The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Tyler Durden on January 04, 2012, 11:08:50 AM
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a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.... Yeah, I am as shocked as you are.
Here is the link:
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/01/mayor_sam_jones_declines_to_sa.html
and here is the cut and paste:
MOBILE, Alabama -- In his first interview since he drew his pistol on an intruder two weeks ago, Mayor Sam Jones refused to say whether or not he has a permit to carry the gun legally.
Alabama law does not require a permit to own a pistol or to carry one on one's own property. However, a permit is required to carry a pistol in a vehicle or concealed on one's person.
According to an account of Jones' confrontation given by his spokeswoman, it appears that Jones carried his pistol with him off his property.
Jones left his Toulminville home at about 9 p.m. on Dec. 20 to go to the grocery store. When he returned, he found the intruder, James Harvey Wilkerson, in the garage.
Jones drew his .38-caliber pistol and confronted the man.
The spokeswoman made no mention of Jones entering his home to retrieve the gun prior to investigating the man in the garage.
Asked whether he'd taken the pistol with him to the store, Jones responded by saying, "I wasn't at the grocery store, I was in my yard."
Asked directly whether he has a permit, Jones declined to say.
"I'm not going to answer any questions about how I handle my personal safety," Jones said.
Up until recently it would have been relatively simple to verify whether or not Jones had a permit or not as pistol permits were considered public record under Alabama law. However, Alabama in 2009 approved a law backed by the National Rifle Association that explicitly exempted pistol permits from public records laws.
When Jones is on city business, a Mobile police officer acts as a bodyguard. When Jones is on personal business, he said, "I'm just like you or anybody else."
Jones said that he was nervous at first to find a stranger in his garage, but quickly found out that the man "had some issues."
When Jones asked Wilkerson what he was doing, he responded by saying that "the Lord sent me." When Jones repeated the question, Wilkerson gave the same response, Jones said.
Robert McClendon is a staff reporter for the Press-Register. Reach him by phone at 251-219-5611, or by email at rmcclendon@press-register.com.
You can follow him on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/RobertMcClendon.
The mayor indicated that he was armed and told the man that he was lucky that he wasn't shot, Jones said.
"If you think you have to shoot me, shoot me," Wilkerson replied, according to Jones.
Jones said that, after he realized the man was likely harmless and mentally unstable, he put the pistol in his pocket and waited for police to arrive.
"I'm glad that I wasn't so upset that I did anything irrational," Jones said.
Inappropriate post? Alert us.
Related topics: pistol permits, Sam Jones
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This is more of the "we need 'em but you don't" mentality. Something similar happened to a TX representative in Houston a while back... IIRC he went on to champion positive changes to our concealed carry law.
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Good for me, but not for thee.
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Alabama is a "May Issue" State. They give (way too much) leeway to the local Sheriff in issuing Concealed Pistol Permits. If you don't have one, they're pretty ticky about it.. If the guy is an Anti, I hope they bust his butt.. Doubt it'll happen though..
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A while back an anti-gun politician in Cleveland was held up at gun point. I forget the exact details but he admitted on camera he has changed his stance and is getting training and a gun! Glad it wasn't worse for him. And "BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!!!!!"
Richard
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They say a liberal is a conservative who hasn't been robbed yet.
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They say a liberal is a conservative who hasn't been robbed yet.
That tends to be the case, but it doesn't always get them out of the closet...
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Not the smartest Mayor in the world. ::)
Jones said that, after he realized the man was likely harmless and mentally unstable, he put the pistol in his pocket and waited for police to arrive
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Unless the man was restrained or blocked from reaching the Mayor before he could draw again....or unless the mayor put his gun in his pocket to pick up his shotgun, he was taking a major risk for no reason.
But in fairness to the mayor, many mayors were listed on the roll of MAIG without their knowledge or consent. Unless this guy has spoken in favor of MAIG's goals/policies/practices, he should get the benefit of the doubt on that one.
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"Jones said that, after he realized the man was likely harmless and mentally unstable, he put the pistol in his pocket and waited for police to arrive."
The 2 are mutually exclusive.
Mentally unstable mean he is only "likely harmless" until "the Lord" tells him to eat your liver.
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Alabama is a "May Issue" State. They give (way too much) leeway to the local Sheriff in issuing Concealed Pistol Permits. If you don't have one, they're pretty ticky about it.. If the guy is an Anti, I hope they bust his butt.. Doubt it'll happen though..
I agree that there's a whole lot of variation in cost, how long it takes, and even what it looks like, but have you ever heard anyone having any trouble getting a permit? It's extremely easy in my county. I was working out of state and lost my wallet. They made a copy of mine and mailed it to a PO box up there for free. I had a harder time getting a new fishing license for that state.
As to the original post, there's no telling what's happening in Mobile.
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I was born here but as an adult, I've only lived here for a year. No, I haven't heard of a person having a bad time.
That said, I'm in Etowah County. Here, you go, fill it out, wait for (presumably) a NICS check, pay $20 bucks, get it on the spot, and pay attention when they tell you that it's only good for one year.
The next county over, in Calhoun, there's a 6 month waiting period for new residents applying for a first time permit, plus the carry weapon has to be registered, and you're not allowed to carry any other handgun unless it's also registered with the Sheriff.
I backed out of a house because I didn't find that out till I had already shaken hands on a place.. That cut across the grain with me, but I had a choice not to live in a place that required all that. So, I didn't..
That's what I mean by the Sheriffs having waaaay too much leeway..
It may have been just as well on the place over there because the tornado that cut through here in April cut right through the place..
(I watched that thing pass just to my west, just before dark. I was happy I passed on that place right about then, too)..
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It's not a matter of convenience so much as principal.
Today they make you get Police permission to exercise your 2A rights.
How long before you need a background check for your library card ?
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I read yesterday that some twit here in MA initiated a bill in the State House last year requiring that every gun owner in the state be required to purchase an insurance policy of $250,000.00 to protect against harm caused by the firearm and all of the guns have to be listed on the policy or be surrendered.
It also stipulated that any new gun procured be added and documented on the policy before the owner could take procession!
As of June 2011, it's been stalled somewhere in the legislature.
Stupid, silly, against the law more than likely and would certainly face legal challenges, I hope!
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Is it just me, or from the tenor of the article, does it sounds like the reporter, Robert McClendon is either:
a) pissing his pants with fright because the mayor carries a big, scary gun, or
b) has a genuine hardon for "His Honor" and pissing his pants at the thought of him doing something illegal.
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I read yesterday that some twit here in MA initiated a bill in the State House last year requiring that every gun owner in the state be required to purchase an insurance policy of $250,000.00 to protect against harm caused by the firearm and all of the guns have to be listed on the policy or be surrendered.
It also stipulated that any new gun procured be added and documented on the policy before the owner could take procession!
As of June 2011, it's been stalled somewhere in the legislature.
Stupid, silly, against the law more than likely and would certainly face legal challenges, I hope!
Herein lies a couple of differences between a firearm and a politician:
1) I've never heard of a firearm "causing harm". I've heard of some asshole USING a firearm to cause harm, and I've DEFINITELY heard of politicians causing harm.
2) Guns serve a useful purpose, and have redeeming social value. Politicians, not so much.