nostalgia083
Full Member
Except, metal detecting often fall into--at a minimum--a grey area about digging or damaging vegetation. The people in charge ARE given the authority to make judgement calls. Perhaps the people running that park don't feel that somebody popping coins with a screwdriver is in violation, but somebody dragging a shovel around a park with a lot of underground irrigation and drainage systems is in violation.
In most places it wouldn't take anything more than a few keystrokes and updated webpage to put something in writing. Arguing on the spot about the Constitution and how much we pay in taxes isn't going to go anywhere. Refuse to leave? No cop will take your side over any park employee making a judgement call.
We want to project a positive, friendly image of metal detecting. So, we need to play nice, and then decide to follow up or not with somebody that has some authority. Or, review their rules again, and then decide to go back or not.
If it's not against the law and a peace officer or someone else in government tries stopping you from enjoying your freedom to do whatever it is you're doing, that is unlawful and would be in fact, illegal for them to stop you because they have just violated your rights protected by the supreme law that is above all other laws. If you bow to tyranny, it'll keep going on and on.
If it's not metal detecting, it'll be something else. No one has any right, ever to violate your rights for any reason. I'd happily refer them to the 5th Amendment. "nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."