In a considerably ironic scenario, a staffer for an anti-gun congressman has been arrested for making an attempt to deliver ammunition and firearms magazines into the Cannon Home Workplace Constructing.
On Thanksgiving morning, Michael Hopkins, communications director for U.S. Rep. Joe Morelle, D-NY, was getting into the constructing and despatched his backpack by means of the metallic detector. He was shortly arrested when a subsequent hand search of the bag turned up 11 rounds of ammunition and 4 magazines—at the very least one among which exceeded the District of Columbia’s capability restrict.
Based on U.S. Capitol Police, the 38-year-old Hopkins instructed officers he forgot the mags and ammo had been in his bag. He’s now going through prices for illegal possession of ammunition and one cost for possession of a “high-capacity” journal.
In fact, with out a firearm, the ammo and magazines—even the dreaded one that might maintain greater than 10 rounds—posed completely no hazard to anybody within the workplace constructing. In reality, these of us who typically use our backpacks for varied functions have doubtless forgotten a couple of rounds and a magazine or two once in a while.
Nonetheless, the arrest introduced fast retribution from Rep. Morelle, who favors a ban on so-called “high-capacity” magazines, together with supporting many different restrictive gun-control schemes.
“In response to this morning’s incident, Mr. Hopkins is now not employed by Consultant Morelle’s workplace efficient instantly,” Jo Stiles, Chief of Employees to Rep. Morelle, stated in an announcement later that day.
Rep. Morelle has an “F” ranking from each the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation’s Political Victory Fund and the New York State Rifle and Pistol Affiliation. In reality, a short have a look at his web site reveals that he helps practically each anti-gun proposal you may consider, together with bans on “assault weapons,” so-called “common” background checks, ready intervals on gun purchases, so-called “protected storage” legal guidelines, red-flag legal guidelines, funding CDC for extra anti-gun analysis and stiffer certification necessities for firearm retailers.
Oh yeah, and bans on firearm magazines that maintain greater than 10 rounds of ammo, laws he was proud to co-sponsor.
“I’m proud to assist quite a few items of laws to maintain households protected from gun violence, together with measures to ban assault weapons, enact common background checks, ban the sale of high-capacity magazines, scale back gun theft and trafficking, and extra,” Morelle stated on his web site. “I’ve additionally authored and launched laws to strengthen laws on gun retailers and forestall the circulate of unlawful weapons onto our streets and into the arms of criminals.”
As a communication director, Hopkins was doubtless concerned in placing collectively that very assertion, together with dozens of press releases touting gun-ban measures. It’s fascinating that he would personal {a magazine} his boss—and, by extension, he—likes to hate a lot.
In the long run, Hopkins merely obtained caught up in an unjust D.C. regulation and ended up shedding his job over it. Sarcastically, given the work he’s undoubtedly carried out for his employer on the journal capability concern, plainly he doubtless obtained what he deserved, shedding his job over {a magazine} that he thought he ought to be capable of personal however that isn’t acceptable for “the remainder of us.”
