Wisconsin Open Carry Road Trip

I attended the Gun Rights Policy Conference at O'Hare during the last weekend in September.   After the conference, I visited friends and family in Wisconsin.   Wisconsin has always had legal open carry of firearms, but only recently enforced the law against scofflaw governments in Madison and Milwaukee.   I decided to celebrate Wisconsin's return to the rule of law and the enforcement of constitutional rights by openly carrying on my trip through most of the state.

At my first stop to fuel, on I-90 between Milwaukee and Madison, I told the clerk what I was doing, and asked him to snap a picture of me open carrying in Wisconsin. 

 

He was enthusiastically willing to help.   Unfortunately, he only caught the grip of the Glock in cross draw position.   I often carry cross draw while driving.   It prevents pistol/holster and seat belt problems,  is easy to access with either hand, as well as being far more comfortable than behind the hip carry while seated.   The shoulder strap is for the camera bag.

The next stop was in Middleton, Wisconsin, on the outskirts of Madison.  I spent some pleasant hours visiting with an old friend and mentor who I have known for 45 years.    We first met shooting on pistol teams at the University of Wisconsin.   That was back when most Universities had rifle and pistol teams, before they were driven off campus by political correctness.   

After leaving Middleton, I noticed a flock of a couple of dozen Canadian geese on a roadside pond.   I was able to walk to within 30 yards before they became nervous, and took off.

Canadian geese have become so common that many consider them pests.   They are extremely photogenic, and I seldom see them in Arizona. 

On the way back to the interstate, I called my brother to inform him of my progress.   He said that gas prices in the North were 15 cents more a gallon, so I decided to fill up.  

The clerk had trouble figuring out how to operate the camera, but a friendly customer in his early 20's had no problem.   We briefly chatted about hunting in Wisconsin.   We wished each other good luck.   Not the most flattering photo (above), but you can make out the "WISCONSIN CRAFT BEERS" back lit sign in the upper right if you look closely.

The next stop was at a Denny's for dinner at a Wisconsin Dells exit.  It was here that I met Don Hosmer.   The waitress was happy to take our picture.  It is the lead photograph in this article.

Halfway up the state, I stopped at a rest stop on I-94.   The sun was going down on a memorial to Wisconsin Law Enforcement officers, erected in 1995, just before the strong right to bear arms amendment was passed in 1998:

Open carry has been well established in Wisconsin.  Open carry has always been legal, and in 1998, after a long and difficult amendment process, Wisconsin citizens cemented this long standing right into the State Constitution with 74 percent of the votes cast in the referendum.

The people have the right to keep and bear arms for security, defense, hunting, recreation or any other lawful purpose

 I remember when "Law Enforcement Officers" were called "Peace Officers", because it was their job to enforce the peace.   The term "Law Enforcement Officers" indicates a far less noble purpose.   I would like to see a return to the previous nomenclature.


There were no indications that the carry of arms was discouraged at the  rest stop, as I have seen in a couple of other states. 

I continued up 94, took state 53 to highway 63, and refueled in Hayward.

The clerks were friendly, with one of them talking about how he openly carried a .357 while hunting.   The other clerk was younger, and did not understand the term "open carry" until I demonstrated the difference for him.   I gave them cards; there were enthusiastic about learning more.   A lady customer was handy and glad to take the picture for me.

It has been pleasant to see Wisconsin's progress on enforcing constitutional rights.   I recall a pistol match about 1980, when I was waiting in a ready area with a Milwaukee police officer.   I asked him if there would be a problem if I carried openly in Milwaukee.   He said that I would be arrested for disturbing the peace.    He was right about the Milwaukee government abusing their power.  Fortunately, that has been corrected by constitutional amendment, legislative action, and lawsuit settlements.   During that process, Wisconsin became the second to last state to enact concealed carry legislation.

©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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