Sussex — Clutching cups of coffee and chatting in loose groups, the people outside Starbucks on Sunday didn't look particularly unusual, save for the holstered guns strapped to nearly everyone's hip or thigh.
The display of Smith & Wessons, Glocks and Kel-Tec pistols among lattes and coffeecake was part of an organized rally to spread awareness about Wisconsin's open carry law as well as the recent treatment of a Sussex gun carrier by local law enforcement. Participants later drove to the Wisconsin State Patrol District Headquarters in Waukesha and demonstrated on the front lawn.
The turnout - about 40 people from various parts of Wisconsin and Illinois - may indicate growing support for the expansion of gun rights in the state, and in particular, legislation that could make it possible for people to carry concealed weapons.
State law allows adults to openly carry guns, but not in businesses that ask them not to, places that serve alcohol, and not in school zones or public buildings. Last spring, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen re-affirmed in a brief the right of Wisconsin's residents to bear arms openly, saying that those who do so should not be subject to disorderly conduct tickets from local law enforcement.
"That was the floodgate," said New Berlin resident Nik Clark, who organized the rally Sunday and is the president of Wisconsin Carry Inc., a new statewide organization pushing for expanded gun rights. "It verified what people already knew, but some people were still afraid to carry their guns openly until that opinion came out."
Clark said Sunday's gathering was prompted by what members perceived as improper law enforcement action against Sussex resident Joseph Schneider.
Earlier this month, a Wisconsin State Patrol officer approached Schneider at China Wok in Sussex and asked him to take his gun out of the business. Schneider, who said he has openly carried his gun many times at the China Wok in Sussex without a problem, videotaped the encounter and then left the restaurant.
The video clip shows the officer first asking the restaurant owners if they allowed guns in the restaurant. After appearing confused, the employees said no, they did not allow guns.
Later that day, Schneider was questioned by Waukesha County Sherriff's Department deputies on suspicion that he might have been impersonating a police officer.
The State Patrol District Headquarters in Waukesha was closed Sunday and no representative could be reached for comment. As for the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department, Public Information Officer Steve Pederson said that the sheriff's deputies acted appropriately, and that their questioning had nothing to do with Schneider openly carrying a gun.
"We have gotten reports from other areas about people impersonating police officers," Pederson said, adding that some of the equipment seen in or on Schneider's car, such as a radar gun and police scanner and antennas, led them to follow up on the lead.
Pederson said that Schneider was cooperative, and that the officers did not find evidence to support that Schneider was impersonating law enforcement.
News of Schneider's story spread on the Internet and through online social networks, prompting gun rights advocates to believe Schneider was unfairly treated.
"We all believe we should be allowed to defend ourselves," said Krysta Sutterfield, a Milwaukee resident who recently bought a 9mm Kel-Tec pistol that she carries openly. "If people see a gun, they automatically think criminal. But criminals don't wear their guns in holsters."
Shaun Kranish, a rally participant from Rockford, Ill., said support for a concealed carry law is growing in Wisconsin. Twice, Gov. Jim Doyle has vetoed legislation that would make that possible.
"Almost every state has moved toward fewer restrictions on guns, except Wisconsin and Illinois," said Kranish, who started the Web site
www.ICarry.org to build support for concealed carry laws in both states.
The difference between open carry and concealed carry, beyond the visibility aspect, is that just about any adult may openly carry a gun, while those who carry concealed weapons generally must purchase a permit and be trained in how to use the firearm.
Gun rights advocates generally support concealed carry because they think it makes it harder for criminals to know who is armed and who isn't, Kranish said. That fear and uncertainty, he added, can help reduce criminal activity.
Those opposed to expanding gun rights generally think the move can lead to more guns being displayed prematurely, more accidents and more violence.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/84928722.html
