The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - National Reciprocity - now in the Senate; plus other bills of note

hermannr · March 18, 2012, 11:36 AM

CountZerO: Make it an extra crime for Posession of a weapon is not a good thing...USE of a weapon in perpetrating a VIOLENT felony...that is different.

There is a big problem in what different states count as felonies, and what different states classify as a weapon.

DWI which cause the death of someone can be classed as involuntary manslauter, a felony almost everywhere. If you have a pocket knife in your pocket, it could be called a concealed weapon, or if you had a handgun in your glove box...but neither would have anything to do with the felony itself. Same goes for some states and possession of some legal and illegal drugs.

I will give you an example here: Your wife/girlfriend (or husband) is ill, she has a prescription for one of those nasty pain killers, say oxycodone. You go to town to pick up the prescription, you have a weapon with you, and you have an accident...cops find the prescription...you are in possession of a controlled substance that has not been prescribed to you...Have you done anything wrong? No, will you have to prove it in court...maybe, and in court, you never know the outcome until it's over.

That is totally different than armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, or first degree murder using a deadly weapon. Be careful what you wish for.

March 18, 2012, 11:36 AM	#23
hermannr Senior Member Join Date: March 24, 2011 Posts: 730	CountZerO: Make it an extra crime for Posession of a weapon is not a good thing...USE of a weapon in perpetrating a VIOLENT felony...that is different. There is a big problem in what different states count as felonies, and what different states classify as a weapon. DWI which cause the death of someone can be classed as involuntary manslauter, a felony almost everywhere. If you have a pocket knife in your pocket, it could be called a concealed weapon, or if you had a handgun in your glove box...but neither would have anything to do with the felony itself. Same goes for some states and possession of some legal and illegal drugs. I will give you an example here: Your wife/girlfriend (or husband) is ill, she has a prescription for one of those nasty pain killers, say oxycodone. You go to town to pick up the prescription, you have a weapon with you, and you have an accident...cops find the prescription...you are in possession of a controlled substance that has not been prescribed to you...Have you done anything wrong? No, will you have to prove it in court...maybe, and in court, you never know the outcome until it's over. That is totally different than armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, or first degree murder using a deadly weapon. Be careful what you wish for.