someone with a gun in the Burlington Mall

Loaded guns: Except as exempted or provided by law, no person shall carry on his person a loaded rifle or shotgun on a public way

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this has been on the books almost everywhere, in every state, even my home state of Alaska. It has absolutely nothing to do with "public safety" or any anti's sentiments about "big-n-scary" guns. It's against poaching. Keeps folks from being able to hunt from the road (or waterway in a lot of cases).
 
Loaded guns: Except as exempted or provided by law, no person shall carry on his person a loaded rifle or shotgun on a public way

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this has been on the books almost everywhere, in every state, even my home state of Alaska. It has absolutely nothing to do with "public safety" or any anti's sentiments about "big-n-scary" guns. It's against poaching. Keeps folks from being able to hunt from the road (or waterway in a lot of cases).

It prevents lots of stuff. Poaching is illegal already, so this unconstitutional restriction does nothing to stop poaching.
 
I was once at the Burlington Mall waiting for my wife in one of the stores when I heard a thud as something fell on the floor. I looked down and saw a pistol magazine laying there. I quickly scooped it up and put it in my pocket. My son had noticed and had an "oh crap" look on his face, but I was pretty sure that nobody else noticed. Now that this incident happened, I KNOW nobody else saw it because there was no SWAT response that day.

Oh, and the mag fell when a crappy mag pouch I was using broke at one of the rivets and let the mag fall free. It wasn't a name brand or anything that I can point my finger at, but I can assure you that I now select my gear much more carefully.
 
It's against poaching. Keeps folks from being able to hunt from the road (or waterway in a lot of cases).
It doesn't prevent a damn thing. Laws don't prevent crime.

Furthermore, "poaching" or hunting from the road is already illegal due to MA hunting setback limits. This is yet another completely unnecessary law, written to create one more way the average Joe can be turned into a criminal by the state.
 
It doesn't prevent a damn thing. Laws don't prevent crime.

exactly. If they did, there wouldn't be any drugs out on the street, or illegal guns, or illegal immigrants.
 
I'm thinking there's a market for a 2-Handed Broad Sword Umbrella. Picture Mel Gibson holding it aloft shouting, in a Scottish accent, "They can take our lives, but they can never take - our umbrellas!"
 
This part here keeps bugging me.

Police said the umbrella, which had a samurai sword-style handle, did look like a rifle, and they didn't fault those at the Burlington Mall who had reported the man.

“It was interpreted to be a gun by five different people,” said Burlington Police Chief Michael Kent. “We are always telling people to be vigilant. This is what we want.”

“I’d do it all over again if this happened tomorrow,” said Kent, who said about 40 officers responded to the scene from his department, surrounding departments, the State Police and federal agencies such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

It reminds me of napolitano saying how well the system worked when it came to the shoe bomber...it didn't work at all...he (or should I say his bomb) failed...the "system" didn't do chit. That said, sending out an entire battalion for umbrella boy failed as well. Didn't this kid have to call them and say something along the lines of 'here I am, I think I'm who you are all looking for'? [hmmm][puke]
 
Was ICE there because the umbrella was illegal umbrella?? [thinking]

They were there because their office is right across the road and they have officers with guns. If it really was an active shooter situation, then they did the right thing. The fail here was the original report.
 
It doesn't prevent a damn thing. Laws don't prevent crime.

exactly. If they did, there wouldn't be any drugs out on the street, or illegal guns, or illegal immigrants.

I would be willing to bet that if the laws actually worked just because they were written, there would not be one against illegal immigration.
 
I showed this pic to some coworkers at lunch:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/assets_c/2011/04/IMG950446a-thumb-200x591-39260.jpg

They all agreed that it looked like a rifle to the untrained eye...ov vey....


At work this morning, a few guys that deliver to the mall were regaling their story of having an extra long lunch/not being able to take a piss as a result of Massachusetts full on assault of the burlington mall.
After I heard a couple of guys say, "I saw the pic....it looked kinda like a rifle". I had enough.
I spoke from my seated position on the bench, ".....When you live in a state that deprives it's citizens of their rights to own guns, they forget WTF guns look like."

After a couple of laughs, one of the guys (a NH resident) said, "Oh you must be an NRA guy!"

I replied, "Actually, I'm more proud of my GOAL affiliation."
 
Surprised mall cops couldn't get a closeup on cam before calling for the national guard. They can probably read the date on someone's wristwatch with those cams, and no doubt loss prevention was in plainclothes and could get close enough... Only in MA can crazy over-reactions like this happen. I bet a bill banning novelty umbrellas comes out of this.

Just like novelty lighters... [rolleyes]
 
Just like novelty lighters... [rolleyes]

But it's for the children! And all the sheeple!

I was talking to co-workers in another state yesterday and they heard about it and they are still convinced it was a gun and started ranting about guns and being bad. I corrected them and showed them the online articles. Then said in rapid succession...what if it was a rifle and he was minding his own business? Are you a hoplophobe? Wouldn't you feel safer if you or your partner had a gun? Do you depend on others for your personal safety? Do you put full trust in government agencies? Would you call the police if he had a picture of a gun on his shirt? Would you call the police if you saw two men kissing? Would that bother you? Are you anti-civil rights? Anti-liberty? Huh? Huh?

The look on their face was priceless. One laughed and said "what's a hoplophobe?" and the other was red as a tomato. Not sure if it was anger or embarrassment.
 
I'm thinking there's a market for a 2-Handed Broad Sword Umbrella. Picture Mel Gibson holding it aloft shouting, in a Scottish accent, "They can take our lives, but they can never take - our umbrellas!"

Here ya go. http://www.atlantacutlery.com/p-1814-knightly-sword-hilted-umbrella.aspx

1814_3_.jpg



I'm Dwarven1 MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod...
 
Last edited:
I've got a bunch of anti-gun folks on my FB friend's list... since you never let a good crisis go to waste, I've been pissing them all off over this ridiculousness.

#1 argument on their side: What if it was a gun?!

Are you kidding me? Glad we don't have to worry ourselves with identifying basic shapes and little ugly things like innocent until proven guilty.

Let them know that I live in Burlington, and I bring a gun to that mall ALL THE TIME. No one has died yet.

-z
 
Let them know that I live in Burlington, and I bring a gun to that mall ALL THE TIME. No one has died yet.

Now, THERE'S a frightening thought. A z0mbi with a gun in a shopping mall.

Tell me... what do you eat? There can't be enough brains there to keep you fed!! [wink]

zombiecatwantsbrains.jpg
 
Let them know that I live in Burlington, and I bring a gun to that mall ALL THE TIME. No one has died yet.

-z

I do remind them that there are guns in my house and they haven't died yet. That's when 2+2 starts making 19, they divide by 0 mentally and realize that their arguments are bs.
 
So, how is this different than yelling fire in a movie theater?

Intent. If someone yells fire in a movie theater, knowing that there is no fire, their intent is to create panic. In this case, someone thought they saw a gun. They were mistaken, but their intent was not to create panic.
 
Intent. If someone yells fire in a movie theater, knowing that there is no fire, their intent is to create panic. In this case, someone thought they saw a gun. They were mistaken, but their intent was not to create panic.
It was a sarcastic/rhetorical comment - understood...

Though the intent here was to spread the irrational/fear panic the caller was experiencing... [thinking]
 
Call it morbid curiousity, but I really want to see all these cowboys with their fancy gear in action. I would like to see them put forth their best efforts in stopping a Columbine/Mumbai style attack on a large complex. Just a force-on-force exercise. Can these varied departments just switch gears from a patrol cop to a full on coordinated assault force against a well-armed, disciplined, and highly motivated aggressor, or do they just like playing dress-up with their DHS grant money?

I'd like to see if the taxpayer is getting their monies worth with this circus.
 
Back
Top Bottom