This is legal in Wisconsin and most states without any permit
My my, what a difference a few months can make.
Not long ago, gun owners in Wisconsin had reason to fear carrying handguns even though no statute proscribes open carry and the Wisconsin supreme court says that gun carry is a fundamental right. But then gun owners started to stand up.
Brad Krause of West Allis went to court and defeated a charge of "disorderly conduct" for open carrying his handgun. Then Jesus Gonzales filed a federal lawsuit against West Milwaukee and Chilton for falsely arresting him for open carry and confiscating his gun. In both cases, city officials counted on gun owners to stay in their place, keep their gun rights in the closet, and plea down any charges they are given like good little subjects.
For example, police and prosecutors in West Milwaukee and Chilton thought they could play games with Mr. Gonzalez, a Hispanic, like it was middle school recess. First they played "catch and release" with Gonzalez where they would arrest him and then release him without charges. Then they played "keep away" with Mr. Gonzalez where they would take his gun and refuse to give it back to him.
We will now see how the police and city officials of West Milwaukee and Chilton like playing some new games, like deposition, discovery, and interrogatory. They're fun, you'll like em!
Then all this hubbub apparently induced Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen to issue an official memorandum to police and prosecutors two weeks ago stating the obvious - that open carry is legal in Wisconsin, constitutionally protected, and not disorderly conduct. And now it's springtime for gun rights in Wisconsin as gun owners begin open carrying in places like West Allis, New Berlin, and Wakeesha while planning open carry get togethers like picnics and litter pick-ups around the state, including in La Crosse, Milwaukee, and Green Bay.
But Carryland gun owners are also going on the offensive, launching an online petition http://www.petitiononline.com/wi1848oc/petition.html seeking repeal of Wisconsin's car carry ban as well as it's nearly one of kind state statute banning gun carry within a 1,000 foot "zone" of any school. Accompanying this effort is "Operation CarryLand" to raise money to fund pro-gun radio ads in Wisconsin.
In the end, Wisconsin's experience is and will be like other states: When gun owners stand up for their rights, progress is often achieved.
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Comments
Here is an excellent report by the Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance.
oja.wi.gov/docview.asp?docid=15388&locid=97
Interesting Wisconsin enjoys one of the lowest crime rates of our nation and violent crime in Wisconsin is 62% lower than national average.
I will be watching to discover if open carry leads to even lower crime rates in Wisconsin over the coming years.
Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation
Well Okpulot Taha, I'd say that while crime rates are more closely linked with demographic and social trends, you'll certainly find that the crime rate will not increase with open carry.
And our Second Amendment rights will be preserved.
Same thing here in Saratoga. I've been carrying open since I came here, daily, in 1995. One bar owner asked me not to, so I haven't since. Into banks for a long time. Then they got a wild hair about something, and even had me come into a back office where two suited men with pin lapels, claiming to be "Bank Presidents" gave me a long line about it being "Illegal." One I recognized as a Federal Attorney General.
I most recently went into Rawlins National bank here with an empty holster and was angrily confronted by the bank manager about it. Face it, they have a mentality that's un-American, and for what it's worth, I've experienced a lot of anti-male Feminism from their staff, as well.
While carrying open here is OK, the fact of the matter is that it takes quite a while for people to adjust to one. My whole life has been in espionage (Hence my need) and yet my life-long cover is one of a despicable. I hope to have formal recognition soon. See my website...
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