Marine faces 15 years behind bars for unknowingly violating gun law

[pontifex]

That would make far more sense, but that is just putting a plaster over a small problem and not dealing with the underlying issue.

what, the underlying issue that "guns are evil"?

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

All states have general parity with their laws. No state allows you to simply go around thievin and robbing and killing, for example.

The problem is that in such a free travel country, if you're going to let every state enact laws with tough penalties which wouldn't even be illegal in another state, nor are even considered wrongful acts by general morality, gun permits is just one example, well, then states should have a responsibility to provide support for their citizens in trouble in other states in the same way that the country as a whole does when its citizens are in trouble in a foreign country.

I mean, if there was no federal restrictions on states' rights, what if an individual state decided it was going to re-enact prohibition? Then you would have trucking companies having to re-route around that state to deliver alcoholic products to stores, you'd have tourists being arrested left and right for bringing alcohol on vacation and you'd have people on this forum saying they should have read the law before taking beer to another state...

 

[irishScott]

oh, i thought that passed this last time?

It passed the house. Waiting on the Senate.

 

[irishScott]

Seems like this would just be a way to circumvent the local gun laws of the state. If you want to own a gun and carry it, then you have the responsibility to learn the laws of where you're traveling. Don't want to learn the law? Don't carry the gun.

I imagine it would have been better to call a local police station to get this information rather than use the internet, who knows what site he used.

EDIT:

That said - he obviously shouldn't receive the penalties outlined in NY law. This is just a flaw of their laws.

It's a way to avoid retarded situations like the one in the OP. As for states rights, states are required to recognize each other's drivers licenses, and that doesn't even have the backing of the United States Constitution. Why should something guaranteed by the 2nd amendment be treated any differently?

 

[HAL9000]

what, the underlying issue that "guns are evil"?

No, the underlying issue that what's legal in one place isn't in another, the fact that a state can decide not to accept a legal license, I'm not playing the gun control advocate in this thread

 

[HAL9000]

there is a very clear national law regarding firearms. Somehow we've allowed it to be trampled upon by liberals.

I still don't understand the whole liberal conservative thing in America, aren't liberals the one for big government?

 

[Zargon]

Why do we need national gun laws? If we had them, which ones do we go with? Texas? Alaska? Chicago? DC? Everyone has quite drastically different gun laws, so by unifying them under one code you are disenfranchising a very large percentage of the country. This is absolutely something that should be handled by the states.

well, all but one state in the US allows CCW in atleast some situations. so a national CCW law wouldnt be that out of line with the majority of the population...

You are massively overestimating the defensive capability of a concealed weapon. It does not provide a magic shield.
If concealed carry provided a shield against murder, young inner-city black males would be practically immune to it.

except they are using guns offensively on each other knowing the others have them and not caring. its not the same as dealing with a random criminal

 

[Miramonti]

I still don't understand the whole liberal conservative thing in America, aren't liberals the one for big government?

There is no difference in actions, only rhetoric. Both of them spend the sh!t out of what appeases them and their financial backers.

 

[Viper GTS]

While I feel some sympathy for his predicament he's an idiot for not being absolutely, 100% sure of the reciprocity laws in the state he was visiting.

There are some states that are just common sense - You don't get to take your gun there. Yes NY, NJ, CA - I'm talking about you.

IMO the one in NJ where the traveler got stuck by weather was far more egregious (and was rightfully tossed/reduced, whichever it was).

Here it is:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/18/traveling-mans-gun-arrest-appealed-supreme-court/

Viper GTS

 

[Dari]

It's NYC gun laws that make me feel I am going to get killed by some punk kid in my neighborhood.

It's only 3 days into the year and already 3 shootings in less than ¼ mile of me. link.

There's no way of defending yourself in my neighborhood lately.

I thought you lived in the Bronx...

 

[irishScott]

I still don't understand the whole liberal conservative thing in America, aren't liberals the one for big government?

The stereotypical US liberal:

pro-abortion
pro-taxes
pro-universal gov. provided healthcare
pro-business regulation and more regulation in general
pro-stem cell research
pro-marijuana legalization
pro-gun control
anti-religious
anti-military/industrial complex

Both sides are for and against big government as suits their rhetoric, but liberals tend to have more rhetoric that suits big government. Conversely the stereotypical conservative has less big government rhetoric, but more big business rhetoric.

 

[OutHouse]

they guy is a moron. you always check the local gun laws if you are packing. if you dont then dont go crying foul when you get popped for violating a local statue.

 

[Triumph]

I don't know anyone with a CC that doesn't know crossing state lines is a big hassle. And I don't know anyone that even owns a gun that doesn't know NY is one of the strictest states in the country when it comes to guns. Why anyone would think they would be allowed to carry it in NYC is beyond me.

 

[KeithTalent]

Did not realize ignorance of the law was an excuse now. Guy sounds like a bit of a dumbass to me; punishment seems far too excessive though.

KT

 

[irishScott]

I don't know anyone with a CC that doesn't know crossing state lines is a big hassle. And I don't know anyone that even owns a gun that doesn't know NY is one of the strictest states in the country when it comes to guns. Why anyone would think they would be allowed to carry it in NYC is beyond me.

You know that, and I know that, but guns don't come with a license that requires months of gun-ed. Given the labyrinth of gun and self defense laws is orders of magnitude more complex than the rules of the road, finding innocently ignorant people isn't all that surprising. When said people get inaccurate information as the guy in the OP did, things get worse. Also note that he was caught when he voluntarily tried to check-in his handgun. He was at least trying to do the right thing.

 

[slayer202]

Hey guys, I have a question. I murdered a bunch of my enemies because I thought I was living in 5th century(I used a sword, not a gun). I didn't know it was actually 2011 and that my actions were not allowed. Who should I go see to get this taken care of? I'm willing to pay a small fine if that would help

 

[LiuKangBakinPie]

What would the reasonable man do?

 

[alent1234]

I don't know anyone with a CC that doesn't know crossing state lines is a big hassle. And I don't know anyone that even owns a gun that doesn't know NY is one of the strictest states in the country when it comes to guns. Why anyone would think they would be allowed to carry it in NYC is beyond me.

he read it on the internet

and rather than going to nyc.gov or nra.org he went to some obscure website to get this info

 

[irishScott]

Hey guys, I have a question. I murdered a bunch of my enemies because I thought I was living in 5th century(I used a sword, not a gun). I didn't know it was actually 2011 and that my actions were not allowed. Who should I go see to get this taken care of? I'm willing to pay a small fine if that would help

Yes, because a Marine voluntarily checking in his gun is tantamount to murder.

 

[slayer202]

Yes, because a Marine voluntarily checking in his gun is tantamount to murder.

does he deserve special treatment because he is a marine?

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

does he deserve special treatment because he is a marine?

Some people would say so. But the possibility of years in prison is extreme overkill even if that were not one of the facts of the case.

 

[LiuKangBakinPie]

does he deserve special treatment because he is a marine?

Normally they get knock harder cause they are suppose to know whats wrong and whats not.

 

[slayer202]

Some people would say so. But the possibility of years in prison is extreme overkill even if that were not one of the facts of the case.

yes it's overkill. mandatory minimum sentences doesn't really seem fair, but I suppose it does have some benefit in some scenarios

 

[drebo]

does he deserve special treatment because he is a marine?

Since when is one not allowed to own a gun?

Seriously, he should fight this, get it escallated to the SCOTUS, and they should deem the law unconstitutional. It's a clear violation of the 2nd Amendment.

 

[irishScott]

does he deserve special treatment because he is a marine?

No, but it speaks to his character and said character is backed up by his actions. He was trying to do the right thing, and no one was hurt in any way shape or form.

An "impartial system", which is what ours theoretically is, should judge him impartially without assuming he's some madman bent on a killing spree who was trying to smuggle his gun into NYC and deserves to be behind bars for 15 years for the safety of society.