The police seem to be at fault here...in many ways. I hope he gets the charges dropped.

That being said, why do these nutjobs feel a need to constantly put themselves at odds with the police? For a town to have a healthy relationship between the police and the citizens, there needs to be mutual respect. While this guy may be following the laws, he's certainly provoking the police. Holding up signs to warn people about speed traps or DUI check points or whatever is not a benefit to public safety. We have speed traps and DUI checkpoints for a reason. Helping the criminals to circumvent these checkpoints is not good for society.

As far as open carry goes, I support the current laws. But with the privilege that our nation has for allowing open carry also comes a requirement for common sense. Any gun owner should be fully aware of how guns can make some people feel threatened. It's not their fault that some people feel threatened, but it is the reality of the world we live in. Because of this reality, gun owners should use some common sense when it comes to when and where they decide to open carry. For example, it probably would not be appropriate to open carry at a wedding, a funeral, or with the kids at Chucky Cheese. Nor is a appropriate to open carry in a bar room. The general idea is that you should never open carry in a place where doing so will create an unnecessary and elevated amount of fear or risk of injury, especially places where emotions can run high. It must also be considered to make choices about not going to places that you consider dangerous enough to require open carry. Having to carry a gun while you go visit your brother in a dangerous part of town is understandable. But going to a dangerous town just so you can walk around with a gun is not smart. Some people go to dangerous places with no good reason to be there other than the thrill of danger.

In this man's case, without a doubt he knew that he was going to be approached and questioned by the police because he was instigating them. Common sense would tell anyone that is going to happen. So he made the decision to open carry despite being nearly 100% certain that he will have an unpleasant interaction with the police. There is no doubt in my mind that he was putting himself out there with the sole purpose of becoming a public spectacle. He might consider himself a crusader for freedom, exercising 2nd amendment rights, and a spokesperson for justice. I consider him a troublemaker who is furthering to create a divide between the police and the citizens. If he was just walking down the street open carrying, that's one thing. But the fact that he was trying to warn people about a police trap just shows that he's looking to pick a fight. He may win this battle, but if you fuck with the police too much they're going to nail this guy to the wall. With all the shit going on in the world, can't people find better ways to spend their time?