Jury finds Gulf War vet guilty in BB gun shooting

Express-Times (western New Jersey/eastern Pennsylvania) ^ | 04/24/02 | TOM QUIGLEY

[Gritty]

In the service of "political correctness" and/or "zero tolerance" a great injustice is being done here! A man's life and livelihood is being ruined.

But, this is America, circa 2002. We should be used to it now.

[toddst]

You're absolutely right. If Sgt. Mott can't afford an appeal, I hope some decent lawyer (not entirely an oxymoron) will handle it pro bono.

Let's go further - this man needs a defense fund plus help from the NRA. What an outrage this is! The Army should take no action against him at all.

We need to follow this one.

[PsyOp]

We wore motorcycle helmets with face shields.

You wore what? Wimps. We just had a rule against shooting each other in the face.

[PsyOp]

You know, it occurs to me that someone should find out where we can send these posts. His lawyer might be able to use them in his appeal to this ridiculous verdict.

[PsyOp]

You and the rest of the gang were just jealous that you didn’t get the BB Machine Gun first.

That was the one and only time in my life I've been in favor of gun control of any kind. And if it hadn't been for the warning hiss of freon,we'd have all ended up nick-names like cyclops or freckles.

[Poohbah]

Sheesh. Too bad the Honorable Judge Poohbah wasn't handed the case.

Mr. Mott would have been sentenced to a Saturday's worth of cleaning padeyes with spoon and toothbrush at McGuire ANG base for exhibiting negligent stupidity with high-velocity objects.

The teenagers would have gotten to fix the property damage they inflicted during that little escapade (not pay for it--they'd get to get their hands dirty doing the work), then they'd get to finish cleaning the padeyes at McGuire as punishment for willfully damaging private property.

[PsyOp]

I still got the scar on my forehead where my buddy drilled me...looks cool...

That's the whole point of growing up for boys - to accumulate cool scars that we can tell great stories about! Too much sissyfication goin on in this country.

[PsyOp]

I also remember the stories that old Mr.Parker would drill ya with rock salt if he caught ya in his watermellon patch.

I've been hit with that. It really, really, smarts. A whole lot more than any bb or pellet.

[g'nad]

That's the whole point of growing up for boys - to accumulate cool scars that we can tell great stories about!

Yeah, my kids are already well along on their collection, and they're 4 and 6...ah, the teder years...I got some of my coolest scars before I was 10...

[PsyOp]

We'd pump our .22 Benjamans up about 20 cranks or so to hunt squirrels or possums and whatnot. After viewing what they would do to those critters, we were a bit hesitant to use them for combat....always some psycho in the crowd who would not honour the 1 or 2 pumps maximum rule.

Our rule was that no multiple pump or pellet firing guns were allowed. Single-pump Daisey 25's firing brass BB's. And of course the Infamous BB Machine Gun that fired lead BB's at relatively low velocity.

[PsyOp]

I got some of my coolest scars before I was 10...

Yup. If I shave my head I look like Frankensteins monster. And its easy to part my hair - I just comb along the gash!

[gumbo]

cleaning padeyes with spoon and toothbrush

I hate to display my ignorance, but what's a padeye? Is that like a "head" in the Navy?

[Victoria Delsoul]

The weapons offense carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, while Mott faces up to five years on the aggravated assault offense.

A BB gun! Another "offense" imprints its mark on the zeal of political correctness! What's next, convicting children for playing with toy guns?

[gumbo]

it occurs to me that someone should find out where we can send these posts. His lawyer might be able to use them in his appeal to this ridiculous verdict

I did send the lawyer an email with the URL of this thread, as well as a few questions (such as the status of an appeal). Would be surprised if he replied, but you never know.

[The Bored One]

Mott will not be eligible for parole until he serves at least three years in prison under the state’s so-called Graves Act. That law deals with crimes involving guns.

WHAT GUN!?!?! IT WAS A BB GUN FOR GOD'S SAKE! This soldier is going to lose his entire career and possibly his freedom for standing up to a couple of thugs with a BB gun? This angers me greatly.

[Eagle Eye]

Where IS he when we need him?????

Unlike the book, he is not taking action because he knows that most of the 2A crowd will instantly disavow him and condemn him. IMO, the largest part of the 2A crowd (maybe not on FR) is NATO.

(NATO = No Action, Talk Only)

[PsyOp]

I did send the lawyer an email with the URL of this thread

Good. I sent an e-mail to the author of the article with the thread URL attached. I said he should look at it for some perspective on the issue and asked him if he could forward contact information.

[Poohbah]

It's a little spot in the aircraft parking area where you can attach a tie-down chain to keep aircraft from getting blown about.

[wardaddy]

Nice rule about no pumping or pellets. A super pumped pellet rifle has similar ballistics to a 22 short or maybe even a 22 LR if an exceptionally strong kid is pumping. I've heard of the seal being popped by determined pumpers...LOL.

[PsyOp]

I've heard of the seal being popped by determined pumpers...LOL.

We may have been crazy, but we weren't stupid enough to trust each other to one pump if we had the ability to give it more. Lack of temptation keep people honest. Besides, were afraid that if anyone got seriously hurt, our mothers would find out (worse than losing an eye would be having to tell mom or dad about it). In the end, though, someone squeeled and we lost our toys for six months.