Plaxico Burress not alone in ignoring gun laws
December 4th, 2008 by Syd
Plaxico Burress not alone in ignoring gun laws
New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself with his own gun while nightclubbing in Manhattan. For his troubles, he received not just the medical treatment he needed and the public shaming he deserved (for lousy gun handling), but a fine and suspension from his team and the possibility of spending 15 years behind bars because the gun isn’t licensed in New York City. Quietly, I suspect lots of New Yorkers sympathize with the unfortunate football player.
In carrying an unlicensed handgun, Burress is in good company. New York City politicians, protected by phalanxes of taxpayer-funded guards and politically awarded permits to carry weapons, impose some of the toughest gun laws in the country on the people over whom they rule. Even long guns require permits and registration, and the handgun permitting process is an ordeal that takes months and money and requires applicants to submit to a fair share of abuse from officials on the off chance they’ll be approved. Even then, the city has been known to arbitrarily yank already issued handgun permits just to reduce the numbers on the streets.
Not surprisingly, many New Yorkers have chosen to acquire the means for self defense outside of official channels…
Someone once told me “better tried by 12 than carried by 6″.
I agree with that on principle, but I still don’t own a gun. And I’d need three permits to own a revolver in Quebec. A firearm permit, then a restrictied permit then a pistol permit.
And like the Titanic’s captain, I’ve never hit an iceberg, so I don’t feel like I need one.