Broke this up with topic titles for ease of read.
OPEN CARRYOpen carry? Seriously? Like, seriously? You actually carry a gun around you in the sight of others? That has "bad idea" written all over it unless it's for a special even or maybe a rural area. I can see it working there, but urban and suburban places? I doubt it. Just because both Oregon and Washington state are open carry states does not mean it's a good idea. Sure, you have the legal right to, but don't bitch if all of a sudden the police are asking you questions or you're being followed around or asked to leave. If you are in a place like a mall, for example, that is private property and the rules might forbid such actions. Carrying them out in the open can possibly be considered as aggressive behavior or menacing, depending on how you act and how you carry your weapon. If you are angry about something and have an open weapon, you are definitely upping the risk of being arrested for menacing.
Also, if you are angry with a weapon at your hip, for instance, with police talking to you about it, if you make a sudden move, especially in the vicinity of your weapon, YOU WILL PROBABLY BE SHOT. Police officers are highly trained to take action if there is suspected threat, and any any quick motion whatsoever when armed will more than likely fall under that threat category. When faced with police officers when carrying a weapon, for god's sake, drop the weapon.
GUN LAWS AND RIGHTSArticle 1 section 24 of the Washington State Constitution mentions that you have the right to bear arms, not that you are okay with carrying them out in the open. What is written there is a more direct version of the rights granted by the Federal Constitution.
If you hide it in any regard, even stuffing it in the hemline of your pants or a backpack, it's a concealed weapon and you need a permit. If you do not, it is illegal and can have serious penalty. In Washington, if you have a gun in your car, you need a concealed weapon's permit. (My source: Wikipedia Gun Laws by state and conversations with some Oregon police officers).
Gun laws are definitely not black and white, and I would take any advice given here with serious consideration and fact-checking. While both Washington and Oregon are considered open carry states, this does not mean that cities don't have their own separate laws that prevent open carry. If you want to try open carry, I HIGHLY suggest you look into the law by city.
I'm skeptical about a lot of the gun conversation that's going on here. I'm going to fact-check it with some cops I know and see what Oregon law says.
MISC.I will always support Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul. They have plans that they will tell you in a way that is completely direct and cerebral. They will never get voted in office for it, but they will get my vote when I am able. I support people who vote for 3rd party candidates since I support a non-two party government. And in the spirit of George Washington, a two party system will ruin this country, and I fear it is going that route. It should not be red states and blue states since that suggests that the options are ONLY conservative and ONLY liberal. This is just not the case. I have a LOT of liberal values, and I have a LOT of Conservative values. This country needs to have people who are willing to consider the others' point of view. That is a very idealistic viewpoint, however (much like those Anti-cop protesters that marched through PSU today. That's a great idea and all, but what will you do without cops? How will you catch criminals and lock those up who are truly dangerous? And what's with the black and chains? Talk about stereotypes.)
I do also agree with Joel Barlow, Washington's chaplain, and his quotation of "The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." Thomas Jefferson also has some very interesting quotations on religion and this country that would probably surprise a lot of Americans. One such letter is in the back of my pocket Constitution that I carry around in my backpack. I don't know what I'll do with it, but I enjoy carrying it around and reading it on rare occasion. Hey, at least I've read the full Bill of Right and Constitution
Obama's basically done what I expected him to: change very little. I don't think he's proven to be a bad president just yet (certainly not the worst) and I don't regret my vote. He'd have to do some majorly bad stuff to make me regret not voting for Palin. He has tried with a lot of regards, he has done a lot of minor good things, but the major problems are convoluted with difficult solutions, and I do believe there is a certain amount of corruption within our government, specifically with the influence of corporations over our representatives and congressmen.
I think this country underestimates how important state elections are. If you want real change, legalizing cannabis for instance (Take it elsewhere, folks! Move along! It's only an example!), that will happen on a state level before it goes Federal, and even then I doubt that will happen. Same goes for gay marriage. It has to happen on a state level before it happens Federally. That's a damn shame, too since it causes problems with marriage being recognized beyond state borders. Really sad, that is.
