Soldier takes shot at gun rules.

[-..__...]

It really shouldn't matter what your opinion regarding the 2nd amendment is; this situation is complete BS.

FWIW, Brookline is easily one of the most Liberal communities in MA (birthplace of JFK and Mike Dukakis).

"It was the faces of three disillusioned and angry residents that told a story in the lobby of Brookline District Court earlier this week.

There was Kang Lu, a Chinese-born U.S. Army second lieutenant and future military doctor, dressed in uniform, hoping, finally, for redemption in the form of a restored license to carry firearms. Next to him was longtime resident Yat Lau, also Chinese-born, who was similarly rejected in his bid to renew a license to carry a permit that was first issued to him four years ago in Newton.

And finally, sitting quietly on a bench outside the courtroom, was diminutive law paralegal and gospel choir singer Jacqueline Scott, a 53-year-old African-American woman and former domestic abuse victim, who said she has heard "nothing, nothing, nothing,nothing " from the Brookline Police on her first-time application to carry a gun which she completed in October 2003...

Snip...

"I feel like I've been targeted," said Lau, whose gun license was unceremoniously stripped in a visit Brookline Police Sgt. Michael Raskin made to Lau's workplace to confiscate a firearm kept at work in a safe. "I felt treated me like a criminal," Lau said.

Lau acknowledged that a teenage son living in his home had had some scrapes with the law, and recalled being told by Raskin, "In my opinion, your home is not safe for firearms."

Lau said he had told Brookline Police that he would agree to store his three pistols at police headquarters, if that would result in a renewal of his license to carry.

They told me that would not be necessary," Lau said."

Complete story...

[Texicrat]

1. Sound like a good call by the police...

Firearms in the home with a teenage hoodlum and an owner who felt the need to get psychological help for stress...no excuse for it.

[newyawker99]

4. Hi Texicrat!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Squatch]

8. I'm going to see a shrink next week...

because I'm having a hard time relaxing. Too much stress in my life and not enough outlets to reduce it.

I'll be sure to relinquish my firearms to the state before my visit.

[efhmc]

2. If the gun is left at home overnight after being used and the son

gets it and goes on a shooting rampage, then who will be responsible. To the public, it will be those who relented and issued the license. There are many, many people who should not have guns. Believe me, I live in Texas and all types of freaks and weirdos run around everywhere with them and use them in evil ways all the time.

[Moderator]

3. D___S

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
copyrighted news source.


Thank you.


DU Moderator

[Romulus]

5. typical overzealous anti-gun owner, right-wing, law enforcement

Three minorities, all stripped of their permits to own firearms because of frivolous reasons:

1) the guy with the son who has been roughed up by police- what minority male teenager in a majority-white community isn't ever in contact with the local law enforcement? How many white parents of teenagers who have had contact with law enforcement have had their permits to own firearms revoked and their firearms confiscated? I'll hold my breath in wait for the answer (not).

And the same guy volunteered for UK/AUS/CAN style handgun control (leave the firearm at the police station and only check it out at certain times) and was turned down.

2) the guy who was asked to leave the so-called "kids" area of the library - what was that about? No kids were there, so who cares if he was reading med school textbooks? And he left the area when asked. Should protesters against Bush simply "leave the area" when asked? Then have their info kept in some law enforcement database after they comply with the request?

3) The single therapy session for help coping with med school stress. Is this really a "good reason" for revoking a firearms permit? How many police officers have had their firearms confiscated by their department for seeking assistance with job stress? I'll be waiting for that answer (not).


What's sad is that people are actually supporting the police here.

[Texicrat]

6. Why does he need a concealed weapon?

If he's just going to leave it at the police station? The police station is the first-and-last stop of the day?

And he didn't leave the children's section of the library when asked. He left when the police were called. The guy is obviously combative, with some kind of beef against following simple rules. Just the kind of person we want carrying a hidden gun.

And how do we know it was just the "single" session? That's what he admitted to. How do we know the psychiatrist didn't recommend more sessions and he refused?

There were numerous other permits approved. His wasn't. For apparently good reasons. Before you pull out that race card, maybe you should have some more info, like percentages of people of color who applied and were rejected, vs. the same for whites.

There is just not enough info to substantiate a race bias (in a very liberal area), but more than enough info to indicate this guy had no business with a gun.

[Romulus]

7. "liberal areas" can be just as racist as right-wing ones

As a person of color who gre up in "liberal" NYC, and now live in the DC area, I can assure you that law enforcement is thoroughly right- wing. The "race statistics" game is a favorite among the right-wing to deny there is a racism issue in the US.

And I haven't even started to touch on the racism among the general public in those identified "liberal areas."

The article details the reasons why Lu was denied his permit. The police were called when he asked for them to be called because there seemed to be no valid reason for him to leave the section of the library where he was studying. Refusing to simply roll over and "follow simple rules" that have no good reason is a hallmark of liberal tradition.

And the police-station guy was obviously willing to make the station his first and last stop.

Judicial review of police activities, especially discretionary police activities, should be welcomed and not condemned.