RogueReflections
Regular Member
The video: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=129_1408400387
The narrative: According to Seattle Hempfest organizers, one of the reasons legal carriers would be banned from this event was the perception the public might have of "drugs and guns" being together.
One one hand, I can totally see their point. We have made a lot of positive headway in society with normalizing and decriminalizing marijuana. Rational people have learned that the people who use marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes are not the "boogeymen men/women" that Reefer Madness made them out to be.
On the other hand, if there was a legally backed ban on open/concealed carriers, it would appear to some that the organizers of the event - in an effort to advance their cause - successfully stifled the rights of other law-abiding citizens.
As far as "perceptions" go: personally, I fail to see how an open or concealed carrier who was just enjoying the day and eating a bag of kettle corn (not high) would be worse than all the downed people I came across during the day. American Medical Response (AMR) technicians DEFINITELY had their hands full and were working into over-time, with people who had consumed too much of whatever they had, and could no longer stand...let alone function. I think the woman speaking at the .40 second mark really added to the dynamic of what I was documenting.
I attended an open carry rally in Olympia, WA, some time ago. This was a rally where a few hundred people attended - almost all were open carrying rifles and/or handguns. During this event (which was patrolled by 3...yes only 3 law enforcement officers) I observed NO downed people. No one had lost bodily function, ability to stand, or needed any AMR intervention. Kids played freely. Adults talked and shared stories.
To be clear: I am ALL for complete and total legalization of marijuana. The fact that some consider this wonderful plant a "drug" is beyond my comprehension. It just seems counter-intuitive that the organizers of Seattle Hempfest 2014 would think that people losing control of themselves was good for publicity of the cause and a normal person enjoying the day and legally carrying would be detrimental to it.
- Rogue Reflections -
http://www.roguereflectionsphotography.com
The narrative: According to Seattle Hempfest organizers, one of the reasons legal carriers would be banned from this event was the perception the public might have of "drugs and guns" being together.
One one hand, I can totally see their point. We have made a lot of positive headway in society with normalizing and decriminalizing marijuana. Rational people have learned that the people who use marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes are not the "boogeymen men/women" that Reefer Madness made them out to be.
On the other hand, if there was a legally backed ban on open/concealed carriers, it would appear to some that the organizers of the event - in an effort to advance their cause - successfully stifled the rights of other law-abiding citizens.
As far as "perceptions" go: personally, I fail to see how an open or concealed carrier who was just enjoying the day and eating a bag of kettle corn (not high) would be worse than all the downed people I came across during the day. American Medical Response (AMR) technicians DEFINITELY had their hands full and were working into over-time, with people who had consumed too much of whatever they had, and could no longer stand...let alone function. I think the woman speaking at the .40 second mark really added to the dynamic of what I was documenting.
I attended an open carry rally in Olympia, WA, some time ago. This was a rally where a few hundred people attended - almost all were open carrying rifles and/or handguns. During this event (which was patrolled by 3...yes only 3 law enforcement officers) I observed NO downed people. No one had lost bodily function, ability to stand, or needed any AMR intervention. Kids played freely. Adults talked and shared stories.
To be clear: I am ALL for complete and total legalization of marijuana. The fact that some consider this wonderful plant a "drug" is beyond my comprehension. It just seems counter-intuitive that the organizers of Seattle Hempfest 2014 would think that people losing control of themselves was good for publicity of the cause and a normal person enjoying the day and legally carrying would be detrimental to it.
- Rogue Reflections -
http://www.roguereflectionsphotography.com
