Open Carry Detainment Video Going Viral (Portland, Maine)

[Redz]

I agree with IP and Bahku, among others.  This kid is just being a punk, trolling law enforcement and attempting to alarm the public.

I have a lot of sympathy for people who are harassed by the police.  This kid was looking to provoke a confrontation.

The officer was definitely a moron, though.

Yeh, trolling should really be limited to Lakers fans on Celtics sites.  No need to take it to the streets.

[CDawg834]

Commonly I have this disdain for all protestors. Or most, anyways. At least those who go about it as stupidly and as selfishly as the people making these half-hearted attempts at entrapping public servants by trolling citizens in order to get a reaction out of police they can put on YouTube.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[sofutomygaha]

I feel so bad for the police.

[thirstyboots18]

Commonly I have this disdain for all protestors. Or most, anyways. At least those who go about it as stupidly and as selfishly as the people making these half-hearted attempts at entrapping public servants by trolling citizens in order to get a reaction out of police they can put on YouTube.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

I  agree with this.  (Says an old protester)

[BostonNative]

I appreciate it because it helps people like myself know that I don't just have to say yes to everything a cop ask me to do. Not all cops are innocent and we all know that. I also respect it because people are now doing jobs for the wrong reasons. Seems that people want to be a cop just so they can walk around with a gun or turn their lights on to pass a red light. I feel like if you have a passion for what you do then you will do your extra homework to not get played like this cop does. 

[Snakehead]

I appreciate it because it helps people like myself know that I don't just have to say yes to everything a cop ask me to do. Not all cops are innocent and we all know that. I also respect it because people are now doing jobs for the wrong reasons. Seems that people want to be a cop just so they can walk around with a gun or turn their lights on to pass a red light. I feel like if you have a passion for what you do then you will do your extra homework to not get played like this cop does.

The bolded is an important thing to learn for people.

And I've had bad encounters with cops, but good ones as well.  There are good and bad of course.  A big problem is that the system makes police exploitative of people (because it forces them to focus on giving tickets over doing real police work for example).  So it's complex and its important to understand, but to the citizen, it doesn't matter when it comes to rights.

At the end of the day, we pay their wages so we deserve some respect.

[Donoghus]

The thing is, I don't think this kid is really trying to intimidate anyone or anything like that.  I think he's so locked into the mindset of "MY RIGHTS", with a healthy dash of craving attention and wanting to show up a cop, that he probably isn't really considering that he's causing a lot of regular folks to freak the hell out.  Or he's so self-centered that he doesn't really care.

It's fine that he's within his rights to do this, but as a freeish society we tend to draw the bounds of what's legal outside the bounds of what's prudent or decent.  It's not like there's an epidemic of people being arrested for open carrying for legitimate purposes that aren't "Look at me! look at me! HOW DARE YOU LOOK AT ME!" 

That's what people are reacting against here.  Upsetting a lot of ordinary folks and wasting a couple cops' time for no reason other than the act itself.  Legal or not, it's selfish and foolish.

Well said. 

There's a right way to illustrate things but the way this kid did it wasn't that way.  He was just trolling the cop and looking for that confrontation to try and show off his newfound law knowledge. 

It was a "look at me" moment as much as anything else.

[thirstyboots18]

Anyone  in a position of power can use that power to harass someone...and it only takes a few bad ones to influence public opinion.  I seldom fly since some of the videos regarding treatment of passengers by airport security hit the youtube scene. Probably crazy, but my choice.  I don't like the system, so I try not to use it.

[LarBrd33]

So i mean the guy was in the right... but lets be honest here... he's a tumbling, tumbling dickweed and I understand why some folks might not appreciate his attitude.  It takes a special kind of fella to obsess over gun laws to that extent.  I understand it's rough being a suburban white male in the mean streets of Portland, Maine... and you gotta be alert at all times with your gun strapped in the middle of the day in case ish goes down... but I feel like this was a dream come true for him.  I think most weirdos who feel the need to walk around with guns at the very least keep them somewhat hidden.  It seems this jerk was strolling down a busy street with a gun strapped with the sole intention of catching an ignorant police officer with his pants down.  "Muahaha... I hope they complain!... I can't wait to educate some sucker about Texas Vs Peach!.. Oh great!... here comes a police officer now!! Woo hOoo!  Gotta get out my cell phone!"  The guy was probably peeing his pants in excitement. 

Let me put it like this.  I'm an atheist.  I don't mind having a religious debate once in a while.  I believe I'm right in my views... I think most religious folks are slightly nuts to believe in their fairy tales. That said, for the most part... I'm not seeking debates.   I have a wealth of knowledge on the topic that back up why I think the way I do... and when cornered, I've successfully managed to convert a few folks who previously considered themselves religious... but it's not something I actively seek out.  There are a lot of atheists who seek out the debate, though.  They troll Christian message boards and humiliate the naive members by using sound logic and facts.  They buy shirts that say "I'm an Athest:  Debate Me" and strut around proudly. 

That's how this guy comes off to me.  He knows his stuff... and he's anxious to rub it in someone's face.  Walking around with the gun out in the open and finger on his cell phone camera is basically the same as one of those punk atheists on facebook who continues to post provocative anti-religious images/status updates with the hope of luring one of their ignorant Christian Aunts/Cousins into a unwinnable religious debate.  I mean you can surely walk around with a gun visible in an open carry state... and you can surely post a Facebook status update about how the Pope supports pedophilia... and in both instances, you'll probably be in the right.  But it still makes you a trouble-making jerk for doing it.

Right now there is a subculture of folks who are all about these kind of videos.  I'm totally in favor of standing up for your rights, but unfortunately the vast majority of the videos I've been seeing seem like they are coming from guys who are desperately seeking Police intervention for their own fantasy tickles.  At some point it feels a bit like reverse entrapment to me.  Exposing perceived Police stupidity has become a hobby for some... and most of the situations are entirely avoidable.  I really got annoyed with some of the teenage antics around the "99%" movement.  Kids protesting and refusing to disperse from private school properties despite the Police asking them to leave.  At some point it felt like they WANTED to be peppersprayed and pelted with rubber bullets, because then they could post pictures of their "protest wounds" on Reddit for karma from the rest of the hoard.  To me it feels like a generation of privileged kids desperately seeking a purpose.  This isn't the civil rights movement.  Get over yourself.   I have one of these guys on my Facebook right now who posts these type of videos on a daily basis... he's obsessed with guns, Ron Paul, how awful our government is, and perceived Police corruption.   Honestly, he might be right in all of his points.  And everyone needs a hobby, I guess.  Personally, I'd rather spend my time obsessing over the Boston Celtics and movies.  Everyone has their thing, I guess.

[mkogav]

To me, the police offer was the one being harassed.

Some citizens who are uninformed about Maine state gun laws were worried about someone walking around with a gun and called the police. With all the terrible shooting in the past few years, who could blame them?

The officer was just doing his job. He was being moderately respectful to the kid. He also gave the kid a lot of "outs", so that they could both be on their ways. The kid wouldn't budge though. The kid with the camera was looking to make a point and in the process, embarrass the police.

The kid is a TOOL.

Mk

[mkogav]

So i mean the guy was in the right... but lets be honest here... he's a tumbling, tumbling dickweed and I understand why some folks might not appreciate his attitude.  It takes a special kind of fella to obsess over gun laws to that extent.  I understand it's rough being a suburban white male in the mean streets of Portland, Maine... and you gotta be alert at all times with your gun strapped in the middle of the day in case ish goes down... but I feel like this was a dream come true for him.  I think most weirdos who feel the need to walk around with guns at the very least keep them somewhat hidden.  It seems this jerk was strolling down a busy street with a gun strapped with the sole intention of catching an ignorant police officer with his pants down.  "Muahaha... I hope they complain!... I can't wait to educate some sucker about Texas Vs Peach!.. Oh great!... here comes a police officer now!! Woo hOoo!  Gotta get out my cell phone!"  The guy was probably peeing his pants in excitement. 

Let me put it like this.  I'm an atheist.  I don't mind having a religious debate once in a while.  I believe I'm right in my views... I think most religious folks are slightly nuts to believe in their fairy tales. That said, for the most part... I'm not seeking debates.   I have a wealth of knowledge on the topic that back up why I think the way I do... and when cornered, I've successfully managed to convert a few folks who previously considered themselves religious... but it's not something I actively seek out.  There are a lot of atheists who seek out the debate, though.  They troll Christian message boards and humiliate the naive members by using sound logic and facts.  They buy shirts that say "I'm an Athest:  Debate Me" and strut around proudly. 

That's how this guy comes off to me.  He knows his stuff... and he's anxious to rub it in someone's face.  Walking around with the gun out in the open and finger on his cell phone camera is basically the same as one of those punk atheists on facebook who continues to post provocative anti-religious images/status updates with the hope of luring one of their ignorant Christian Aunts/Cousins into a unwinnable religious debate.  I mean you can surely walk around with a gun visible in an open carry state... and you can surely post a Facebook status update about how the Pope supports pedophilia... and in both instances, you'll probably be in the right.  But it still makes you a trouble-making jerk for doing it.

Right now there is a subculture of folks who are all about these kind of videos.  I'm totally in favor of standing up for your rights, but unfortunately the vast majority of the videos I've been seeing seem like they are coming from guys who are desperately seeking Police intervention for their own fantasy tickles.  At some point it feels a bit like reverse entrapment to me.  Exposing perceived Police stupidity has become a hobby for some... and most of the situations are entirely avoidable.  I really got annoyed with some of the teenage antics around the "99%" movement.  Kids protesting and refusing to disperse from private school properties despite the Police asking them to leave.  At some point it felt like they WANTED to be peppersprayed and pelted with rubber bullets, because then they could post pictures of their "protest wounds" on Reddit for karma from the rest of the hoard.  To me it feels like a generation of privileged kids desperately seeking a purpose.  This isn't the civil rights movement.  Get over yourself.   I have one of these guys on my Facebook right now who posts these type of videos on a daily basis... he's obsessed with guns, Ron Paul, how awful our government is, and perceived Police corruption.   Honestly, he might be right in all of his points.  And everyone needs a hobby, I guess.  Personally, I'd rather spend my time obsessing over the Boston Celtics and movies.  Everyone has their thing, I guess.

Well said. TP!

Mk

[JSD]

Peaceful protest (not even really a protest in this case) and exercising rights is important. If you stop using your rights you lose them. This man wasn’t waving a gun around in a crowd or while running, he was walking with it secure and holstered to his hip in a state where it is perfectly legal. He was not doing anything wrong. A little background, he has been open carrying for five years and was continuously being stopped without reason and finally decided to record it. In doing so, he embarrassed the officer and the Portland Police Department. Believe you me, these laws are being addressed at every roll call in Maine this week. So he accomplished something here despite all the haters.

While in NH or Maine I open carry as well. I like to have a firearm on me at all times, so once I cross the boarder I expose my concealed firearm as the law dictates. In order to carry concealed in NH and ME there is a process to go through and a fee to pay. Otherwise it is illegal. I’m not sure if people realize that.

[CelticConcourse]

Just because you have rights doesn't mean you need to excercise them every minute of every day.

Just because you have something to say, doesn't mean you should say it.

[JSD]

Just because you have rights doesn't mean you need to excercise them every minute of every day.

Just because you have something to say, doesn't mean you should say it.

You initially liked the video but was then swayed once a couple people predictably vilified the victim. Do you normally change your opinion so quickly once it becomes a minority position?

Anyway, what do you suggested I do once I cross the boarder into NH?

[fairweatherfan]

If you stop using your rights you lose them.

When's the last time you, or any American, refused to quarter soldiers?  Does that right still exist?