Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) is introducing a bill that would ban the carrying of firearms in the unsecured part of airports unless they are “unloaded and contained in clearly marked, locked cases.” This is, of course, a reaction to the doofuses openly carrying rifles into Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. While I don’t think this bill is going anywhere, it’s always refreshing to have to go on the defensive to fight for what’s already legal and no one was worried about until somebody gave them a reason. But I’m sure some “awareness was raised,” and travelers “educated.”
What’s with the clearly marked cases though? You know that just says “steal me” right? Â Theft from airports is already a big problem without having clear external indications as to what’s in the bag. Either way, this is solving a non-problem. What’s interesting is that his bill is being backed by the usual suspects, but not Everytown.
Where is this one going?
NOWHERE!
The everytown morons can’t back this because it still allows the carry of the very scary guns. I guess these dolts don’t know how fast you can slam a mag home, or use a speed loader.
My guess is they aren’t interested in burning political capital in a bill that’s going nowhere. The other groups will back it because they can fundraise off it. Bloomberg’s groups aren’t as worried about fundraising, since they have a billionaire sugar daddy. They have the luxury to choosing battles more carefully.
What’s extra retarded is that 18 USC 922(e) already requires exactly the opposite: no case containing a firearm which is given to a common carrier (e.g. an airline) for transport may legally have any external notification that it contains a firearm. I presume this is an anti-theft measure.
I doubt Johnson’s staff spent all that much time researching the law before drafting the bill. If this were a serious effort, Bloomberg would have brought in the LCAGV people, or whatever they are calling themselves these days, and it would be a bit better drafted.
Or not, I’ve seen LCAGV bone stuff up real bad too.
Well this way ol’ Hank’s constituents can steal them more easily. You have to mark the cases plainly for them to get all the guns off the streets and into the hands of the criminals.
I think he probably thinks that a firearm in the unsecured section of the airport will cause the runway to tip over or something.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7XXVLKWd3Q
I was going to go there with this post, but I decided to take the high ground :)
Just started a petition against this bill on White house.gov
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov//petition/veto-airport-security-act-hr-2767
The bill will give Hanks something to do. Keep him out of other things.
Isn’t he the knucklehead who thought Guam would tip over if we put too many people on it? This thing he’s floating (See what I did there?) is about as stupid.
Clearly marked bags through Atlanta is funny.
A couple years back I ended up having to convince airport management in Sarasota Florida that a large Pelican case (weighed 20 pounds empty) was the perfect gun case for a tiny P238. They didn’t want me to lock it up, because it carried more than just a gun: laptop, camera, etc. I literally dropped the unloaded gun onto the top of my baggage and applied two large Master Locks.
Lots of back and forth on rules and regs ensued, with some reading of both by all. It was polite, but frustrating. Then a supervisor looked at my itinerary and said, “Are you flying through Hartsfield (Atlanta)?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
They all started laughing in a knowing way as she said, “Let him lock it up. Lock it all up.”
They even apologized for slowing me down. Apparently everyone knows about Atlanta. It’s the Bermuda Triangle for valuable things in luggage.