Marine faces 15 years behind bars for unknowingly violating gun law

The average person can handle a firearm properly... Just look at the number of accidents and murders that the average person causes -- it's very small compared to how many people own firearms. I own a firearm and have my CC. The average citizen does not have the time to research -- "no matter how simple". They have lives, families, and jobs. Just like the freedom of speech, the ordinary citizen should not have to look up the local laws every time he wants to exercise his 2nd amendment rights.

I live in Chicago. The local laws here are f'up. They don't make sense. For example, you cannot carry on public transportation. However, that doesn't stop gang bangers from bringing their weapons and assaulting people. You can't transport firearms loaded in the trunk, but you can store an unload firearm in the glove compartment... etc.. etc..

These laws basically does nothing to create a safer environment.. They are just "gotta laws" that make people like me hesitant to exercise my 2nd amendment rights.

Remember, Martin Luther King Jr. said, “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” I'm not saying we should disobey.. I say we should get rid of these laws.. They do nothing but create a "chilling effect".



If you really think about it, these laws make firearm owners 2nd class citizens... A person can exercise his freedom of speech without really having to do "research", but as an ordinary citizen wanting to exercise my 2nd amendment rights, I have to do research almost every time I go out???? God forbid, if I'm in a new area, or the anti-firearm politicians have just changed the laws a few days ago... We all have lives.. The ordinary person is not the enemy..

 

You're just making excuses. That's what you're doing. If you want to be a responsible gun owner, know the laws. Or don't take it.

 

There are a lot of responsible gun owners in the USA. Some of them are grandmothers, mothers, etc. Just because they don't know the laws in locations they are visiting because the laws are so byzantine or influx, they should not be put in jail. Not knowing the laws, does not make them killers or irresponsible people incapable of owning a firearm. Hell, I live in Chicago. Some of the cops here don't even know the rules since they the laws are so ambiguous and influx.



http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...-cook-county-forest-preserves-law-enforcement
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/25245760/conceal-carry-confusion-some-parks-missing-no-guns-signs

If public officials are NOT quite sure what the laws are, how can ordinary citizens be????????????? Some of these laws are only in effect because anti-firearm people want a "chilling effect" on our rights...

 

Not knowing the law is an EXCUSE for a wrongdoing. There's no debate with that. It's an excuse. The definition.

 

Not knowing byzantine laws that are influx or ambiguous does not make an ordinary citizen incapability of owning or using a firearm regardless of what the anti-2nd amendment people say. If laws are so confusing, influx and numerous that public officials don't even know them, how can the ordinary citizen be expected to know them? These laws are just being used to curb and hamper our 2nd amendment rights. They don't really increase safety.... even though, that's how the laws are being promoted. See though the lies...

 

If GUN (deadly firearm) laws are too hard for you to look up, then you are not responsible enough to own them. Same thing goes with driving.

Stop making excuses, it's embarrassing for you. I'm pro-2nd amendment but I'm also anti-stupid.

 

You do know driving is NOT a right???? While the 2nd amendment IS a right... RIGHT hahahah.. whatever... You should not have to take a test to be able to exercise a right.. Nor should be have to do research (no matter how "little research" is "required").... It's a RIGHT. I'm glad you are pro-firearm, but you really need to understand that.



What next? A test in order to exercise you freedom of speech.. Or a test in order to vote??? Or only "responsible" citizens are allowed to exercise their right to a fair trial (or course as defined by the government as to who is "responsible")????

 

You didn't disprove anything I said. Who cares if something is a right? You still have to obey local laws.

If you have the right to beat your wife in one province of KSA, and you beat your wife in Mecca, and you're arrested, who's fault is that? (You mentioned Saudi Arabia earlier )

If you are too stupid to figure out a law (by calling local non emergency police), then I have no sympathy for the law violator. Stupidity is never an excuse as you claim.

 

The initial subject of this post checked the internet for NY laws but the website he referred to gave information that was either incorrect or incomplete.

There is no fail safe way to determine if something does not exist.

If people are responsible for knowing a law, there should also be a law that such information be placed on a specific internet site. We are beyond the days when a posting for two or three days in a local newspaper is sufficient for any legal notice, IMO.

 

Agree on the law. And I hope all the liberals realize that gun control laws were by their nature setup as racist attempts to keep minorities down and in their place. Scared of the freed slaves, restrict gun ownership and the ability to carry, scared of the great unwashed from Europe coming into NYC pass gun control laws and the beat goes on...

 

Who cares if something is a right??????????? Are you kidding me????????? You are making firearm supporters look like idiots By the way, local laws does not triumph rights.. Courts have struck down local/state/federal laws because they violated our rights... Illinois has concealed and carry because the courts have decided that the previous laws violated our rights.. My GOD MAN..... Rights are very important. Why do you think we have the constitution????? The bill of rights???????



Oh my god.. you "blow my mind".. not in a good way.. in a way, I'm embarrassed you are on my side of the gun debate Do some research on the constitution.. It's one of our most important documents in USA history...

ps. I don't care about Saudi Arabia, mecca, or any other place. I don't live there... I live in the USA and we have these things called rights.. We don't have kings... we don't have sultans or emirs.. we are the United States of American

 

I respect your opinion and understand it. But in my opinion, ignorance doesn't get you off the hook. I believe in personal accountability.

- - - Updated - - -

Local laws are what give states' rights. That's the debate that will never end. Can local laws trump federal?

Do you believe in Communism?

 

I did. But here is it again. If an arrest person would say he didn't know it was illegal to do this or that and get out of jail like that, than they would all use that excuse.

 

If a black man traveled to Montgomery City on a bus and did not sit in the back of the bus because the laws were different from were he was from, can he use the excuse he didn't know the laws?????



These laws are not about public safety but hindering our rights. The "chilling effect".....

 

Just saying, we need to get laws passed to improve access to legal information.

Not everyone can afford to consult an attorney every time they leave their house.

Of course, that could be the actual intent....

 

No one needs to do that. I've stated multiple times that all one has to do if they are unsure of the laws is contact the local police department. I do it. Super easy.

 

New York city politicians should be tried for treason since that law clearly violates the second amendment since the McDonald Decision applied the 2A to the states.

 

If we can put up with psychopathic trigger happy cops being armed, I do not think the average citizen being able to protect themselves is going to make much difference. The country seemed to survive pretty well for the 250 years before we started outlawing the citizens rights to protect themselves.

 

I just told you why it's not an excuse to not know the law.

 

from the link.....

"But the recent spate of tourist arrests wasn’t what was intended when the law was passed, said Bederow. “Subjecting the toughest gun laws in the country — here in New York — to subject these people to them is just not a good use of discretion.”"

no, that is not the way the law works, you revoke bad laws, you don't just not apply them to some people at your "discretion"

every American has the right to bear arms... arresting any American for bearing arms is crazy and disrespectful of the constitution .... unless using a firearm to commit a crime of course, but they you arrest them for the crime and the gun use comes up during sentencing....

.

 

Ignorance and arrogance of the law is not an excuse. This guy is going down. His excuse of being misinformed by internet is full of bullet holes and demonstrates he is economical with the truth.

Furthermore, the law appears to state "loaded gun". He could have avoided the problem by removing and safely segregating the bullets before walking around New York.

From Wikipedia.

[SUP][/SUP]

 

Nope. Now he's a criminal and deserves to be treated as such. /s

Someone mentioned that a person should research local laws before traveling. It's probably a good idea.

 

This is a sad story, but part of being a responsible gun owner is knowing the law TO THE LETTER. Ignorance of the law is no excuse for failure to comply.Unfortunately, my home state does not share reciprocity with any others so while I am licensed to carry at home, there are only a handful of states where I can legally carry. Were I to show up in New York, Illinois, or New Jersey, I would rightly be arrested for carrying an illegal weapon.

 

Here's the Chicago police department phone number:

312-746-6000

Call them up and ask them for what the firearm laws are. It will take more than 30mins IF they bother even answering your question. I bet you they will not discuss it with you, but just ask for your name so they can start tracking you. People should not have to spend time "researching" to exercise their rights because of byzantine firearm rules that serve no purpose than ensnaring common citizens.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...-cook-county-forest-preserves-law-enforcement
http://www.aware.org/resources/lega...carrying-non-firearm-weapons-by-lisa-j-steele


Stupid/confusing firearm laws just only hurt citizens that want to exercise their rights...


http://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattve...o-brought-handgun-into-nj-by-mistake-n1896404

 

What's the point of you being arrested in New York, Illinois, or New Jersey? Did your mental capacity go down when you crossed state lines? Are your skills in handling your firearm diminished because you are now in New York, Illinois, etc. and not in your home state???? What disqualified you from exercising your right OTHER than arbitrary laws created by anti-firearm politicians; laws which are there only to ensnare regular people. Surprisingly, you seem to be ok with this.

Driving is not a right. However, if you have a drivers license in Illinois and know how to drive; you should be able to drive every where in the USA. Just the mere fact of you being in another state does not make you less competent to drive. Firearms should be the same. However though, apparently, some anti-2nd amendment politicians think that the mere fact that you are in their states, could make you an irresponsible firearm owner.... turn you into some deranged criminal that has to be put in jail for a very long time...

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012...heir-lives-destroyed-because-concealed-carry/
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/201...rges-at-911-memorial-takes-no-jail-plea-deal/