Actor Farina, whose down to earth work I always enjoy, forgot he had a loaded 22 caliber pistol in his luggage at the airport. I believe him.
"The actor was booked on one misdemeanor count of carrying a loaded firearm - until the charge was upgraded to a felony when police discovered the pistol was not registered.
Bail was initially set at $25,000."
What gets me boiling mad -- really angry -- is not only that this is a misdemeanor, but it's a felony that the pistol was not registered. Not to mention the outrageous bail.
When I was a kid, having a 22 pistol or rifle was NOTHING! NOTHING!
My dad had two unregistered pistols (one a 25 caliber Mauser semi-automatic) that I inherited, and they are the only material objects I have from him. They are no longer in my possession because I am a felon in New York if I keep them here. Transporting them by car through Massachusetts is another felony.
Who even thought about registration? Today it's a felony if it is not registered? Is America a police state or is it a police state? The answer is obvious. Any of us can be put away for infractions that we are completely unaware of or for doing what any free and law-abiding person should be able to do. And that includes walking down the street with a loaded and unregistered pistol in one's pocket.
Gun carry laws are all well and good, but frankly I don't want to spend months of my life getting the State's permission to do what I should be able to do and once could in the first place.
