A well-equipped moron was unceremoniously apprehended over the weekend, at the Asheville, NC airport, where he was apparently ready, willing and able to go President-hunting. He was equipped with a sedan sporting Ohio plates, LED squad car-style lights on the front and rear dash, a dash cam, four antennae on the trunk lid, and a working siren. Translation: wheels tricked out like an unmarked police vehicle.
Here’s the best part. His name is McVey.
Seriously? I’m surprised the Secret Service wasn’t all over this guy before he reached the airport, from his name alone. (I don’t think going after white guys with unfortunate choices in last names qualifies as “racial profiling,” but I could be wrong.)
Mr. Brain Trust here pulled into a rental return lot by said airport a few minutes after the President had left town. McVey had just completed a weekend getaway, heading for the memorial for the men lost in the mining disaster. McVey was arrested after it was discovered he’d been monitoring police scanners, and possessed a sidearm and a piece of paper with a bunch of what appeared to be sniper scope data written on it. When questioned, McVey said he was hoping to talk to the President personally. Um . . . yeah. Not so much.
Nimrod.
Okay, lets get all the school of the bleedin’ obvious stuff out of the way here. Assassination is wrong – legally, morally, ethically, any kind of “-lly” you wanna cop to. While I do not agree with the President politically or ideologically, he has done nothing to deserve anything more severe than voting against him in the next election. THAT is the way Americans disagree with somebody. NOT SHOOTING THEM, DAMNIT. I don’t care what your beef is with a public official. Assassination is NOT the answer.
Having said all that, I will not be surprised when the mainstream media, anti-gun fanatics, and Hollyweird use the story of this nutjob to reinforce the following leitmotifs in their left-wing narrative:
- Guns should be outlawed to prevent someone from shooting the President!
- McVey’s white, the President is black. Anybody who opposes the President is a racist
- All guns should be banned from airports and anywhere near the President
- Anybody named McVey should be profiled, arrested and locked up, just in case he wants to blow up something
Okay…the last two are colossally stupid (in case you weren’t paying attention, guns ARE ALREADY BANNED at airports and anywhere near the President, and like it or not, I suspect anybody with a last name of McVey probably already trips warning bells with the NSA, CIA, FBI, Secret Service, Homeland Security, and every other armed, alphabet agency in D.C.).
The good news is that the authorities got to this clown before he could hurt anybody. More good news: it’s likely (at least that’s what I get from people in the know) that there are a lot more stories like this that we never hear about. Law Enforcement is working proactively to keep us – and the President – safe. For every “McVey” you hear about, there are a dozen or so equally-wacky stories you don’t hear about, because our boys in blue have stopped them before they got even this far.
The bad news is that nut cases like this one become poster boys for the left, giving credence (be it ever so slight) to the “logic’ behind their gun-grabbing arguments. More bad news: There really ARE idiots like this running around, and it only takes one to slip through the cracks before you’ll be saying “President Biden” – and that scares the crap out of me more than staring down the wrong end of any gun ever would.
The bottom line? Regardless of gun laws, there will always be insane morons in the world who want to achieve fame and glory by shooting the President. Any President. Any time. No law will stop it. Conversely, concealed carry laws (or open carry laws, for that matter) aren’t going to change this kind of thing one whit. Nor will laws that ban ownership of sirens, strobe lights, or police scanners. All we can do is to make sure our law enforcement guys are on the job, and on top of things, then hope and pray for the best.
And if your last name is “McVey”…you might wanna keep an eye open at your next family reunion, and perhaps take a few notes, if you know what I mean. The good name you save may be your own.
Well technically gun are not banned near airports. In fact I flew last Christmas and after with my pistols. Granted they were in a locked hard sided case. However I did have the key. But you are right. This may make it harder to fly with them now. As if it wasn't hard enough already.
Amen to that.
I agree with you in that I do not agree with our current president on a great many issues.
I also agree with you that for all you American citizens who also disagree with this president, get off your duffs and get into the booth and cast your vote for somebody else.
But what makes me cringe, as a gun owner, are idiotic outbursts at Tea Party events (and their similar ilk). Nonsense like, “I’m gettin’ my guns out!” And, “Time for a revolution!”
It’s fine, in fact its downright American to disagree, people. State what you are against and what you’d prefer instead. But threats (both real and implied) against a president (any president) do NOT help your cause for second amendment rights. It paints all gun owners with the “crazy” brush and gives pause to people neutral on gun control issues. The fence sitters see you as a bigger threat than the real threats, and throw in with the gun grabbers.
There’s a system here in America that allows its citizens to create change without revolution and violent government overthrow, and it has worked fine till now, and will work fine next November. Be patient and get organized until then; be calm, rational, polite and solicit your friends, neighbors and co-workers to your cause. And if you know any rabid gun-rightists, implore them to stop waving guns around and talkin’ like fools.
Or skulking around airports, pretending to be a Tea Party Manchurian Candidate (this guy is probably completely delusional — a functioning psychotic).
As gun owners, we — all of us — must show the greatest restraint, maturity, and control. Making threats, brandishing with our words, is completely unacceptable and counter-productive. Show respect for those (especially) with whom we disagree. Be polite with those who would take away our rights, and present your case logically, legally and historically. Because even I — someone solidly in the guns-rights camp — am deeply, morally opposed to even the thought of an assassination of this president. Or any president.
Frank,
Some airports are better than others.
For instance, check your flight case at any airport in Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, South/North Dakota, and a few in Colorado, and the attendants process it without any fuss whatsoever.
But for sportsmen checking their rifles and shotguns in big-city airports (LA, Chicago, Boston, NY, Atlanta, etc) you’re probably gonna get hassled.
It’s so bad in Chicago, I got hassled for checking my bow. A BOW!
The check-in attendent asked me to open the case and I complied. Then she asked me if it was loaded.
Wait, what?
I explained it wasn’t even a gun. She got indignant and called over her supervisors, who brought the TSA along to assure my compliance. After a few tense moments, it made it through and I went on my way.
The bow case did arrive with bootprints all over it. Somebody did their best to stomp it.
So, do this when flying…cover your gun or bow case with guitar and guitar-string stickers/decals. While the anti’s (of both hunting and guns) will do their best to trash your gun or bow while it’s in its case (while you’re not looking), nobody objects to a guitar case. Just sayin.