Marine Amputee Acquitted On Gun Possession Charges

[Thin Black Line]

Being a vet, even a disabled one, does not place him above the law.

and

Whether he has legs or how he lost them doesn't enter into it at all. If the law is wrong, then the law needs repealed or changed. Unequal treatment and/or jury nullification are not solutions.

Joe, has DC recognized last year's "big" SCOTUS decision yet or are they still
putting themselves above the law of the land.

How he lost his legs does matter and his past record does matter. Look up
and try to understand a concept called "mens rea". Since the entire premise
behind weapons laws are to supposedly protect us from armed criminals intent
upon commiting crime, then I think anyone with a few neurons firing between
their ears can tell this guy was only armed to equal the potential odds and
defend his family while traveling in one of this country's higher crime area.

Not to keep bringing legs into this, but when are those federal agencies going
to send armed officers down the street to the DC city government buildings
and start arresting government officials for continuing to violate civil rights
and thumb their noses at the top court of the land?

 

[Joe Demko]

Jury nullification deals with a particular case. The law still stands. It is not a solution.

 

[Joe Demko]

Your gratitude for his sacrifice is nice and he deserves it. He is still not entitled to be above the law or exempt from it. The law is bad and needs repealed. If you want to use this vet as a poster child for that cause, I am 100% with you. I am not behind LE choosing to enforce the law on some but not others, no matter how heroic or villainous. We are equal under the law... Or at least we are supposed to be.

 

[jimsmith80]

I too am a disabled vet. I too was in Iraq, and I too have lived at Walter Reed. I veiw it this way. If someone on the street is about to rob you, you like most will retreat, IE run away. This man is a marine, he is trained to not run away! In addition to this he Could not run away if he wanted, ergo he must have the means to defend himself and his family.
Couple other points. Consent to search. Sure pull me out of my wheel chair and arrest me. ONE WORD >>>>>>LAWYER
Now. I have been pondering this forawhile. eveyone knows that LEO's have nation wide carry now. Why should we not have this same thing for honorably retired sevrice members? Do we not have the training? Well anyone who has seen Iraq lately can tell that most of what the troop do day in and day out is Police work. In a much tougher enviroment than May Berry.
I was going go into law enforcment after the military. I can't run now thanks to a bad guy. So now I am useless? Dosent make sense. Perhaps the wrong place to vent but when is this country going to start using us disabled vets? My idea would put thousands of trained, skilled, experinced people on the streets, with the legal right to be there! Retired ID should equal National CCW!

 

[Joe Demko]

Vet status does not, and should not, create a special class of privileged citizens. The Constitution you swore to defend prohibits such.

 

[Oddbod]

Vet status does not, and should not, create a special class of privileged citizens. The Constitution you swore to defend prohibits such.

It also states that the Right to keep & bear arms shall not be infringed, which is exactly what the federal law on the transportation of firearms does & is thus unconstitutional.

Why SHOULD someone travelling be denied the means to defend themselves?

 

[markfh]

Joe, in a perfect world you might be right. Since we don't have a perfect world we have things like jury nullification and the 2nd.

I'll gladly abide by the law if it's reasonable and constitutional. If not I will not abide by that law.

As far as this marine is concerned I have no problem with him being armed. He does deserve some special consideration.

We do not have "equal" protection or application under the law. Never have and never will.

 

[seale]

They should arrest the ******* that called the police. OMG there's a man with no legs, a flat tire and a gun, run run run as fast as you can

What is a word bigger and louder than AMEN?

I love the smell of jury nullification in the morning.

Hollis Fincher, David Olafson, and Ramos/Campean should have smelled it too. Speak up and make your neighbors/friends/family into informed jurors.

 

[MT GUNNY]

Any man or woman who Served, in my mind has a right to cc/oc anywhere................

 

[Joe Demko]

Any man or woman who Served, in my mind has a right to cc/oc anywhere................

What about the ones who didn't serve?

 

[Joe Demko]

Why SHOULD someone travelling be denied the means to defend themselves?

He shouldn't. That means anyone who is travelling, not just veterans, disabled or otherwise. Once again, the solution is to correct the law, not informally play favorites.

 

[starboard]

jimsmith80 wrote:

I was going go into law enforcment after the military. I can't run now thanks to a bad guy. So now I am useless? Dosent make sense. Perhaps the wrong place to vent but when is this country going to start using us disabled vets? My idea would put thousands of trained, skilled, experinced people on the streets, with the legal right to be there! Retired ID should equal National CCW!

I did some research a few years back into FBI career options, whether as agent or technical staff. They, and surely other agencies, have a large variety of technical/analytical desk jobs. A whole mess of people support the Special Agents, and the physical requirements are surely much less rigorous if at all applicable. If you're still thinking along those lines, it's worth a look and there are good online resources and even books out. Sounds like a decent career option, especially in these crazy times.

Best of luck to you, and Thank You for your service!

 

[JImbothefiveth]

Thank you for your service, jimsmith 80!

Vet status does not, and should not, create a special class of privileged citizens.

I'm not sure it does, but honestly, would you send a disabled veteran to federal prison? He's clearly not a threat to society.
In addition, he has an extra need for a gun, because he is in a wheelchair.(And he got that way fighting for America.)

 

[Joe Demko]

One of my grandfathers lost both legs mining coal for America during WWII. He wasn't a vet because coal miners were considered vital civilian personnel. The military turned him away. If he were still alive today, should he be given special treatment? What about a guy I graduated with from HS who lost a leg in a motorcycle accident? Does he deserve exemption from the law? What about people who are just physically weak or clumsy?
Creating exceptions and playing favorites is no way to have a free country. Rather than whining that we never were free, we should be correcting the laws instead of making things worse.

 

[Officers'Wife]

Sounds like he found a jury that believed that the function on law is to insure a peaceful society not a wild sword to be obeyed without reason or question. Having lived at Fort Myer I'm amazed they found 12 people in DC that think that way.

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

fort meyer still in arlington?

 

[jimsmith80]

My post was not ment to be that we veterans are above the law or anything like that. The reason I aim at vets is the same reasons that police have nation wide carry. Vets are a group of very diciplined people who are trained and programed to respond. This does not say that anyone else is less safe or anyof that so don't cry, it just says that are that way. Anyone who has served or is close to sone who has know what I mean. The military stays with you forever. So while we are going about living are lives like everyone else, let us watch over America like we have been for years.
Not ment to put anyone else or their famliy down, but these peolpe like that Marine, have been there before. Everyone knows that past actions are a guide to further actions.

 

[Joe Demko]

I served and the idea that vets are inherently safer with weapons is nonsense.

 

[Grey_Mana]

Constitution, Article 1, Section 9, notes: "No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince or foreign State."

The terms 'senator', 'congressman', 'political donor', 'retired police officer', & 'retired veteran' are the 21st century titles of nobility.

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

not all vets are safe

 

[JImbothefiveth]

The terms 'senator', 'congressman', 'political donor', 'retired police officer', & 'retired veteran' are the 21st century titles of nobility.

"Retired veteran" is a title of nobility?
Besides, it was more of a "this guy is no threat to society" call, I would make the same call if a person in their 90's, or someone recieving death threats did the same thing.

not all vets are safe

This one is, he was even doing what his superiors told him to in regard to how to transport the gun. If he had gone on a shooting spree, of course I wouldn't let him roam free.

Creating exceptions and playing favorites is no way to have a free country. Rather than whining that we never were free, we should be correcting the laws instead of making things worse.

We should, but can't in the current political climate.