From: [r--oh--n] at [eskimo.com] (Rebecca Rohan)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns
Subject: PAPERS? Cop stopped me. You next?
Date: 14 Oct 93 13:19:51 GMT

I'm 34 years old and until tonight, I'd never been stopped by law 
enforcement people for anything in my life.  I don't know how to 
drive, so I've never even had a parking ticket.

But lately I've seen unbearable harassment on shows like 
COPS, where people are stopped, questioned, threatened, and 
verbally assaulted in public by law enforcement people when they 
haven't been seen breaking any laws, because they "fit a profile" 
or are in a certain area.  Of course, on the show, it turns out 
the detainee has broken laws, but one has to wonder how many 
other people who >haven't'< broken laws put up with this abuse.  

I learned some things from the people who've posted about 
preparing cards or speeches in case they're harassed (probably 
in alt.society.civil-liberty; thanks!), and recently I wrote a friend
 and asked him what to do if the cops try to confiscate my gun as 
they so often do on television.  My friend steered me away from 
the "out of my cold, dead hand" stance.  

Tuesday night, for no apparent reason, I just started thinking 
about this stuff and felt waves of anger a couple of times --- so 
much so that I actually sat down and wrote two blurbs, printed 
them out, and laminated them.  I put the card in my wallet, over 
my ID card, in case it ever happened to me, which I sincerely 
doubted.  The two sides of the card read:

		WARNING
I will uphold, support, and defend the Constitution 
of the United States, especially the Bill of Rights, 
by any means necessary.  

In particular, I will not cooperate with unconstitutional 
questioning, searches, or harassment by agents of 
any branch or level of the government.  If my rights
are violated, I will pursue and win redress.

		FOR SAFETY
For the safety of all concerned, you are hereby 
informed that I am carrying:
A.)  a concealed weapon
B.)  a permit to carry a concealed weapon
C.)  a receipt for the concealed weapon.  
I will allow a LEO to examine the permit, receipt,
and weapon, but confiscation would be a violation
of my rights under the 2nd Amendment.
Member, NRA; Listed, Working Press of the Nation

Wednesday night (tonight) I began an accelerated self-defense 
class about fifty blocks north of my home.  The area is north of 
Seattle, in King County.  I'd taken courses there about a year ago 
and noticed a LOT of slow-moving leo-mobiles, but no one ever 
bothered me, nor should they have.  I walk against traffic (unless 
I've taken the bus); I don't speak to anyone; I don't exchange 
things with people; and I don't acknowledge idiots who whistle, 
honk, slow down, or offer a ride.  I keep a hand on the front of my 
purse, a canister of mace sticking out in back visible and ready, 
and my Colt .380 in a tummy pack.  It should be enough to have 
to worry about attackers --- not hassles by law enforcement.  (I've 
even told my daughter never to make change for people at the 
bus stop, because a cop video could make that out to be drug 
dealing.  Tacoma, a nearby city, has video cameras on poles, 
and who knows if Seattle does, too?)

Tonight after class I started my brisk walk home --- observing all 
of the above, and I am glad that something up there made me 
put that card together last night.  I was dressed as I always dress 
unless I'm going some place nice.  In fact, my street clothes 
are almost a uniform --- I have several identical outfits that I 
always wear when I go walking/shopping, etc, alone, because 
they're very practical for self-defense, yet still somewhat feminine.
(I've been looking for a life-mate since my ex-boyfriend broke up 
with me over my Waco protest early this year.)  I wasn't far from 
the class site when a sheriff's car slowed way down as it passed 
me.  Apparently it turned into a parking lot because it appeared 
there and the sheriff or deputy or whatever the heck he was 
(I'll call him "sheriff" for the purposes of this post)
motioned me to come over.  I figured if I didn't, he'd arrest me or 
shoot me, so I went over and said "Yee-ees?" in a "you really 
ought not to be bothering me" tone of voice.  Naturally I didn't get 
too close, because I know sometimes rapists pretend to be cops, 
though it didn't feel likely in this case.

I don't remember whether he asked for ID first or asked where I 
was going, but I asked if he had a legal right to ask me where I 
was going.  He said he did.  I asked if the law required me to tell 
him where I was going.  I think he said it didn't.  I told him that I 
didn't want to help him at all --- that I only wanted to do what the 
law said I had to do to not get arrested, and nothing more.  I got 
the ID and WARNING/SAFETY card to him when he asked for 
the ID and told him to read the back (the SAFETY part).

The sheriff told me I was (something something) but not
obstructing.  He said the area had hookers and drug dealers but 
that he wasn't implying that I was doing those things.  He com-
mented that I was "dressed very nicely" for someone who was 
just walking, or something like that.  (Something he says to men 
as well?)  He asked for my concealed weapons permit and I 
handed it to him.  He wanted to know where the gun was, but 
didn't ask for it.  He said if I went for it he would consider that an 
assault on him.  I said I understood that, and he could hold it 
while we talked, but I wanted it back afterwards because it's 
mine.  He didn't ask for it.

At one point he said something about "worse things" than being 
stopped.  At some point he talked on his radio.  I noticed men in 
cars parked close by, but I don't know if they were other cops or 
just jeering men.  Whether I'd cooperated or not, his stopping me 
made me look bad to people passing by.  He never tried to 
search my purse or my black self-defense bag (arm pads, ballet 
slippers, the mail I'd scooped up on my way out the door).  He 
said there'd be a "record of this contact."  I don't know what 
significance that has --- whether it means that if he pulls this BS a 
few more times I'll have the right to pursue harassment charges, 
or whether it means that if he keeps bugging me then he can 
arrest me for habitually being in his contact record.

When he'd given me back all my cards and it was clear he was 
finished with this bullshit I was glad he'd had enough respect for 
me not to ask for my gun.  I just said "Thank you for the 
courtesy," not specifying exactly what I meant.  Then, in an 
unfortunate burst of generosity, I told him I'd been at a self 
defense class and would be every Wednesday.  "Just 
Wednesdays?" he asked.  I said "Yes."  Then I realized how 
much power he seemed to take from that --- having "tabs" on my 
comings and goings.  I wondered if he would harass me if I 
decided to be there on some other day.  He asked me if I were 
going to walk all the way to (my street).  I said "Yep."  "Be 
careful," he said, suddenly Mr. Wilson Next Door.  I gave him the 
pilot's thumb's up and pressed it twice into the air as my tongue, 
on its own accord, made the double clicking sound that goes with 
a gun.

"PAPERS?"

Wake up.  You're not free.  He'll stop you next.