BUSTED GUN OWNER NEEDS YOUR HELP
by Jeff Knox, guest contributor.
[February 26, 2007]
Joyce, a nurse from Indiana,
was visiting friends in Vermont and Massachusetts earlier this month.
Upon checking in at the ticket counter in Albany, NY (the nearest major
airport) for her return flight to Indiana, she declared her firearm, which
was secured with a cable-lock through the barrel and magazine well, and
double-locked in a hard case.
The NW Airlines ticket agent
called over a Deputy Sheriff, who asked Joyce several questions about the
gun and her travels with it. He then asked her to accompany him to
his office where he arrested and booked her for unlawful possession of
a weapon without a NY license.
Joyce was able to post bail
and return home but is expected back in court in NY on March 7. She
is looking for legal representation, and we are doing our best to help
her. We've brought her case to the attention of the NRA, SAF, and
the NY State Rifle and Pistol Association. We hope these organizations
will provide some guidance and legal assistance.
But even if someone provides
free legal assistance, Joyce still faces $500 plane tickets, hotel bills,
and missed work, not to mention the loss of her Kimber
Raptor. She
also fears that this arrest could jeopardize her career.
Joyce is a recent widow,
the mother of a police officer, and a self-supporting nurse. Her
job puts her on the road often, and away from home for several days at
a time, so at the urging of her son, she'd attended a three-day handgun
course in Ohio and acquired an Ohio CCW.
We call on the gun-rights
community to rally to Joyce's aid. We are working with others to
set up a Legal Defense Fund for Joyce, but until the legalities
and logistics
get worked out, we are accepting donations on her behalf at the Firearms
Coalition.
Contributions
can be made
by credit card over the phone at 703-753-0424, or
online at our website,
using the PayPal link, or by cash, check, or money order mailed to: The
Firearms Coalition, PO Box 3313, Manassas, VA 20108.
Mark your donation "NY Defense
Fund" and we will see to it that it goes directly to help this poor woman
in this terrible situation.
Joyce is planning to attend
the regular meeting of the Indiana 2nd
Amendment Patriots, 6:00 PM, at the German Township Fire Station, located
on Hwy 65
(Cynthiana Hwy).
We are asking
that you do
three things:
1.
Send a donation immediately.
2. Post
and forward this to everyone you know.
3. Take
this information to your local clubs and organizations, pass the hat, and
ask the club to make an official donation.
Be sure to mark all donations
for Joyce's benefit with "NY Defense Fund." None of the proceeds
of this special appeal go to the Firearms Coalition. Everything will
go directly to assist Joyce in her time of need.
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