Keyboard commandos versus those who've "been there"

The anonymity of the internet tends lends itself to two types of people: those who are real and those who are not. 

Nowhere is this distinction more obvious than in discussions about self-defense. 

A few days ago  there was a topic on Yahoo Answers asking if anyone had ever actually shot someone. The replies ranged from blatant lies to brief affirmatives.

Having read perhaps hundreds of similar threads over the years, it's become easy to distinguish between the braggards and those who've been there.

Those who've actually had to pull the trigger are reticent about their experiences, and for a number of reasons. Many simply don't want to re-live the ordeal, at least not in public. Others have legal concerns: even a shooting deemed justifiable by a DA or court can lead to civil prosecution. Thus a discussion on the internet may provide an ambulance chaser with more ammunition in a court case.

But those who do tell their stories seem to do so in a matter-of-fact manner, without bravado and certainly without embellishment. The details themselves are generally more than sufficient to engage the reader. While some exhibit emotional scars, others seem to be able to simply say, "I had no choice."

The stories from the braggarts read like cheesy copies of "Dirty Harry" screenplays. If they are to be believed, then our military has far more special forces wandering the country than are accounted for, and Smith and Wesson has sold many more .44 magnum Model 29's than the company realizes.

Those who've been forced to kill, as well as those of us who've been a split second away from doing so, usually have a common finale for our story.

We survived.

Open and concealed carry in Wisconsin

Anyone who's been following the grueling process of trying to get shall-issue concealed carry in Wisconsin knows that we "cheeseheads" face more of an uphill battle than ever before. 

First we had Republican Governor Tommy Thompson who, while pretending to be pro-gun, never wanted our concealed carry bill to hit his desk. He didn't want to sign it, nor did he want to veto it. He didn't want to deal with such a controversial issue (although I believe that the only controversy surrounding the issue exists in the minds of our opponents; the public doesn't care).

When Thompson left for a cabinet post in the Bush administration in 2002, Lieutenant Governor Scottt McCallum took over. McCallum was all for our bill, and made no secret that he would sign it. Unfortunately, then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala wasn't a big fan of guns in general, and kept our bill from even getting a floor vote.

The 2002 election saw Jim Doyle beat McCallum in the race for governor, with independent candidate Ed Thompson (brother of Tommy) taking 10% of the vote. Doyle has now twice vetoed the bill, and twice we've had former Democrat supporters of the bill switch sides. Doyle either promised them something or threatened them with something. We'll never know.

So, here we sit. We've always had the votes in the legislature to pass our bill, but any votes we had to override a veto were obviously not there. And now, with the November 2008 elections looking like they'll generate a massive turnout, I suspect the Republicans will lose more seats in the Wisconsin legislature.

Where, then, from here? 

Perhaps the answer lies in open carry. Open carry has always been legal in Wisconsin--or, to be more precise, it has never been illegal. The problem with trying to carry openly is that doing so generally results in an arrest for disorderly conduct or disturbing the peace.

A court challenge on the disorderly conduct or disturbing the peace charges could go to the state supreme court if the circumstances are right. But, until now, there hasn't been anyone willing to be arrested.

A man who goes by the forum name "Parabellum" on open carry forums has been carrying for several weeks. He was recently arrested, and the DA's office isn't quite sure what to do with the case.

If the DA decides to prosecute, Parabellum is willing to go as far as possible to challenge the charges. And there are many people willing to help finance his defense.

If this case reaches the supreme court, there's plenty of precedent for the court to rule that open carry is legal. And a person cannot be arrested for doing something that's legal just because some blissninny gets upset. 

If the stars align just right, and we get a shot at the supreme court, we just might find those who opposed concealed carry wanting concealed carry because the public would be uncomfortable seeing guns being carried openly.

With Doyle in office until 2010 and his re-election prospects looking favorable, open carry is our only option.

Let's hope that the Milwaukee county DA's office is stubborn enough to press charges against Parabellum for doing something legal.