Lexington Kentucky's First Open Carry Picnic at Jacobson Park

August 30th 2009 was the first ever Open Carry Picnic in Lexington Kentucky at Jacobson Park, our premier city park. It was a beautiful day, and the park was packed. We had 28 people attend and we all had a great time. It was a true family event. Everyone visited with each other for about half an hour as the kids played, then we formed different groups and visited some more, over and over, for almost five hours. We talked about all sorts of different stuff, and a lot of the discussions revolved around various liberty issues. We all brought some food to share and we had cookies and watermelon for dessert.

Despite the fact that the only place we could find for our picnic was next to the huge kiddie play area (aka "The Castle"), we didn't hear any complaints or concerns from anyone. One guy was from out of town and shook my hand and thanked us for standing up for everyone's right to keep and bear arms. Another guy had pistol shopping questions. The folks grilling next to us had some questions about the AR-15 and AK-47, but they were very positive technical inquiries.

It was so much fun, we'll be doing this again soon and we'll probably have an open carry picnic several times a year.

We made sure to clean up very well and leave the picnic site cleaner than we found it, 'cause that's what we do, and you should too.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• open carry picnic
• lexington ky
• kentucky
• gun rights
• 2A
• second amendment

[dh0976]

I know in cl you can open carry but your firearm has to b unloaded! Can u open carry a loaded firearm in Ky?

[Liberty4Ever]

@dh0976 By "cl" I assume you mean California? They had a goofy law that the weapons had to be unloaded. That law was recently changed and now open carry is completely illegal for the "mere citizens" of California.

Hell no Kentucky doesn't require unloaded firearms. That would be completely pointless. I carry a loaded firearm for concealed carry, and that includes a round chambered and a full magazine. I open carry for gun rights advocacy, usually with a loaded mag but empty chamber.

[TheChuck624]

Soooo, I'm missing the point here I guess. Is that park really dangerous? Is this a display of people utilizing The Second Amendment to the maxium? Or, is everyone just plain crazy? I've been to Lexington and did not find it to be threatening or dangerous place. I'm just trying to understand this. I doesn't make sense to me.

[Liberty4Ever]

@TheChuck624 Your rights. Use them or lose them.

Kentucky is one of the better states for gun rights, but Lexington is the anti-gun capitol in the center of a state that respects the right to keep and bear arms. The open carry picnics are a reminder that we retain the right to keep and bear arms. They're educational events. We try to educate the general public, but also the Lexington police so they'll stop telling people that open carry is illegal in Lexington.

[TheChuck624]

@Liberty4Ever Ok, that makes a certain of sense and explains this better. Thanks and good luck with your next event. Although I may not always agree the public should be armed for the simple fact that people become alarmed when they see someone carrying around an AR-15 for instance but it is our right and I served in the military to protect those rights. So continue to protect yourselves, we have all earned it. 

[Liberty4Ever]

@TheChuck624 "...it is our right and I served in the military to protect those rights. So continue to protect yourselves, we have all earned it."

Those of you who have fought to protect our rights have earned the rights more than those of us who merely enjoy the rights. Thank you for your service!

[TheChuck624]

@Liberty4Ever You are welcome and I enjoyed my last visit to Lexington and Ft. Knox was a good place to be stationed I was assigned there twice.

[magnum1968]

This is the reason I love living in Kentucky!

[BeetleSales]

@Liberty4Ever I was in WalMart off New Circle Rd. a few days ago and asked a police officer (Ofc. Fugate) what his thoughts were on someone openly carrying a firearm in Lexington. He told me it was legal, just as long as it's not concealed. If you have a CCW, you negate what he said.

[BeetleSales]

@Liberty4Ever Joseph Beth book store? If so, no wonder the police arrived! That's still a shame.

[Liberty4Ever]

@BeetleSales Some members of the LFUCG will also tell people they aren't allowed to open carry in Lexington, and if they want to carry a firearm, they must get a concealed deadly weapons permit from the state. Either those police are woefully ignorant of the law, or they're deliberately lying to people whom they suspect are ignorant of the law.  Either way, it's a shame. I'm definitely not saying that all LFUCG police are anti-gun. Far from it. But the powers-that-be who run this town are.

[Liberty4Ever]

@BeetleSales Have you tried open carrying when visiting the mayor or his staff? There is a metal detector, and they disarm everyone, in direct violation of KRS 65.870. I'm guessing you weren't the guy who was peacefully sipping his tasty warm beverage at Joseph Beth when SIX LFUCG police officers surrounded him like it was a felony arrest, The store has the right to deny him service and ask him to leave, but they didn't ask. They called the police, who could have simply asked, but didn't.

[BeetleSales]

@Liberty4Ever Lexington is on board with that individual right. I live in Lexington and open carry every day.

[2bidfilmsguy]

other than stating a point, I don't think there is much point of carrying around an ar-15, unless you just recently pissed off a couple of Mexican drug cartels

[3Skitz1Production3]

the only concern i have here would be at 1:36

[Liberty4Ever]

@BCNBilly You missed the spring 2011 Open Carry Picnic. We had a great time, because it's a great bunch of people. We'll be having a Fall OC picnic, but some very selectively enforced park rules make it impossible for us to publicly advertise the OC picnic. I gotta get around to getting that overturned.

[BCNBilly]

When is the 2011 Open Carry Picnic?

[broncobill1204]

@Liberty4Ever seems to me like e need a lot more people like you here in illinois fighting for our second amendment rights

[Liberty4Ever]

@broncobill1204 Kentucky is generally good on the right to keep and bear arms, but Lexington is not on board with that individual right. In 2009 I had to force them to remove their illegal rule prohibiting firearms in city parks so we could have the OC picnics. In 2010 I had to force them to remove the illegal rule prohibiting firearms in the city libraries. Now, in 2011, I'm fighting to convince them to remove the illegal metal detectors that prevent open carry in the mayor's office.

[broncobill1204]

hey i think your guns are broken they are not killing anyone!! no im just kidding i think it is great that a bunch of families got together for something like this wish illinois would pass laws for open and concealed carry

[Dkgenerallee666]

Good for you guys, this needs to happen more and all over the state. I live a couple hours west from lexington. you ever have one of these around owensboro, seriously, message me because i know i will be there and alot of people i know will come too.

I think more people should open carry so it will de-sensitize alot of people. You know lol the people(when youre carrying) who look at you like youre a goddamn manic or just robbed a bank.

[Liberty4Ever]

@50supercobra We'll be having an Open Carry Picnic soon.

We're having an open carry litter pickup this Saturday at 2:00 PM. We meet in the parking lot at Perkin's Restaurant at Richmond Road, just inside New Circle Road.

[50supercobra]

hey i live in richmond and just saw this vid when is the next one

[Punisher1833]

Good job exercising your 2nd Amendment rights- it's not about duck hunting!

Bad job with weapon retention and awareness. You or I cannot properly mind a small child while also having positive control and constant retention awareness of both a pistol and a rifle. Pick two of the three above tasks, and do them safely.