here and it's illegal," said Branstrom. Appleton police are not issuing a fine for Scheffler and his chicken as long as they stay out of the farmer's market area from now on.
It was a .44-caliber chicken.
ReplyDeleteLurker111
No lurker, I think it was a .45 semi.
ReplyDeleteI know it's really difficult for people of other countries to appreciate the 2nd Amendment in the US, but it is here to stay and no amount of whining will make it go away. If you've never been around firearms, never understood their value as a weapon of personal defense, nevermind national defense, then no amount of trying to explain it to you will help. Consider it a strange tribal custom that you vowed to respect upon finding it on your world travels, no matter how bizarre, for you have no right to force your values and lifestyle on other peoples. In fact, if you look at it that way, you'll go out of your way to justify it so it is a bit more palatable to your sensibilities.
What we, members of that tribe, find very frustrating is that no matter which version of our tribe we come upon in our travels in our own country, i.e., the states, we are invariably in violation of some arcane "regulation" that does not exist in our own state. To access a Constitutionally protected civil right without actually being able to enjoy it, certainly not to the degree that the 1st Amendment is allowed, is a true test of anyone's patience and command of legal knowledge. If there were federal standards that no state or municipality could change, then at least everyone would know what is allowed and what is not. Then we could all get on with dealing with what is reality and we can stop carping about it and instead focus on calibres of hens.
--A.
Please be aware that there are more people in the United States in favor of greatly increased gun restrictions, but National Rifle Association donations have purchased too many lawmakers for that to happen. Can you imagine any sane country allowing people to walk around with AR15s?
ReplyDeleteBarbwire, citations please. There are a fair number of 2A haters who really want to believe with all their hearts and souls that most Americans actually hate the 2d Amend like they do but that nasty, horrid NRA has them all stifled and muffled and bound up in a bunch. Please, take my original suggestion to heart and you will feel better a whole lot sooner, for you then can stop wanting what you cannot have. But throwing doubt on the sanity of millions of people is a classic rule for radicals. --A.
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