If CA is Hell, NY is Hell’s Toilet

Dear Readers: There is an urgent news item I need to share with you today that goes to the heart of Tea Party activism: Defending our constitutional liberties that are being eroded by preening elites and do-gooder bureaucrats.

After reviewing the news I am about to share, I think that if California is regulatory Hell, then New York is Hell’s Toilet:

Tea Party member arrested on gun charge at NY airport

A leader of a Tea Party group was arrested Thursday at New York’s LaGuardia Airport while in possession of a handgun, prosecutors said.

Mark Meckler, a co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots, was detained Thursday morning during preflight check-in, according to a Queens District attorney statement. Meckler told a Delta Airlines ticket agent about the Glock 27 pistol, which was in a locked gun box alongside more than a dozen 9mm cartridges, the statement said.

Mark had a legal permit for concealed carry of a weapon. It was from California, a state not inclined to issue one unless there is a solid need for protection. He was in the process of declaring the firearm as part of checked luggage (it was properly containerized, locked and unloaded). Meckler had prepared all the required paperwork and specified declarations.

Sarah Bond, the CEO of SoCal Tax Revolt Coalition/San Diego Tea Party Patriots, has been following the story closely. She was interviewed on this matter last night by Ladona Harvey. THE PODCAST OF THE INTERVIEW CAN BE FOUND BY CLICKING HERE.

The dynamic TAMMY BRUCE ALSO DISCUSSED MECKLER”S ARREST. Happily, he is out of the hoosegow, but cannot discuss the case on the advice of his lawyer.

However, that is not going to stop citizen activists from around the country from getting far more engaged with Second Amendment issues — not to say, there hasn’t been plenty of inspiration for that already.

This little chestnut comes from the New York port authority, and goes to the heart of the harassment citizens face in that execrably liberal state (via Lipstick Underground, who is following the story closely):

The Port Authority says he was arrested because possession of an unloaded firearm AND ammunition in a LOCKED case is the equivalent of carrying a loaded weapon…

“”He had the weapon and ammunition, and that’s like having a loaded weapon,” Della Fave said.”(Fave -Port Authority Spokesperson)

This is a stellar example of the small-minded, snobbish, bureaucratic thinking that is killing our Constitutionally protected liberties on a daily basis. Lipstick Underground, who has reason to be knowledgeable about firearm transit laws has this background information:

And something about all this just seemed off. So off to Google I go…and one, yes, just one, search of “New York Gun Laws About Transporting Firearms” led me to this very helpful link at the NRA where I read the following...

“…A provision of the federal law known as the Firearms Owners` Protection Act, or FOPA, protects those who are transporting firearms for lawful purposes from local restrictions which would otherwise prohibit passage….

…Under FOPA, notwithstanding any state or local law, a person is entitled to transport a firearm from any place where he or she may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he or she may lawfully possess and carry it, if the firearm is unloaded and locked out of reach…”

Stay tuned! The SLOBs will be following this closely.

In keeping with the season, the New York port authority has this holiday message for legally permitted gun-owners in the other 56 states:

Meckler had a legally obtained conceal carry permit from California, as he has received numerous credible death theats. Sadly, it seems the California bureaucrats have decided Mark has not been harassed enough for following all legal procedures regarding the transit of his properly documented weapon: Sheriff’s Office suspends Meckler’s concealed-weapon permit

Call me psychic, but I think there will be a heightened focus on 2nd amendment rights by citizen activists.