From The Oregonian, chip on their shoulder gun owners ascend new heights of awesome …
Police say two men openly carried assault rifles in the Portland’s Sellwood area to demonstrate their 2nd amendment rights and “educate the public”.
Steven M. Boyce, of Gresham, and Warren R. Drouin, of Medford, both 22, were spotted by officers about 1:50 p.m. Wednesday near Southeast 7th Avenue and Spokane Street and have concealed handgun licenses, said Sgt. Pete Simpson, a Portland Police Bureau spokesman. They were not arrested because the rifles remained on their backs, he added.
Officers warned the duo that the sight of their rifles would generate 911 calls, but neither man seemed concerned, Simpson said. No shots were fired.
In addition to numerous 911 calls, the two sent at least one school into lockdown. But among the many other hilarious and horrific things about this story is the one thing that’s right out there in plain site, namely, that this was perfectly legal. Boyce and Drouin both have up to date concealed carry licenses and the assault rifles are legal weapons. So there was nothing the police could do.
Now, even most people who support the idea that basically any law-abiding citizen should be able to get a license to carry around a handgun probably get that this is not a great idea. After all, for other things beside carrying weapons there are disturbing the peace ordinances that give police some ability to intervene if people are doing normally legal things in a way that creates havoc or public disturbances.
But guns, in many cases, seem to have more rights than you or I.
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