I spent a little time on the phone yesterday with Dave Workman of the Second Amendment Foundation, talking about Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels’ recently spoken of Executive Order (thanks again, to Ray Carter).
As it currently stands, it looks as though the EO will direct all city employees to demand that people legally carrying their concealed pistols on all city property to leave the property immediately. If the legally carrying person does not leave immediately, they will be charged by the City of Seattle with trespassing. It is a nice little dodge around the pre-emptive state laws, though it makes me sick to my stomach.
The policy is not yet in effect. It is being drawn up by the city’s lawyers and even Nickels doesn’t know when he will be able to sign it.
“Our parks, our community centers and our public events are safer without guns,” Nickels said at a news conference with Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske. “At many properties, including City Hall, you can bring a gun if you have a concealed-weapons permit. Under this order, people with concealed weapons will be asked to give up their weapon or leave.”
What a wonderful horrible bit of nanny-statism. Communities are safer without guns, unless those guns are in the hands of city employees, like the police.
Not in my world.
But back to my conversation with Dave Workman.
Both Mr. Workman and I are pretty sure that Nickels will hold a “Town Hall†style meeting to attempt and make it look as though “the community†is behind his decision. Mr. Workman is asking for me to get a list together of folks who would be willing to show up when/if they are needed to thwart Nickels’ circus.
Because of their prior association with Nickels and Police Chief Kerlikowske, the local gun bigot groups will very likely have advanced notice of when the meeting is scheduled. But even in Seattle, they don’t really have the numbers, and that is what will count when the media arrives.
And even if they try and deny the pro-CCW folks attendance to the meeting and push us into the hallway, like what happened in Olympia during the “close the gun show loophole bill†testimony last year, or for those of us unwilling to compromise on our right to carry concealed, keep us outside the building altogether, the more people that can and do show up, the better.
So please, if you live in the greater Seattle/Tacoma/Everett area, and would be willing to exercise your right to speak and be heard by the government, as well as continue to carry concealed in any place not prohibited by state law, look at the top of the right hand column for the RNS email addresses and send me an email.
Or, if you have your own blog, I would like to request of you a post asking any Seattle area locals to please do the same.
You know and I know that if Nickels gets away with this here, that the City of Olympia will follow him down the happy path of ignorance. You can then follow the path of logic that tells you that other cities and townships will follow: Bellingham, Tacoma, Vancouver, even possibly Everett and Spokane, just to name the larger ones.
We need to stop this now.
Thanks and wish us luck.
Pingback: SayUncle » Action Alert Seattle
Did you catch that victim statement, poor girl must be confused, she is a victim of gun violence, she must now fight for the Bradys.
Pingback: GunPundit
The police can find anything to arrest you with and you will be arrested, if they so incline. I’m not a cop basher, that’s just how things work.
It’s not going to stick though, just as 99.99% of the arrests during the earlier protest riots went nowhere.
Stolen directly from Jason in The View From North Central Idaho:
************
I don’t see how this order can stand given RCW 9.41.290:
The state of Washington hereby fully occupies and preempts the entire field of firearms regulation within the boundaries of the state, including the registration, licensing, possession, purchase, sale, acquisition, transfer, discharge, and transportation of firearms, or any other element relating to firearms or parts thereof, including ammunition and reloader components. Cities, towns, and counties or other municipalities may enact only those laws and ordinances relating to firearms that are specifically authorized by state law, as in RCW 9.41.300, and are consistent with this chapter. Such local ordinances shall have the same penalty as provided for by state law. Local laws and ordinances that are inconsistent with, more restrictive than, or exceed the requirements of state law shall not be enacted and are preempted and repealed, regardless of the nature of the code, charter, or home rule status of such city, town, county, or municipality.
and RCW 9.41.300:
…
(2) Cities, towns, counties, and other municipalities may enact laws and ordinances:
(a) Restricting the discharge of firearms in any portion of their respective jurisdictions where there is a reasonable likelihood that humans, domestic animals, or property will be jeopardized. Such laws and ordinances shall not abridge the right of the individual guaranteed by Article I, section 24 of the state Constitution to bear arms in defense of self or others; and
(b) Restricting the possession of firearms in any stadium or convention center, operated by a city, town, county, or other municipality, except that such restrictions shall not apply to:
(i) Any pistol in the possession of a person licensed under RCW 9.41.070 or exempt from the licensing requirement by RCW 9.41.060; or
(ii) Any showing, demonstration, or lecture involving the exhibition of firearms.
…
(emphasis is mine)
They are obviously trying to get around state preemption by using tresspassing laws, but…
Concerning defence against tresspassing charges, RCW 9A.52.090 states:
…
(2) The premises were at the time open to members of the public and the actor complied with all lawful conditions imposed on access to or remaining in the premises; or
…
*********************
(http://blog.joehuffman.org/CommentView,guid,46ddf725-ef56-4975-9a5f-f6e1a01bb875.aspx#commentstart)
There are several things going on here. One is Joe is right. This is a war of attrition. The other is a less obvious influence: fear. Heller is looming down on these folks (such as the political hacks in Seattle) like the Sword of Damocles.
“We” (the People) have these forces on the run. We should expect more of this as we gain inroads. And as Phil points out, we have to fight it.
I would like to point you all at Lonnie’s post. http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/view_topic.php?id=11756&forum_id=55&jump_to=190213#p190213
While I am not a big Open Carry fan (although I have on occasion), I have respect for those that do. Mr. Wilson is at the forefront of the Seattle Open Carry movement.
Phil, email sent.
Pingback: Snowflakes in Hell » Collective Punishment in Seattle Update
One word: Injunction. Demand that the District Attorney file for one immediately to pre-empt the pre-emption.
If the DA refuses, sue him/her (it’s Seattle, so maybe it’s a him-her). Keep raising the stakes, but work fast.
I drop a dime to the NRA, but I doubt that they’d be fast enough.
This is similar to the situation which developed in Philly this winter and spring. The NRA’s lawsuits finally ended that nonsense, but someone needs to put a set of Size 15 caulks (Hobnailed logger’s boots) to this nonsense.
If this makes it into practice, everyone who is challenged should freeze the scene, take names, and call 911 to report improper detention. When the first city worker gets charged with Kidnapping, that policy will die a quick death. If the cops refuse to take the kidnap reports, or the DA refuses to issue the complaints, get into Federal Court and hammer everyone, by name, for Civil Rights violations.
We have the weight of the law on our side here, and the best that Nickles’ lawyer crew can come up with will be held to be completely illegal by the first judge who handles it (just like happened in Philly).
But, why go to all the angst of having to be arrested when a simple injunction will put a stop to it now.
I wrote to Mayor Nickels, his dime and his website, and told him that they had laws against shooting people, using weapons to harm people and property and restricting weapons isn’t going to change anything – and the city employees have to figure out that you are carrying in order to tell you to leave – and according to my instructions as a licensed Concealed Carrier I am not allowed to permit others to know I have a weapon – only show a permit when asked by a LEO, not the weapon. I figure the Mayor knows it is only to make some people feel better.
Pingback: walls of the city
I’m not as smart as some of the other folks here, since I can’t see anything remotely resembling an email address anywhere…
Pingback: The View From North Central Idaho