5/21/2007

"Idaho Teens Tote Loaded Guns Around Town Legally"

When I was a kid I remember seeing teenage boys walking down our street carrying guns. No one said anything about it. It was no big deal. It is too bad that even in Idaho this is not possible without someone calling the police.

POST FALLS, Idaho — Two home-schooled teenagers in this northern Idaho town say they are carrying loaded guns to the library, grocery store and other public areas for self-defense, as a crime deterrent, and to educate others about their rights.

Zach Doty, 18, carries a loaded Glock handgun on his hip. His 15-year-old brother, Steven, carries a .22-caliber rifle in a sling on his back.

Police have been called on several occasions to question the teens but have not found the teens to be in violation of the law.

In Idaho, residents 18 and older can openly carry a firearm in public. And those ages 13 to 17 who have parental permission can carry a rifle in public.

"I certainly don't anticipate that I'll need to use it, but I'd rather have it and not need it than to not have it and need it," Zach told the Coeur d'Alene Press. "There's no reason for me to hide a weapon."

Zach was stopped April 17 on his way to Bible study. On Friday, police again responded when someone reported the brothers with guns in a park. But police left after confirming it was the Doty's. . . .,

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3 Comments:

Blogger Conservative Scalawag said...

Yep, those were the good ol' days. I also can remember in the small Georgia town I grew up in doing just the same. Whether it be going plinking or hunting. I also had two in my truck, one rifle and one shotgun when I was 16 years old.

Came to the big city and that came to an end seeing I was only 17.

It amazes me the phobia big city folk of guns and gun owners, that includes the law enforcement.

5/24/2007 11:28 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I grew up in a small rural town in Iowa, we had to be bussed 6 miles to the larges school. I got my first pocket knife at in the 3rd grade. There were around 8 kids in our little town (one girl) and we often tromped thought the local fields. Our menacing group was only armed with BB guns till around the 5th grade (maybe 10 years old) when two of our group was upgraded to .22 self loaders and one bolt action. I even remember on a rare occasion one of my friends dad would let us take out his cowboy style lever action rifle (.357? it had a big kick). We often shot targets at the local trash heap in a near by field. Any tomfoolery with our firearms weather they were BB guns or our rifles would have met with a stern whipping with the belt.

Never once did the Sheriff stop by wondering what we were doing. If I was in that town I would no think it unusual nor would I notify law enforcement of anything out of the norm.

5/25/2007 5:25 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i grew up in the post falls area and im glad that my children have the same gun rights as i when i grew up. and yes we do have to have a hunters safety course as well. every kid should go through a gun and hunters safety course before even carrying a firearm familirize them with the gun and proper ways of handling them will definately reduce violations involving firearms.

6/14/2007 12:54 PM  

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