Comments on: Moscow Jails U.S. Pastor For Hunting Ammo

S.C. Man Sentenced To 3 Years In Prison For Taking Box Of Hunting Bullets Into Russia

[taddles-2009]

"I suspect the storm troopers would have had a tough time rounding up about a third of their population for extermination or slave labor camps if the population had been armed.

Posted by louiville2 at 02:53 PM : Apr 21, 2008"


Perhaps, perhaps not. Historically is has been common for weapons to be abolished and then rights before a population is abolished.

[taddles-2009]

"No, it''''s a case of a gun nut (that''''d be you) trying to dictate to a sovereign nation what you want their gun laws to be.

Posted by jumkey at 02:43 PM : Apr 21, 2008"


I haven''t dictated anything, Russia will have whatever laws they want. What I have said is that not posting any information regarding importation of ammunition into Russia and then handing down a 3 year sentence for "smuggling" is absurd in any country that claims to be out of the stone age.

[louiville2]

USBrit

%u201CWhy is it that the only references to lack of guns on the part of German Jews being the cause for the Holocaust comes from American gun-nuts. No reputable history even suggests this. What the he11 could one guy with a gun do against a squad of SS stormtroopers. %u201C


Ballards, it''s the Britts who failed at tyranny when they failed to control or weapons. A very simple case of fact. I suspect the storm troopers would have had a tough time rounding up about a third of their population for extermination or slave labor camps if the population had been armed.

[taddles-2009]

"If gun nuts like taddles and gunownerdan continue to insist on the complete and total freedom to possess and use their weapons in whatever manner they choose without regard to the law then clearly they don''''t deserve (and aren''''t mature enough) to possess weapons.

Posted by jumkey at 02:43 PM : Apr 21, 2008"


Disregard of what law? where have I advocated any unlawful behavior?

I''m not a gun nut, I''m a supporter of the 2nd amendment of the constitution. And whether you like it or not the Supreme court ruling on the amendment is that I have the right to own and bear arms. The fact that you have a problem with guns is utterly irrelevant to this discussion. The concept here is that a traveler was arrested and given a harsh sentence for a seemingly innocuous crime. It seems harsh considering we would not do the same thing to foreigners traveling to the US.

Your diatribe against guns is childish and irrelevant to the topic at hand.

[taddles-2009]

"Let''''s not forget Russia also faces terrorist threats and should be expected to enforce their laws like we enforce ours.

Posted by misands at 02:35 PM : Apr 21, 2008"


We may be turning down the road of fascism but I''m sure we are not there yet. It''s not likely that we would put a guy behind bars for 3 years for not declaring he a box of hunting ammo in his checked baggage.

[gunownerdan]

This story makes me want to stop buying Russian ammunition.

[waterandsand]

thats a horrible sentence for 20 rifle catridges. He prob would of gotten a lighter sentence if he was smuggling heroin.

[taddles-2009]

"This guy has traveled enough that he should have known that. You check these things out before you even go to the airport. It''''s called common sense!

Posted by misands at 02:35 PM : Apr 21, 2008"


No argument there, he should have assumed that since it was Russia that the laws regarding weapons would be not be readily available. However, as you are quick to point out, common sense would dictate that they would have taken the ammunition away and fined him not trumped up false charges of trafficking and put him away for three years.

[taddles-2009]

"1) I was referring to your "number of gun owners outnumbers the number of ANY and ALL groups in this country," statement as being BS not the number of abberations (or aerations as you call them). You admit the number is 35% - this is not a majority.
***********************

Name another group that has 35+ million members.

2) I never said all gun owners are criminals.

***************************
the person to whom I was responding implied that gun owners are criminals.

3) I might not have said this plainly enough for you. Any country would do the same thing to someone trying to enter with undeclared ammunition as this guy did.
***********************

Perhaps but it is not illegal to move ammunition around the US in your luggage nor is it illegal to move it to many countries if you have prior documentation. The statement that no other countries allow you to import ammunition is simply false.

Remember the dumb student who tried to get into the US with a stick of dynamite and some blasting caps after he''''d had a geology course in Argentina a few months ago? They sure arrested his a$$ PDQ.
Posted by USBrit at 02:25 PM : Apr 21, 2008
**********************

And he was released after they understood the situation, not arrested and given a 3 year sentence.

[misands]

I''''m quite sure that Miles had no intention of trafficking in ammunition since he was only bringing in a single package of 20 shells. There was no information in the literature provided at the airport that stated or implied that ammunition could NOT be brought into Russia. this is not a case of international arms trafficking, it''''s a case of an overzealous judge trying to score some points.

Posted by taddles at 02:10 PM : Apr 21, 2008
____________
You''ve never been out of the country have you? If so, you would know that they don''t just give you some neat little brochure that outlines everything you can and can''t bring into the country you are visiting. Usually all you get is a customs form and an immigration form on the airplane. They may have some general do''s and don''ts on the forms, but it is really up to the traveler to make sure they know what they can legally transport. I''ve never heard of just taking something like that with you and "hope" it''s not on some sort of ''items not to bring'' pamplet. This guy has traveled enough that he should have known that. You check these things out before you even go to the airport. It''s called common sense!
By the way, while it may only seem like 20 bullets to you, remember they may see it as a threat to 20 people (police) who could be killed by the rounds of ammo. Let''s not forget Russia also faces terrorist threats and should be expected to enforce their laws like we enforce ours.