[Vision2020] Armed With a Library Card and a Glock

Sun Jun 3 10:29:36 PDT 2007

The Dotys appear to be terribly earnest conservative/libertarian young rural Americans.  I don't see anything in their character, as described in this article, that indicates they are disciples of Jesus.  It's high time we all understood the difference.

keely> From: thansen at moscow.com> To: vision2020 at moscow.com> Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 08:05:53 -0700> Subject: [Vision2020] Armed With a Library Card and a Glock> > >From today's (June 3, 2007) Spokesman Review -> > -----------------------------------------------------------------> > Armed with library card, Glock > Post Falls copes with gun-toting brothers exercising their rights> > Hope Brumbach > Staff writer> June 3, 2007> > This story first appeared Thursday in the Post Falls/Rathdrum edition of> Your Voice. > > > POST FALLS - Zach Doty typically wears a tie and dress shirt to church. But> lately a new accessory of his is raising alarm. > > After turning 18 last month, the Post Falls teenager began strapping a> loaded 9 mm Glock 19 pistol to his belt every day. He totes it in full view> to Bible studies, the public library, city parks and neighborhood stores,> and on walks around town. > > His 15-year-old brother, Stephen, has joined him, carrying a loaded Ruger> .22-caliber rifle slung over his shoulder.> > The brothers, who are home-schooled, say they're flexing their Second> Amendment right, which allows citizens to bear arms. They say they're> protecting themselves and others, deterring crime and making a statement> about constitutional freedoms.> > "If you don't exercise a right, eventually it will go away," Zach Doty said> last week, a handgun tucked in a holster on his hip. "I'd like to raise> people's awareness that it's a right, and I hope to encourage others to> exercise that right." > > The brothers are stirring up concern about citizen safety and gun> responsibility.> > Residents have alerted police and complained to the city. Police have> stopped the boys on several occasions in the past six weeks. > > And city officials say the brothers' action may lead to restrictions on> carrying weapons on public property within city limits. At this time, the> city doesn't have an ordinance prohibiting firearms in most public> buildings.> > "It obviously has created some controversy in the community. . We are> fielding a significant number of calls from concerned citizens about how> we're going to react to this and how we're going to ensure their safety is> upheld," Post Falls City Administrator Eric Keck said. Idaho law generally> allows people 18 or older to carry a handgun in plain view, Post Falls> Police Chief Cliff Hayes said. Those age 13 to 17 can openly carry a rifle> with permission from a parent or guardian. Adults can apply for a permit to> carry a concealed weapon.> > Firing a gun is unlawful within city limits, and guns are prohibited on> school grounds. > > The teens are legally carrying the guns; Zach is 18 and Stephen carries a> note from his parents along with his Ruger, Hayes said. > > "I've been chief here for over 19 years, and we've never had anyone elect to> exercise their rights this way," Hayes said.> > The public and law enforcement will need to grow accustomed to the sight,> Hayes said.> > "I don't think it's necessary to overreact to two individuals who elect to> exercise their right to carry a firearm," he said.> > The Police Department has fielded calls from concerned residents, and Hayes> encouraged anyone with worries to notify police.> > Officers first stopped Zach Doty on April 17 in response to a 911 call, when> he was walking on Idaho Street to a Bible study at his church.> > Zach Doty doesn't carry picture identification - he doesn't have a driver's> license - so his mother brought a medical card to prove his age, according> to a Post Falls police incident report. > > Zach and Stephen Doty were stopped May 13 on Poleline Avenue in response to> a citizen complaint. > > And on May 17, a Kootenai County sheriff's deputy approached the brothers as> they hiked around Tubbs Hill in Coeur d'Alene. In the deputy's report, he> records that "several people were pointing at them."> > The brothers gave the deputy Zach's birth certificate, a note from their> parents and a copy of the Idaho Code regarding weapons carried by minors,> according to the report.> > In Post Falls, Hayes has distributed Zach Doty's photograph to officers, so> they're easily able to identify him, Hayes said. > > "You have to be really careful," Hayes said, "because they're exercising> their legal right."> > Meet Zach and Stephen Doty, and they'll give you a firm handshake and> politely open doors. They wear collared shirts buttoned snuggly at the top> and tucked into slim-legged pants.> > Both have handled guns from an early age, hunting rabbits and deer. Both> have taken a hunter's safety course in Washington, they said.> > Zach Doty, who has short-cropped hair and a fuzzy mustache and goatee, talks> earnestly about gun regulations and routinely sprinkles his arguments with> quotes, including, "An armed society is a polite society." > > "I understand there's going to be a certain number of people . uncomfortable> with my exercising the Second Amendment," he said. "That's why it's put down> as a right. There's no right in there to not be offended."> > He may start an open-carry group to bring more attention to the cause, Zach> Doty said.> > "The problem is if we go another 20 years, it won't be just offensive, it> will be illegal," Zach Doty said. "If I get enough people to do it with me,> it won't be so out of the ordinary."> > The brothers have the support of their father, Jude Doty, who has a history> of bucking the establishment. Jude and Angela Doty, who have seven children> ages 3 to 18, moved to Idaho two years ago during a legal battle with> Washington state concerning alleged violations of child labor laws. > > The family shares a philosophy: "Home birth, home school, home business."> > The Washington Department of Labor and Industries cited Jude Doty for> allowing Zach and Stephen, 13 and 11 at the time, to work on construction> sites. State fines eventually cost Doty, a house mover, his residence in> Yakima.> > Jude Doty, 50, supports his sons, although he regrets making others in the> community uncomfortable. > > "The boys haven't caused any trouble," he said. "People's thinking needs to> be changed."> > Stephen Doty, a quiet boy with a spattering of freckles across his nose,> said he and his brother have received some positive responses.> > "One guy gave me a thumbs-up and said, 'That's the way to do it,' " Stephen> Doty said. "It's legal, so I carry it. . I think people need to see people> with guns. It's not a bad thing."> > Others in the community worry about safety - of residents and the Doty boys.> Some say the teens are digging into a sensitive issue, in light of recent> shootings at Virginia Tech, where 32 people were killed by a student, and> more recently in Moscow, Idaho, where a gunman killed his wife, a police> officer and a church sexton before killing himself.> > Robert Hunt, of Post Falls, worries that teenagers don't have the experience> or mentality to safely deal with a confrontation.> > "To let a 15-year-old and 18-year-old walk around with guns, it's a> potential disaster," said Hunt, 61, a former state commander of American> Disabled Veterans. "They'll probably do more to damage gun rights by walking> around with a gun."> > He was upset about the pair carrying firearms last week at the Post Falls> Public Library, where children were present.> > Library staff received complaints from patrons, said assistant director> Rebecca Melton. .> > The library doesn't have a policy governing firearms, but the library board> plans to address it in June, Melton said.> > Mayor Clay Larkin said last week he doesn't know if the city will address> the issue.> > "I'm confident that our public is safe at this point in time," Larkin said.> "And we will do everything we can to protect them and will give them a safe> environment to live in and we will watch this as closely as the law lets> us."> > -----------------------------------------------------------------> > Seeya round town, Moscow.> > Tom Hansen> Moscow, Idaho> > "If not us, who?> If not now, when?"> > - Unknown> > > =======================================================> List services made available by First Step Internet, > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. > http://www.fsr.net > mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com> =======================================================
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