By Dean Weingarten
Arizona – -(Ammoland.com)- Has an authority figure ever used their power to steal something from you? I have seen it most commonly with guns and knives, where people often do not know the precise law, and allow the theft as a form of low level extortion. The trade off is clear: the authority figure ends up with your item, and they do not charge you with a crime. My first experience with this occurred at about age 14. I wasn’t the victim. I received some of the spoils, but I was shocked by the blatant injustice of it.
My sister had started teaching at an intern position in Milwaukee. It was a bad part of town. She taught grade school to a mostly minority population. The school policy was no knives, and she confiscated quite a few. I ended up with a couple, all of which have long ago disappeared. I asked her how she could justify the theft of this property. I routinely carried a knife to school, as did every other boy that I knew. I did not yet understand where dystopian “progressive” policies were leading the country. As I recall, “policy” was her only answer.
As a firearms instructor, I heard numerous complaints about firearms being confiscated for no legal reason in Southern California. One student said that his brother, who was with the LAPD, had an amazing collection of guns that people had “just given him”.
I nearly lost a nice Swiss Army knife that I routinely took on business trips, when I inadvertently left it in a briefcase on the way to catch a plane out of Denver. TSA routinely confiscates thousands of knives when it is more trouble and expense for the owner to get out of line and ship them home than it is to give them up. I had enough time to take the knife and briefcase back to the ticket counter and check it as luggage, an option that may cost you more than the knife is worth today.
My neighbor had a nice pocketknife confiscated as he re-entered the United States from a day trip to Mexico. It did not matter that it was legal and that he had carried it in with him. This was before Knife Rights lobbied to have the U.S. law clarified. At international borders, your rights are severely curtailed.
I suspect that this low level of tyranny is widespread. Has it ever happened to you?
c2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included. Link to Gun Watch
About Dean Weingarten;
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
Ha, I’m just waiting for that time at an airport or train station when we get jumped by a terrorist and I wasn’t able to defend myself or those around me. If I survive, there will be the lawsuit to end all lawsuits against those who took my defense away. Trust me, it’ll be a bloodbath.
I had a .357mag S&W Model 19 Combat Special “appropriated” (stolen) by a cop in Indiana when I was 24. A friend and I were target shooting at his Dad’s place…way out in the country. The local gestapo came by to see what was going on.(NO laws were being broken) He mentioned that he liked my “sidearm” and wanted to “try” it out. He did,liked it, and said he was going to take it back to the “station” because someone had reported “one of these” being stolen. We asked if he had the serial number of the ‘stolen’ gun to… Read more »
Yes , as a Marine in Vietnam in 1966 my fORMER wife and her boy friend totaled my car . In that car , for her protection , was a K-bar marine combat knife and a Smith & Wesson highway patrolman . A Pennsylvanis state trooper investigated the accident and the weapons were never seen again , or at least that was what I was led to believe .
After an argument with my second wife (now ex-wife) where the “friendly” neighbors called the cops, an Aurora, Colorado officer took my S&W Model 10 .38 that I was attempting to retrieve from her house. I objected, and was told I could give it up, or go to jail. I had witnesses, the make, model, and serial number, and paid an immediate visit to his watch commander. I was told that in “domestic situations”, the LEOs were “authorized” to take weapons for “safekeeping”. When I asked to see the appropriate law, I was ignored. I went to the chief, and… Read more »
In 1970 locker inspection, while in “A” school in the Navy a barracks noncom took a pen knife that opened with the pull of a horse head, the blade may have been 1 1/2 inch long, as a dangerous weapon. I’ll bet he still has it.
These people believe everybody is a “bad actor”, so be sensible and leave it home before going to an airport or government building.
Pocket knives stolen by TSA agents – several times.
Yes. Years before 9-11 airport security got a swiss army kinfe and a 8″ plastic Kubotan that also acted as a key chain. Got both thru security the first time but plane went lame and fight was delayed till they could get another plane. Went out to the bar to kill time. Second time thru the check point guy snatched them and said they were illegal. Said I could knock someone out with the plastic Kubotan and stab someone with the small pocket knife. Almost didnt make the flight. I pointed to the #2 pencils on the table and said… Read more »
Yep. Had a knife confiscated by the Tucson PD once after an arrest for a misdemeanor. No charges were filed but they kept my pocket knife.
I also forgot I had a pocket knife and had it confiscated by the security people at a courthouse in Houston when I showed up for jury duty. They refused to allow me to go put it in my car.