Open Carrier harassed and threatened in Philadelphia Posted by andrewshemo

Posted 03/25/11 Last updated 03/26/11

Mark Fiorino, a fellow gun owner in the state of Pennsylvania, was walking to a local auto parts store when he was confronted by officers of the Philadelphia Police Department because he was openly carrying his firearm.  In our commonwealth, open carry is completely legal without a license except for when carrying in a car, in the city of Philadelphia and during the time of a declared emergency.  The statue below, which can be found in the PA Uniform Firearms Act, is the current law with regards to carrying in Philadelphia.

§6108. Carrying Firearms on Public Streets or Public Property in Philadelphia.

No person shall carry a firearm, rifle or shotgun at any time upon the public streets or upon any public property in a city of the first class unless:

(1) such person is licensed to carry a firearm; or

(2) such person is exempt from licensing under section 6106(b) of this title (relating to firearms not to be carried without a license)

Mark made a post about this incident on a PA gun forum:

I was visiting my mother today in Philadelphia to help her around the house and spend time with her. While there, I walked over to the local AutoZone to pick up a part for my car. I was OC due to the (finally) gorgeous weather.

I have learned to always keep my recorder on me and recording when I am in public in Philadelphia, due to the over-zealous nature of the police, and today, I am glad I followed that rule.

As I walked down the street towards the store, I caught a glimpse of a Philadelphia Police cruiser out of the corner of my eye, traveling in the same direction I was.

A few moments later, I hear a vehicle's transmission roughly slam into "P" very close by.

"Hey, Junior!" comes a voice from the other side of the squad car.

"Junior?!" I replied, as I turned around. I thought to myself, that's kind of a condescending way to greet someone, isn't it? As I turned, I prepared to ask the police officer what I could help him with.

It was then that I noticed the officer had his gun trained on my chest.

At least seven officers, 5 squad cars, and a threat of a taser later, I found out what it was like to sit in the back of a paddywagon.

Here's the first 15 minutes of the encounter which contains the bulk of the exchange.

(the video posted below is disturbing and contains graphic language)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Z-vUYeJXSrA

February Meetup Report Posted by thedavid

Posted 02/16/10 Last updated 02/17/10

Folks,

Thanks to everyone who was able to make out last meetup! We had a great turnout of around 25 people, with both new faces and veteran activists represented.

Before I discuss the next month's event, scheduled for Monday, March 1st 7pm at Skyland Restaurant, I'd like to take just a moment to recap our last event for those who weren't able to make it.

Our guest speaker was Fern Shubert, who is a former State Representative and State Senator. She delivered a very interesting talk that covered a lot of ground.

Of particular interest are the grassroots campaign tips that were imparted - these entrenched incumbents CAN be defeated when the people are properly informed.

Another particular item that was brought to light were some of the specific methods that are used by corrupt politicians in Raleigh to their own (and their buddies) benefit. We can fight them when we understand what it is they are actually doing. To this end, there is a bill that pertains directly to an aspect of this - H643 (http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2009/Bills/House/PDF/H643v2.pdf) which would allow waste water to be dumped into the aquifer for the benefit of the special people who can get the necessary permits to develop cheap land when nobody else could before.

Senator Shubert also announced that she is a candidate for the NC State Senate seat presently occupied by Senator Eddie Goodall, who will not be running for re-election.

Websites of interest that were mentioned:
http://fernshubert.com/
http://www.capitol-monitor.org/
http://www.jwpcivitasinstitute.org/

It's a shame we didn't have more time for her, but I am sure we'll hear more from Senator Shubert in the future.

Also present were candidates John Barker running for NC House district 69 and Phil Brown running for NC House district 106.

Our next meetup is scheduled for Monday, March 1st at 7pm. As usual, we'll be at Skyland Restaurant in the back.

Our special guest speaker is former NC Representative John Rhodes, who was in the NC House during the Jim Black scandal. We'll get to hear even more about the details therein from Rep. Rhodes unique perspective. If this talk is anything like what we got to hear at the last meetup, it is certain that we will learn even more about the TRUE (nasty) nature of politics! We look forward to a very illuminating discussion with Representative Rhodes.

Other points of discussion will be our NC Legislative Agenda for 2010. We have a firearms freedom bill (similar to the Montana bill) to be introduced into the NC House and are busy building strategic partnerships to help bring this bill to fruition.

Also, the day of our meetup, Monday March 1st is the day before the GOP County Convention and Precinct Meetings. We will discuss this process and encourage all members who are registered Republicans to attend.

As usual, there will be fellowship and discussion to immediately follow the formal agenda. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Please be sure to stop by our meetup calendar to keep up to date on all the happenings. This is going to be a busy and exciting year. We're really revved up by the energy and enthusiasm!

Gaston County Campaign For Liberty had their inaugural event this evening and are planning on having their monthly meetup the 3rd Monday of the month in Mt. Holly. Please visit the Campaign for Liberty site for more info on that.

Finally, the Campaign For Liberty Drag Truck will be promoting us at drag races this season! BUT, we need some help sanding it down in preparation for painting and graphics. Please come by and help sand the Drag Truck on Feb 28th - email me for more info. The Drag Truck will be unveiled at the Appleseed BBQ at Pat and Jimmy Armstrong's house on March 27th at 5pm.

Items for the calendar:
Feb 27th - Appleseed Shoot, Ramseur (http://www.appleseedinfo.org)
Feb 27th - "A Federal Case", Raleigh (http://afederalcase.info)
Feb 28th - Dragster sanding party
Feb 22nd - Gaston GOP County Convention ??? info@gastongop.org
March 1st - Mecklenburg County Campaign for Liberty Meetup. 7pm Skyland Restaurant.
March 2nd - Mecklenburg GOP County Convention & Precinct Meetings March 2nd. Charlotte School of Law. 2145 Suttle Ave. 6:30pm - 9:00pm
March 27th - Appleseed BBQ at Pat and Jimmy Armstrong's 5pm.