When is doing something you have the right to do not necessarily the right thing to do?
On Tuesday, a teenager sporting a rifle over his shoulder exercised his Second Amendment rights in a Walmart Supercenter in Fort Collins, Colorado, causing worried patrons to summon police.
Zach Conley, 19, of Wellington, Colorado, caused a stir on Tuesday afternoon while shopping in a Fort Collins Walmart Supercenter. According to an article posted in the Fort Collins Coloradoan, Conley was seen walking around the Supercenter to the east of Old Town Fort Collins around 3:30 p.m. with a rifle slung over his shoulder.
Store patrons alerted police after spotting Conley walking around the store with the rifle. Police responded and spoke with Conley, who told them “that he was simply exercising his right to openly carry a legally owned rifle.” Walmart policy “allows the open carry in their retail establishments consistent to applicable state law wherein the store that the Walmart is found.”
Colorado gun laws state “As long as the firearm is in the possession of the person legally allowed to carry it, it is not deemed illegal.” Conley was within his rights to carry his rifle on the premises of the Walmart, but one has to question his lack of common sense and judgment in regards to others’ feelings in this case.
Considering the recent shootings at Sandy Hook and then again on Tuesday of this week on the campus of Lone Star College in Houston, Texas, people are becoming over sensitized to guns and wary of anything that seems “out of the ordinary.” The sight of a person carrying a rifle in a Walmart Supercenter was enough to cause a number of people to be concerned for their lives, and possibly rightly so. But trying to balance individual rights with what’s right can be difficult, especially when guns are involved.
In alleviating a delicate situation and doing the right thing for all concerned, Fort Collins Police Spokesperson Rita Davis said that “officers told him (Conley) they respected his Second Amendment rights and asked him to look at how his behavior may cause alarm for others, especially in light of recent events.”
Conley had a right to carry his rifle in plain sight, but in so doing, was he right in doing something lawful in a fashion that terrified others? Perhaps in this case, doing something one has a right to do wasn’t the right thing to do, considering the poor timing and choice of venue.
There are times when being assertive and standing up for one’s rights is necessary and appropriate, and then there are times when using other skills would probably be the better choice. With the issue of gun control dividing the nation, both sides need to balance rights with respect.
In the end, it’s about how we choose to live as a society. Do we want to be a nation that lives according to the highest standards of civility, respect, and tolerance for one another? If so, then let’s start by using some common sense and sound judgment.
Link to article in print:
http://www.gcnlive.com/wp/2013/01/25/barb-adams-rights-v-respect/
Share this post...
