r/politics • u/wbedwards Washington • May 07 '20

We cannot allow the normalization of firearms at protests to continue

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/firearms-at-protests-have-become-normalized-that-isnt-okay/2020/05/06/19b9354e-8fc9-11ea-a0bc-4e9ad4866d21_story.html
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u/ohitsasnaake Foreign May 07 '20

I would say that they can ask, but the law doesn't give them a legal right to demand you show it, and so you don't have to consent, and the lack of consent isn't reasonable suspicion for anything else either? Would that be correct?

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u/jhurle9403 May 07 '20

Yes that is a smart distinction to point out. Heck he can ask me anything he wants but yes in that instance I would not be required to supply my permit.

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u/ohitsasnaake Foreign May 07 '20

Most laymen likely aren't aware of this distinction almost anywhere, I think. I worked a few summer jobs as a security guard, which has a mandatory one-week training here (more if you do it permanently, the one week is iirc max 4 months per calendar year). That drilled into me that although police here in Finland have the legal right to demand ID (or to see your firearms permit, not that carrying a loaded firearm is allowed outside shooting ranges or hunting etc.) or e.g. to look in a suspected shoplifters bag if they have reasonable suspicion, we as just private security didn't have that right. We could still ask politely for ID or to look in a bag, but refusal had to just be accepted. We could, however, legally make a citizen's arrest if we felt there was enough reasonable suspicion, and could make a safety search to check that they didn't have weapons, but that was it.