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Tennessean goes to jail for carrying a couple handguns in his car

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RussP

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The guy had law enforcement and political friends, Leonard.
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64-year old preacher from Elizabethton, TN, goes to Washington, DC, to celebrate Independence Day.

With him are his wife, daughter, a police officer, his son-in-law, a federal agent, and their two small children.

The hotel they were staying in shared the parking lot with the FEMA building. When they pulled in, the security guard asked if he had any weapons. Not knowing his TN carry permit was no good in DC, he answered yes, he had two S&W pistols under his seat.

Well, the guard called in back-up and the police, federal agents, and a SWAT team responded.

Federal agent SIL calmed down his people and they left along with SWAT. The police officer in charge was not as accommodating and took the pastor to jail.

The pastors wife makes a phone call to a church leader who is a THP Trooper. Trooper called a close friend of Rep. Phil Roe of the 1st Congressional District. Roe was "infuriated" about the situation and started his staff working on getting the pastor released. Roe was a cosponsor of the national right to carry reciprocity bill in 2009 and was Mayor of Johnson City.

Roe's chief of staff knew a former attorney for the NRA. He called him and when the pastor entered court Monday morning, there was the high powered lawyer telling the judge he, not the public defender, would represent him. The pastor was released on his own recognizance. The lawyer got the case dismissed three weeks later and is working to get the pastor's record expunged.

Seems like a pretty good outcome so far. Getting his pistols back and the record expunged will make it very good. Rep. Roe said he was going to have a little mayor-mayor talk with the DC mayor to talk about the incident.

So, yeah, being in good with local cops, politicians, that might help one get out of a jam, even when caught with firearms in DC..., or, you can piss them all off and...wait, that's another story.

:cool:
 

sultan62

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Phil Roe of the 1st Congressional District. Roe was "infuriated" about the situation and started his staff working on getting the pastor released. Roe was a cosponsor of the national right to carry reciprocity bill in 2009 and was Mayor of Johnson City.

Taxpayers footed the bill for this.
 

kwikrnu

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Taxpayers footed the bill for this.

Proving once again, it isn't what you know it's who you know. If a poor black resident of DC was found carrying a gun in his car do you think it would have went so well? The pastor should have been convicted and then fought through the courts just like everyone else.
 
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Procarryguy

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Proving once again, it isn't what you know it's who you know. If a poor black resident of DC was found carrying a gun in his car do you think it would have went so well? The pastor should have been convicted and then fought through the courts just like everyone else.

COMMENT REMOVED BY ADMINISTRATOR: Personal attack
 

slowfiveoh

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Proving that it is not what you know, but who you know.

I am betting all the law enforcement worshipers here see nothing wrong whatsoever with what occurred here.

COMMENT REMOVED BY ADMINISTRATOR: Personal attack
 

flb_78

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I don't know how anyone who owns a gun can not know that carrying a gun in DC is currently illegal.

When Im planning on crossing state lines, I usually try and study their laws on carrying.
 

Citizen

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Proving once again, it isn't what you know it's who you know. If a poor black resident of DC was found carrying a gun in his car do you think it would have went so well? The pastor should have been convicted and then fought through the courts just like everyone else.

I disagree. While he did get favoritism, the outcome was proper. He was not penalized for exercising his right to self-defense.

The proper solution is for everyone else to get the same outcome, not penalize him like everyone else. Just because bad things are done to some people does not mean they should be done to all people just so everyone has equal misery.

This fish escaped the government net; the solution is to get rid of the net so all fish can swim free.
 
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sultan62

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Tennesseans helping Tennesseans...

Would you not want your NC Representative helping you if you got in a jam?

Oh, I absolutely would. But he didn't help BECAUSE he was a representative. He helped because he was a friend. He simply used (abused?) his office because that was the best tool he had. But it wasn't to help a mere average constituent.

Splitting hairs? Maybe. But it's a big difference in my book.
 

sultan62

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I disagree. While he did get favoritism, the outcome was proper. He was not penalized for exercising his right to self-defense.

The proper solution is for everyone else to get the same outcome, not penalize him like everyone else. Just because bad things are done to some people does not mean they should be done to all people just so everyone has equal misery.

This fish escaped the government net; the solution is to get rid of the net so all fish can swim free.

Well said.
 

Procarryguy

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Oh, I absolutely would. But he didn't help BECAUSE he was a representative. He helped because he was a friend. He simply used (abused?) his office because that was the best tool he had. But it wasn't to help a mere average constituent.

Splitting hairs? Maybe. But it's a big difference in my book.

I doubt very seriously that there is a person here that wouldn't take advantage of a friend helping them out of trouble. Sure it's easy to say they wouldn't but when it comes down to brass tacks and they're facing jail time and lawyer fees, they would be the first ones thanking their friend for help.

There are several people here that I've notice live in their own world where you can get by with what you know instead of who you know. Well those people should really join the rest of us in the real world where things are a bit different. Then again it is easier to sit behind a computer screen and whine about the way things are and tell others how things should be. It's sad but those people have no real concept of life and how the world really works. Oh well, their loss I suppose. Only a fool lives in a fool's paradise.
 

sultan62

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I doubt very seriously that there is a person here that wouldn't take advantage of a friend helping them out of trouble. Sure it's easy to say they wouldn't but when it comes down to brass tacks and they're facing jail time and lawyer fees, they would be the first ones thanking their friend for help.

There are several people here that I've notice live in their own world where you can get by with what you know instead of who you know. Well those people should really join the rest of us in the real world where things are a bit different. Then again it is easier to sit behind a computer screen and whine about the way things are and tell others how things should be. It's sad but those people have no real concept of life and how the world really works. Oh well, their loss I suppose. Only a fool lives in a fool's paradise.

I sincerely hope you aren't calling me a fool, and in the interest of keeping things civil I will assume you are not.

I never said I wouldn't take advantage of my contacts; I will state that I absolutely would. I would try anything I had at my disposal, starting with my contacts. My point was that the representative used government resources to help a friend in a way that he would not have done for Joe Constituent.
 

Procarryguy

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I sincerely hope you aren't calling me a fool, and in the interest of keeping things civil I will assume you are not.

I never said I wouldn't take advantage of my contacts; I will state that I absolutely would. I would try anything I had at my disposal, starting with my contacts. My point was that the representative used government resources to help a friend in a way that he would not have done for Joe Constituent.

The statement about a fool living in a fools paradise was just that, a statement. It wasn't directed at any one person but if anyone here feels it applies to them then far be it for me to argue with them.

I can assure everyone here that this is not the first time nor will it be the last time that a person in power pulled strings to help a friend out. The only people that complain about it are the ones with no friends in power. If anyone here feels this isn't fair, maybe they should try to acquire different friends in more prominent positions.
 

sultan62

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The statement about a fool living in a fools paradise was just that, a statement. It wasn't directed at any one person but if anyone here feels it applies to them then far be it for me to argue with them.

I can assure everyone here that this is not the first time nor will it be the last time that a person in power pulled strings to help a friend out. The only people that complain about it are the ones with no friends in power. If anyone here feels this isn't fair, maybe they should try to acquire different friends in more prominent positions.

The people without friends in power are not the only ones who complain about it. I may be willing and able to adapt to the broken, flawed system-that doesn't mean I like it.

Oh, and it ISN'T fair. But neither is life, and I gave up on bitching about things not being fair a while back.
 

RussP

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I don't know how anyone who owns a gun can not know that carrying a gun in DC is currently illegal.
I think we would be surprised just how many people do not know that.

How many people think the Heller and McDonald decisions made owning and possessing legal everywhere immediately? Not everyone pays as close attention to such things as we do.
When Im planning on crossing state lines, I usually try and study their laws on carrying.
Yep,, same here...
 

RussP

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I disagree. While he did get favoritism, the outcome was proper. He was not penalized for exercising his right to self-defense.

The proper solution is for everyone else to get the same outcome, not penalize him like everyone else. Just because bad things are done to some people does not mean they should be done to all people just so everyone has equal misery.

This fish escaped the government net; the solution is to get rid of the net so all fish can swim free.
Rep. Roe did say he was going to have a chat with DC mayor Adrian Fenty, mayor-to-mayor. Perhaps that conversation will start cutting away the net; perhaps not.

Would it hurt for Tennesseans to contact Rep. Roe, thanking him for getting involved and encouraging him to pursue Mayor Fenty's assistance in loosening DC's gun laws?
 

RussP

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Taxpayers footed the bill for this.

Proving once again, it isn't what you know it's who you know. If a poor black resident of DC was found carrying a gun in his car do you think it would have went so well? The pastor should have been convicted and then fought through the courts just like everyone else.

It's funny you should feel this way considering that you know the tax payers would be footing the bill if you were to win one of your frivolous law suits.

Guess it's only fair if you're the one stealing taxpayers money huh?
That is a good question, Procarryguy.

Tennesseans paying to protect the rights of the pastor is wrong, but Tennesseans paying to protect Leonard's rights is good and proper.
 

RussP

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I doubt very seriously that there is a person here that wouldn't take advantage of a friend helping them out of trouble. Sure it's easy to say they wouldn't but when it comes down to brass tacks and they're facing jail time and lawyer fees, they would be the first ones thanking their friend for help.
That's what I've observed, too. While it didn't involve avoiding jail or legal expenses, friends, and friends of friends have helped me over the years.
There are several people here that I've notice live in their own world where you can get by with what you know instead of who you know. Well those people should really join the rest of us in the real world where things are a bit different.
Most people began/begin social networking as children and teenagers. I still have friends from high school I call for advice and help.

College refines that networking skill. Fraternal organizations, business groups, lifestyle groups, all carry over for years after leaving school.

Military service adds another group of often inseparable friendships. My CO from 40 years ago is still one of my very best friends.

I would not hesitate calling on any and every friend to help me if they had the means/connections to do so. I would expect them to do the same.

Wouldn't all of you ask friends for help?
...It's sad but those people have no real concept of life and how the world really works. Oh well, their loss I suppose...
But is it really that they have no real concept? I mean, look where we're discussing this. OCDO is a social network. Like minded people join together. They then segregate into more refined groups based on beliefs, concepts, location, ideals. Agreed, not all that defines one group is applicable to or amenable to other groups, but that is the same as in the real world, isn't it...

What is common is here feed on the support and help offered and given by their OCDO friends.

The pastor did just the same as others here have done, are doing and will do. He used his network of friends and their connections, their networks. I don't see any difference.
 
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