imported post
[align=left]My Letters to the Airport People (no responses received):[/align]
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[align=left]Sunday, August 6, 2006[/align]
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[align=left]Charles Moffatt, Superintendent[/align]
[align=left]Allegheny County Bureau of Police[/align]
[align=left]400 North Lexington Street[/align]
[align=left]Pittsburgh, PA 15208[/align]
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[align=left]Dear Superintendent Moffatt:[/align]
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[align=left]Your website advice to travelers at Pittsburgh International Airport includes the following warning:[/align]
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[align=left]“Be aware that only authorized law enforcement personnel are permitted to carry firearms within the airport proper. No firearm permits are honored at the airport. Personnel carrying firearms on airport property even with a permit run the risk of arrest.”[/b] [/i][Emphasis added.][/align]
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[align=left]Surely, Sir, you are aware that the Pennsylvania General Assembly has, via the Uniform Firearms Act at 18 Pa.C.S. § 6120, prohibited any political subdivision (which includes Allegheny County and its Bureau of Police) from enacting or enforcing gun bans at airports, or anywhere else for that matter. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has likewise held that the legal arguments supporting local gun control initiatives in Pennsylvania are "frivolous." [Ortiz v. Commonwealth, 681 A.2d 152, 156 (Pa. 1996)].[/align]
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[align=left]So, Superintendent Moffatt, what lawful authority constitutes the basis for your so-called advice to travelers? It certainly is not federal law, nor is it state law. An individual possessing a License to Carry Firearms is authorized, by statute, to carry throughout the Commonwealth, with relatively few exceptions, and Title 18, Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, contains no restrictions for Pittsburgh International Airport.[/align]
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[align=left]Absent any lawful authority to the contrary, please order the County Police to cease enforcement of the invalid Pittsburgh Airport gun ban, and remove its associated bogus Internet warning that "only authorized law enforcement personnel are permitted to carry firearms within the airport proper."[/align]
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[align=left]Awaiting a prompt response, I remain, [/align]
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[align=left]Yours Sincerely,[/align]
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[align=left]And...[/align]
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[align=left]Sunday, August 6, 2006[/align]
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[align=left]Kent G. George, Executive Director[/align]
[align=left]Allegheny County Airport Authority[/align]
[align=left]P.O. Box 12370[/align]
[align=left]Pittsburgh, PA 15231[/align]
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[align=left]Dear Mr. George:[/align]
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[align=left]The Allegheny County Bureau of Police is under contract to the Allegheny County Airport Authority to provide police services to Pittsburgh International Airport. They even have a website giving advice to travelers transiting your facility. However, included in their “advice” is the following blurb:[/align]
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[align=left]“Be aware that only authorized law enforcement personnel are permitted to carry firearms within the airport proper. No firearm permits are honored at the airport. Personnel carrying firearms on airport property even with a permit run the risk of arrest.”[/b] [/i][Emphasis added.][/align]
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[align=left]As a citizen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I would appreciate it very much if you ordered the Allegheny County Police to cease posting and enforcing the so-called Pittsburgh Airport gun ban, and remove its associated bogus Internet warning.[/align]
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Congress and most state legislatures recognize that non-sterile areas of airports should not be allowed to become victim disarmament zones. Accordingly, neither federal law nor Pennsylvania law prohibits peaceable citizen gun carry in the non-sterile areas of airports. The Pennsylvania General Assembly has furthermore, via the Uniform Firearms Act at 18 Pa.C.S. § 6120, forbidden Allegheny County (and the Allegheny County Airport Authority, and the Allegheny County Bureau of Police) from enacting or enforcing any gun bans at airports or anywhere else for that matter. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has already held that the legal arguments supporting local gun control initiatives in Pennsylvania are "frivolous." [Ortiz v. Commonwealth, 681 A.2d 152, 156 (Pa. 1996)].[/align]
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[align=left]Local gun bans are unenforceable and have no statutory authority. Since the County Airport gun ban is also therefore invalid, I urge you to do the right thing and take action to preclude any violations of civil rights and associated liability (can we say “Wrongful Arrest,” “Illegal Seizure of Property” and “Official Oppression [18 Pa.C.S. § 5301]”?).[/align]
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[align=left]Absent any lawful authority to the contrary, please order the County Police to cease enforcement of the invalid Pittsburgh Airport gun ban, and remove its associated bogus Internet warning.[/align]
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[align=left]I look forward to hearing from you in this matter.[/align]
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[align=left]Sincerely,[/align]
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