Liberty MavenAn Invisible Footnote on the Second Amendment?
August 13th, 2009 8:00 am | by Marc Gallagher | Published in Activism, Civil Liberties, Commentary, Constitution, Gun Control, Liberty, Maven Commentary, law | 12 Responses
A man who had the gall to exercise his Constitutional right to bear arms has come under fire, so to speak. The man, William Kostric, chose to open carry his handgun in a leg holster while holding up a sign prior to an Obama Town Hall meeting in New Hampshire the other day. What the hell was this guy thinking? Let’s find out…
See the following video from MSNBC reporting the story while it was happening:
The sign he happens to be holding doesn’t help calm fears about this man’s intentions, but think about it. If he were intending to do harm to anyone why would he be advertising that he has a weapon? He attempts to clear things up a bit when he was a guest on Hardball later in the day.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
It seems to me that Chris Matthews comes off looking more crazy than the guy with the gun in this segment.
Some have suggested Kostric was doing it just to provoke. I agree, and I think that is a wonderful thing. If it takes this kind of peaceful provocation to open eyes and minds then I’m all for it.
Kostric was later interviewed by Dave Ridley of The Ridley Report where he discusses his experience.
The last time I read the 2nd Amendment it didn’t end with “shall not be infringed unless somewhat near where the President of the United States will be in 90 minutes.”
No, William Kostric is not crazy gunman. He just believes that if we don’t exercise our rights from time to time we will lose them. I do too. America needs more people like him.
For raw video of Kostric and his encounter with police see the following video.
Follow LM on Twitter
August 13th, 2009 at 12:06 pm (#)
Do you really think that the average voter is going to look at this guy and think he's making a valid political point, or are they going to look at him as a nut who took a gun to a Presidential town hall.
Based on the voters I've met over 20-odd years of retail politics, I'd say it's more likely to be the latter.
August 13th, 2009 at 12:41 pm (#)
So then the average voter is an uneducated idiot?
It only proves the "average voter" doesn't understand what it means to be free, and the responsibilities that come along with it.
What difference does it make, anyway, what the average voter thinks about this situation?
The main point if we don't exercise our god-given rights we will surely lose them.
August 13th, 2009 at 12:47 pm (#)
No, it means the average voter isn't the type of person who thinks its rational to carry a gun at a political rally.
And it matters what voters think because, well, voters vote.
That's the problem we libertarians have. We spend so much time talking in the echo chamber that we don't stop to think what people who don't spend every day talking politics might think, or how to convince them that our ideas are worth considering.
August 13th, 2009 at 12:51 pm (#)
As usual, I agree with your sentiments, but your points seem to have little to do with thrust of the article. Seem you have a knack for changing the subject.
August 13th, 2009 at 12:53 pm (#)
Well, that's because the question of whether or not he had a right to do what he did isn't really all that important.
He went to a political rally to make a political point……..I think the method by which he choose to do that was, at best, counter-productive.
August 13th, 2009 at 12:58 pm (#)
Doug,
These days I have to agree with you about the average voter, but if people didn't do these things I feel we'd be in worse shape. There are many gun owners (who may not be the average voter) who look at this event as no big deal.
And yes, I think there are probably more people out there who view this guy as a nut. I also believe that if more people open carried then this would not have even been news regardless of whether it was outside a town meeting where the President was going to be.
People are quick to condemn someone for carrying a gun even if they are doing so peacefully and for defense only. I'd prefer if they disconnected the "crazy" from it and realized that millions of non-crazies do it every single day without incident. Kostric is a good example of one of those millions.
I realize I'm focusing on the "right" and not the fact that he chose to do it outside an Obama Town Hall meeting holding a provocative sign, which I probably would not do because I wouldn't want the attention. However his "stunt" if it should be called that worked because he was able to get on national TV and show that not all gun carriers are "nuts".
The more this kind of thing happens the more the curtain will go away that seems to surround gun owners reading "WARNING: GUN NUT INSIDE".
August 13th, 2009 at 12:59 pm (#)
> Well, that's because the question of whether or not he had a right to do what he
> did isn't really all that important.
Really? I have to disagree, and say that our rights are of the utmost importance.
> He went to a political rally to make a political point……..I think the method by
> which he choose to do that was, at best, counter-productive.
That may or may not be true.
If peaceably exercising our rights isn't the best tact, what would you suggest?
August 13th, 2009 at 1:06 pm (#)
There's a common thread here that I have to take issue with. The fact that the action is being called a "stunt" or even a "choice" is playing into the hands of those who wish to vilify the man. I don't know what's the case and what's not, but what if the guy normally walks around open-carrying? Suppose that's what he does every day of his life, on a normal basis. Should he disarm on the day of the rally simply because the president is coming past? That would be completely asinine, and accepting unconstitutional and invalid rules/laws that infringe on 2nd amendment rights, and quite counterproductive, indeed.
August 13th, 2009 at 9:40 am (#)
[...] More info at Liberty Maven. [...]
August 13th, 2009 at 3:57 pm (#)
You do realize that thousands of people are seeing these videos now.. I think it will be a spark that reignites the open carry movement so that people can get used to seeing guns.
I also think it will make many people wake up and realize that we (libertarians) aren't going to win spread out. It is time to concentrate.
NH is the place to do that.
FreeStateProject.org
Check it out.
(Yes William is often open carrying here in NH which is 100% legal and somewhat normal)
August 14th, 2009 at 3:04 am (#)
Why would anyone in their right mind feel the need to bring an Obama to a meeting on health care? I am opposed to all Obamas and don't even want to own one. Obamas are dangerous to our liberty and should be banned.
August 14th, 2009 at 4:06 am (#)
Hear! Hear!, John