Don't be so quick to castigate Senator Trotter (O'Hare Airport .25 auto)

Wow, $350K working as a consultant for a security firm where about which he does not report the income on state documents and folks don't seem to know he works for the firm? Interesting, or rather, curiouser and curiouser.

Just more corruption.

This guy has consistently voted ANTI-GUN since he first got in office.

He's consistently co-sponsored every piece of anti-gun legislation in records as far back as 1989 (even pioneered the waiting period junk, and other anti-gun legislation in Illinois).


He joins a private security firm with ties to other corrupt politicians in Chicago, gets a massive annual payout (from WHO exactly?), for doing what? All so he can carry a firearm wherever he damn well pleases, because if he ever gets caught he can say "oh I'm a consultant for such-and-such".

No, this guy is NOT a damn moderate, he's never BEEN a moderate.

Let me make this clear - it is absolutely DISGUSTING me that Todd Vandermyde and the NRA are calling for people to "take it easy" on our dear anti-gun senator.


If this is the new NRA stance in Illinois, I'm going to rip up my life membership card and mail it back to the folks at the NRA in protest.


YOU DO NOT MAKE DEALS WITH THE PEOPLE TRYING TO STRIP YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AWAY.

THIS IS EXACTLY *HOW* WE GOT IN TO THE MESS WE ARE IN ALREADY (NFA, CG'68, FOPA, etc, etc.)


Un-freaking-believable.

comus3 said:

Ted Kennedy had a Capitol Police security detail.

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I think he meant this:

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1986-01-15/news/0190180113_1_submachine-guns-bodyguard-uzi

Kennedy Bodyguard Arrested For Possessing Machine Guns
January 15, 1986|By United Press International
WASHINGTON — Sen. Edward Kennedy's private bodyguard, hired for a trip to South America, was arrested last week when he arrived at the Capitol with two submachine guns and ammunition, officials said Tuesday.

The bodyguard was identified as Charles Stein, 47, a former police officer in San Fernando, Calif., who has worked for the Massachusetts Democrat in the past, providing security on overseas trips. He was released on his own recognizance after appearing in court.

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I read elsewhere Kennedy was "incensed."

hso said:

Unregistered handgun in Chicago.
Handgun in carry-on.

One might be "I forgot", but the other isn't.

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Does Trotter live in Chicago?

My dear friend and very well connected lifetime Marine, had a similar problem with his wife, "who I also know", she was flying out of NY when a loaded 357 was found in her purse.
This of course caused bells and whistles to go off, and she called my friend, who put in a call to a buddy from Homeland, within 15 minutes she was released from custody. They kept the gun. It's all a bunch of malarcy, it's going to happen frome time to time.Normal people forget that they are carrying after years of doing so, why even bother pemalizing a person for an obvious oversight.

gym said:

My dear friend and very well connected lifetime Marine, had a similar problem with his wife, "who I also know", she was flying out of NY when a loaded 357 was found in her purse.
This of course caused bells and whistles to go off, and she called my friend, who put in a call to a buddy from Homeland, within 15 minutes she was released from custody. They kept the gun. It's all a bunch of malarcy, it's going to happen frome time to time.Normal people forget that they are carrying after years of doing so, why even bother pemalizing a person for an obvious oversight.

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She should be serving ~18 months in prison.

Laws not being applied consistently is despicable.

I would normally agree with you, But this man is a real life hero, He served 3 tours and has every medal they can bestow on a marine. He went on to teach sniping to other branches and special units, and I don't think that he is one who asks for favors lightlly. He called someone who called someone and the result was that she was released.
I could see if it was done with malice intended, but she is just a nice older woman, who dosen't deserve to be thrown in the system for being forgetfull. Fact is she doen't like carrying guns but does so at his insistance. He knows what's out there, so it wasn't something she normally thinks about. If anyone deserved a break it's someone like her.
People catch breaks everyday for a lot worse than this, including senators sons and daughters who get driven home when pulled over drunk, and police captains kids and wifes. It is always going to be that way. It's an unwritten code.
Show me a cop who reports a fellow pfficers family member for a DWI, and I will show you a rainbow.
I know of one who drove through a fence "wooden" in Old Westberry, LI,NY, and got driven home while another officer drove his car home and smoothed things over with the people who owned the house.
It's always who you know. Unless your a politician and get nailed by the opposing party of the media. but vets and LEO"s have been protecting each other from day 1, and will continue to do so, with speeding tickets fines and any thing that a regular person would get nailed for.
Pilots have been flying drunk for decades until the tragedy in 9/11. my uncle who passed away was operations manager for Eastern Airlines, you would be suprised how many times they couldn't wake up the pilots and co pilot because they had fallen asleep flying a transatlantic flight, with no flight attendants, it was just an empty plane One time they went so far passed the mainland they almost ran out of fuel before responding.No one was ever punished because the airline doesn't want that kind of press. You can bet they paid one way or the other. How about mechanics being sucked into jet engines, that never made the news, even though it wasn't uncommon.It's part of life.
I don't think anyone should go to jail for forgetting they left a pistol in their coat or handbag. It happens everyday.
Jail is for people who intentionally commit a hanus act. Not an innocent mistake that hurt no one.

gym said:

I would normally agree with you,

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Laws that are not applied consistently are despicable.

We do not need more of this "the unwashed masses follow THIS set of restrictions, while the important people follow THAT set of restrictions"

The more people there are who get special consideration, the harder it is to get rid of the asinine laws, and the more people there will be who get screwed over by ridiculous laws.

Accepting inequality is not the answer.

One who works to deny basic human rights to other citizens; engages in one of the most repugnant acts possible.

Sorry, but this guy deserves hard time.

Illinois is chock-full of examples of "first class citizenry."

One of the most blatant is allowing police officers to carry loaded, concealed firearms off-duty, while denying ordinary civilians any possibility of the right to do so (regardless of training, etc.)

I understand when an officer is on duty they need to be able to defend themselves - they're often put in to situations which could turn violent. But OFF duty they should be required to keep and transport their weapons in the same state ordinary civilians must keep them in. Unloaded, and in a case.

I would normally agree with you, But this man is a real life hero, He served 3 tours and has every medal they can bestow on a marine. He went on to teach sniping to other branches and special units, and I don't think that he is one who asks for favors lightlly.

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How does that transfer to his wife?

EddieNFL said:

How does that transfer to his wife?

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This is the United States. It isn't about what the law is. It isn't about whether or not what you did was legal or illegal. It is about who you are and who you know. Sometimes it is about what race you are, and what race the other person is. Your actual actions...second fiddle.

Eddie, it's called a favor. You can do or not do a favor for someone who asked it of you. It doesn't have to be for you, it might be for your son, "like put in a good word for him" or your father, or anyone, favors aren't limited to ones self.
Has no one ever asked nor you ever asked someone for a favor for another person. If not then I find that hard to believe. Getting in the teamsters, or the TA, or any good job that requires you make a call, is a favor.
My step son got on the LIRR, because a Police Leutenent called in a favor.
If you don't know anyone that can call in a favor if need its a very lonelly world in certain areas of the country.
You can't even get an interview these days unless someone knows someone and calls in a favor to even get you in the door. That's the way big cities work, you want to get a starting salary of $75,000 per year, in NY sanitation, you need someone to call in a favor or you will die of old age before you get called, same with most any city or Govt job, when I took the Police test 100 years ago, they were not hiring, you had to know someone of wait 3 years for the magic listto open again. they even freeze dissability for people who are missing limbs, "sorry we aren't giving dissabillity for 2 years, you are on the list. So you can go starve and live on air until they unfreeze the list. Unless you can call someone.It's the way of the world, no one said it was right, only that it is what it is.
Until the day comes when everyone is equal, favors are just part of life, like it or not. Teachears make 30 grand a year, and garbage truck drivers start at 100,000 in private sanitation, for 6 hrs a day. Seniority gets weekends off.

i say he should fall victim to the same laws he voted for.

...it's called a favor.

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It's called corruption. "Putting in a good word" is perfectly fine; it's mere testimony. However, it is frequently a euphemism for "bend the rules" in all too many cases. Entire nations have been ruined by "acceptable" corruption and graft--it's how $1,000,000,000 vaporizes before it can do any good in Afghanistan. It's how a Party official in China got away with killing a pedestrian in a DUI. Our nation only prospered the way it has because we historically had a low enough level of corruption that our labor was not squandered on "favors".

All men are treated equal under the law in this country. Founding principle. Anything to the contrary is an erosion of this nation's ascendance above anarchy.

It's the way of the world, no one said it was right, only that it is what it is.

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"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
--Edmund Burke

I know of one who drove through a fence "wooden" in Old Westberry, LI,NY, and got driven home while another officer drove his car home and smoothed things over with the people who owned the house.

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I'm sure the homeowners were elated the incident was smoothed over so. I'm sure a bribe or threat wasn't made or implied to the homeowner. See the bit above about the DUI fatality coverup in China and explain why one is acceptable but not the other.

TCB

Neither is acceptable, I just pointed out the fact that they will always exhist. As long as one group can take care of it's own it usually will, as long as they can keep it quiet, once it gets out, they will deny they had anything to do with it.
But doing physical harm is a step above doing property damage. Is it acceptable , no, will it continue, yes. Until all men are held accountable by the same laws and there is no wiggle room, people will try to get away with whatever they can, it's always been that way and likelly always wiill. you get penalized for being a law abiding person.

Trotter should be able to plea to a misdameanor that won't destroy him over a victimless and errant/un-intended offense. I don't care for the man and hgis politics, but that is well apart from the point.

Neo-Luddite said:

Trotter should be able to plea to a misdameanor that won't destroy him over a victimless and errant/un-intended offense. I don't care for the man and hgis politics, but that is well apart from the point.

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Plenty of people serve years in prison for victim-less crimes.

So ultimately the only thing that matters is if you know somebody who can do you favors?

We all have "connections", whether it is the butcher who allows a little extra value on a brisket, the dude at the hardware store who lets us walk out with a handful of free nails, or a dude at Homeland Security who averts a felony. Some folks make a career of working their way into convenient relationships at organizations that might be helpful someday.

Not surprised anybody gets away with anything anymore. Regular folks who play honestly in the sandbox will always have a harder time in life if they expect special treatment. Staying below the radar is the order of the day.

gym said:

Eddie, it's called a favor. You can do or not do a favor for someone who asked it of you. It doesn't have to be for you, it might be for your son, "like put in a good word for him" or your father, or anyone, favors aren't limited to ones self.
Has no one ever asked nor you ever asked someone for a favor for another person. If not then I find that hard to believe. Getting in the teamsters, or the TA, or any good job that requires you make a call, is a favor.
My step son got on the LIRR, because a Police Leutenent called in a favor.
If you don't know anyone that can call in a favor if need its a very lonelly world in certain areas of the country.
You can't even get an interview these days unless someone knows someone and calls in a favor to even get you in the door. That's the way big cities work, you want to get a starting salary of $75,000 per year, in NY sanitation, you need someone to call in a favor or you will die of old age before you get called, same with most any city or Govt job, when I took the Police test 100 years ago, they were not hiring, you had to know someone of wait 3 years for the magic listto open again. they even freeze dissability for people who are missing limbs, "sorry we aren't giving dissabillity for 2 years, you are on the list. So you can go starve and live on air until they unfreeze the list. Unless you can call someone.It's the way of the world, no one said it was right, only that it is what it is.
Until the day comes when everyone is equal, favors are just part of life, like it or not. Teachears make 30 grand a year, and garbage truck drivers start at 100,000 in private sanitation, for 6 hrs a day. Seniority gets weekends off.

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My question was rhetorical, but thanks for the condesending reply.

I didn't mean to be condesening, it was just the way you asked how it applied to his wife, which should be self explanitory, it's his wife. One dosen't necessarilly have to ask for a favor for themselves, if not a wife then who?
That's the only reason for my response, if your wife has a problem are you going to ignore it and leave her in a room at the airport, or call for help?
Personally I choose the latter, you call whoever can be of the greatest assisitance when a loved one is in trouble.
Perhaps I over explained it but perhaps you under rated the explanation thus the misunderstanding.
Anyone who sleeps in the same house is part of my family and myself, thus no explanation should have been necessary. i am sorry you took it that way and meant no disrespect.

But this man is a real life hero,...

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A hero who voted against 2A rights. Being a "hero" doesn't mean being above the law. Jails aren't just for people who committed hanus acts. They are for people who broke the law.

Double Naught, I think the "real life hero" was referring to his marine friend.

I say we throw him under the bus and then check how well the transmission shifts from first to reverse. Several times.

"Guns for me, none for you" seems to be his stand and voting record. Then he "forgets" a pistol at an airport checkpoint. I can feel sympathy for someone who forgets to check for a few loose rounds in a bag they wind up travelling with. But a pistol? Sorry. John Q. Public would be crucified by the TSA for this. For this guy, I'll bring the nails.