Airport gun nut’s blind rage

Airport gun nut’s blind rage By PHILIP MESSING Last Updated: 9:06 AM, May 4, 2013

A blind NRA member from New Mexico was busted at Newark Airport with a handgun in his checked luggage — but the weapon was only discovered because he tried to get 10 bullets past the security screeners.

Raymond Whitehead, 53, was traveling with his two grown kids and his wife when TSA screeners spotted the hollow point ammo in his bag around 10 a.m. Tuesday at the American Airlines terminal.

Port Authority cops then found the .38 caliber Charter Arms revolver and seven illegal knives in his checked luggage, and he was arrested.

Whitehead claims police allowed him to bang into walls and denied him a lawyer or food for 10 hours. He is vowing to sue.

Amazing how the only illegals that newspapers seem to recognize anymore are knives, which last I checked were either tools or weapons, and weapons are protected by the 2nd amendment.

Then again, the constitution also requires the federal government to protect states from invasion. I suppose when you start ignoring one section, another is just as easy. Just out of curiosity, was there a warrant to search this man’s bag? Oh, right, another part ignored.

“IMO the last place I would go with a gun and bullets and illegal knives is to an airport.”

The gun was in his checked baggage. He committed no crime.
The bullets were in his carry on, not sure why that’s even illegal as they can’t harm anyone without a weapon to fire them from. Lastly, why in the hell are there such a thing as “illegal” knives?

We have been bullied by government into a position that everyone is a criminal if they don’t kowtow to their dictates.

I cry BS on this one.

It sounds more like some liberal who joined the NRA to do this and smear the NRA by “being a member”.

It sounds like a setup. The guy says “he’ll sue”? After a gun, seven knives and ammo in his bag?

I am sorry, it sounds fishy. Not buying this guy as a NRA right wing gun nut. It sounds more like the lesbians who fake rape and write stuff on their own walls and claim a group of men raped them because they’re lesbian.

I really do not know why knives are illegal,

Airline (FAA) rules have been anything (fixed blade or folder) over 4" is verboten. That's one reason there are a lot of folding knives with 3 7/8" blades.

Blades sharpened along both edges (so called "daggers") are generally asking for trouble. Serrated or semi-serrated edges also get a closer look. That is true anywhere, not just an airport.

Back in the 60s congress passed legislation banning the importation of "switchblades" (Ie push button opening) folding knives. Almost all states still ban switchblades to this day with exceptions for military and police, although you can buy a manual opening stiletto and the parts to convert it to an "automatic" if you know where to shop.

Another "end run" is the assisted opening action which requires you to start the blade moving a bit and then a spring finishes snapping it fully open. Not true switchblades they are generally approved, depending on the blade length, under 4" being the criteria.

There are places where any folding knife that you can open with one hand is suspect and probably illegal. For sure Balisong (butterfly) knives (favored by Hispanic and Asian gangs) where the blade is enclosed within a two piece grip that may be opened with some highly impressive gyrations of a single hand are going to be trouble.

The topic is highly subjective and more often then not comes down to "because I say so". If a DHS screener spots something he fancies, he's going to take it and tell you it's banned. End of the day, he goes home with it in his pocket. What are you going to do about it?

I have carried a knife since grade school and feel naked without one in my pocket. For that reason, I avoid airports and any other place with metal scanners/x-ray machines. The last time I flew anywhere was Feb 1992, pre-DSH, so I carried a small flat folder with a clip. I stuffed my folding money under the clip and the screener passed it off as a money clip. When I flew back I brought in two switchblades that I had purchased in Germany. They were packed in my checked bag so no problem. My boss got busted for bringing in some tinned sausages. Hee hee!

Hope that clears things up a bit.

Regards,
GtG

I have known or been in touch with this person, Raymond Whitehead, for 13 years. His wife is someone who would not even think of framing him. She loves him dearly, despite his being a bullheaded,I am always right type person. He is not mentally ill. He is an extraordinarily capable blind person, someone who can do a few things even sighted people would have difficulty with. But I have serious doubts about his ability to effectively defend himself with a gun, unless he had the sonar capabilities of a bat. My own opinion is that he was not thinking clearly, since it was only AFTER his arrest that he began investigating the gun laws in NJ. He IS an NRA member, and he should have phoned the NRA before he traveled to NJ, because they would right away have told him to stay out of NJ if he intended to travel with a gun, bullets and knives. He had 3, not 7 knives, and that does make some difference, in my opinion, since 7 makes it sound as if he intended to butcher something.

He has no prior arrests that I know of.

I think the best thing he could do in his situation is say he made some serious mistakes, then shut-up, lay low, and pray that the court will be merciful.

But that's not Raymond's style, and I don't think belligerence and threatening to sue is going to improve his situation.

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