Tennessee St. Rep. Frank Nicely (file / credit: Tennessee General Assembly)
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Last month, a woman from Tennessee was caught in Manhattan with a gun, and now a Tennessee state lawmaker is threatening New Yorkers over the incident.
WCBS 880′s Alex Silverman On The Story
St. Rep. Frank Niceley has drafted a resolution that asks New York to use “common sense” in the case of Meredith Graves, busted with a .32 caliber pistol in her purse at the 9/11 Memorial.
“These DAs will say ’Well, ignorance of the law is no excuse.’ That might have been right when we had the Ten Commandments, but now there was 40,000 laws passed last year in America. I mean, it’s impossible to know all the laws,” he said Friday. “This could happen to anybody. I mean, this could happen to one of my daughters. It’s so ridiculous.”
But Nicely takes it a step further.
“We remind the citizens of New York to drive carefully through the great state of Tennessee, paying extra attention to our speed limits,” the resolution says.
“I threw that nice line in there as a humorous threat,” Nicely told WCBS 880 reporter Alex Silverman.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office isn’t laughing, saying, “Common sense also includes checking gun laws before traveling – something even the NRA tells people to do.”
Graves, a 39-year-old medical student, tried to check her gun at security at the memorial and claimed she didn’t know it was illegal.
“What we’re trying to do is bring attention to this case and show how ridiculous it is,” Niceley told 1010 WINS. “She’s obviously not a criminal.”
Graves has a license to carry a concealed weapon in the Volunteer State and says she didn’t know that it didn’t apply to the Empire State.
What do you think of the situation? Sound off in the comments section below!
54 Comments
Yes she should know the gun laws, but the bottom line is that its a sad state of affairs when only some of your constitutional rights are recognized when you cross state lines.
January 23, 2012 at 6:14 pm
There are a couple real issues here.
One is the confusing state of gun laws in America. It’s insane really. But in America, we’re “supposed” to have the right to bear arms. So, when you go to certain states, how in the world, can you not legally have a firearm!?
Having said that, even *I* know NOT to carry a firearm to NY! They’re insane up there and will lock you up for it! (which is why I would NEVER travel to NY unless my very life depended on it).
Also, it’s not like these people were criminals. They came forward and tried to CHECK THEIR SIDE ARMS! They didn’t have rifles, they didn’t have AK47′s, they didn’t try to hide them. They were not selling them illegally.
NY should slap them on the wrist and tell ‘em not to do it again and try to make it a lesson for everybody instead of this crap of locking people up.
I also think a HUGE boycott of NY (and kalifornia) would be in order here too. It would work, trust me, they already have enough financial problems.
January 21, 2012 at 9:56 pm
It’s about what you should expect from Mayor Snotberg and the cadre of amoral liberal loons who rule the roost in the Rotten Apple. They’d be doing the rest of the country a favor if they seceded.
January 21, 2012 at 7:46 pm
We southern states need to put together an extraction team that could go into New York and rescue our own gun-toting citizens by force if necessary. The State of NY has ALWAYS BEEN CONTRARY to the desires of other states, even before it was a state, it initially refused to join forces with other colonies at the Second Continental Congress to Declare Independence …and today, it refuses to recognize that the Second Amendment applies to all law-abiding US citizens… not the criminals who own Saturday Night Specials all over that corruption infected state of New York.
January 21, 2012 at 7:43 pm
come to NY and say that and ill put my foot up your redneck southern ass..
January 21, 2012 at 3:24 pm
come to TN and do it, momma’s boy!
January 21, 2012 at 8:01 pm
New York City is constantly trying to make the rest of the nation follow their laws, it is time for the rest of the nation to turn around and punish the New York government and those who vote for it.
January 21, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Most states have enough respect for other states to recognize their carry permits. Most citizens from other states would have enough common sense not to destroy the career of a Doctor over a misunderstanding. Most Americans understand that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution trump local political hacks. Most Americans know that NY City only survives because we ship large amouts of our tax dollars there to subsidize it.
Rather than considering themselves better because of some old Frank Sanatra song It would be appreciated if NY City politicians would have the humility and graditude to the rest of the nation to stop acting as though they are above the Constitution that binds us all together. If you can not get that picture perhaps you should consider who is providing the “milk” that the junenille dependent NY City political hacks sucker for their survival.
I seriously doubt rural Tennessee is high on a terriorist list. Thus I seriously doubt they will need volunteers from NY to come and rescue them. NY however may very well someday need some lady doctor from Tennessee to save their lives. Thus, you might not want to tick off us folk from “fly over country”.
January 21, 2012 at 11:54 am
Well said. I firmly believe that if Meredith Graves had been wearing a veil she would have been treated more tolerantly. To punish this woman is SICK and indicative of an indigenous, sublte, diabolical terrorism with roots within our own walls.
January 21, 2012 at 1:41 pm
Graves made a honest and very human mistake. This honest woman tried to check her gun in at security at the 9/11 memorial and was punished for her honesty! She is NOT a terrorist! If there was a terrorist attack made on us, she and others who are also armed would be the ones DEFENDING us from the terrorists.
This is a horrible way for New York to punish the very people who would be defending us in a terrorist attack. Why does New York State want only criminals and terrorists to be armed and not decent, patriotic Americans?
Americans must have the human right to defend themselves and other innocents!
January 21, 2012 at 9:38 am
It was NY that made a dishonest “mistake”. Forgive me, but what part of “the right of the people to bear arms SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED” i.e. interfered with at any level does NY not understand? Don’t like guns? Then change the Constitution by constitutional means, not end runs around it.
January 21, 2012 at 10:28 am
What does the COMPLETE Second Amendment say? “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
You’re showing off your ignorance by invoking the amendment while IGNORING HALF OF IT. Was this woman part of a well-regulated militia? NO. Therefore, the Amendment doesn’t apply.
January 21, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Well, the Supreme Court says the amendment does apply. Excuse my for saying so, but you are showing off your ignorance.
January 21, 2012 at 6:37 pm
wow, you are dumb James. Quick synopsis here, a militia is necessary for security of a free state, which NY is not. The right is for the PEOPLE, not just the militia, you moron. Read some federal letters and maybe even you could get a grasp on LIBERTY.
January 21, 2012 at 8:05 pm
You are only partly right in your argument. The part you left out is that Article IV Section 1 states “Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State.” That means her permit from Tennessee MUST be accepted by New York, and every other State in the US. The stronger position to argue this from is to say that NY is violating the Constitution by not honoring her permit.
January 21, 2012 at 9:50 pm
Thank you St. Rep. Frank Niceley; we need more Reps. like you; Tennessee if it hadn’t been for you and Davy Crockett. the Alamo would have been a shoe in for Mexico.
We need some Crockets, Bouyes and Hustons today!
January 21, 2012 at 8:29 am
Reread your history, amigo — the Alamo WAS a shoo-in for Mexico. The Texans eventually won their independence but they were SLAUGHTERED at the Alamo, with only 2 survivors.
January 21, 2012 at 6:16 pm
About 200 Texan’s died while killing almost 600 Mexican’s. A sad outcome on both sides. To be sure, one side WAS slaughtered and you stand corrected.
January 21, 2012 at 6:45 pm
We’re still here
January 21, 2012 at 8:06 pm
In Zoo York it’s all about the money. Best thing to do is just stay away from the entire State and wait for the next category 5 storm to take out Lower Manhattan.
January 21, 2012 at 6:45 am
Would it make you happy to see another 9/11 in Lower Manhattan? Would you take satisfaction and joy if it were a dozen buildings instead of just two?
January 21, 2012 at 11:27 am
SJ, you need to go back and look at all the videos of that day. It wasn’t two, it was THREE in Lower Manhattan that fell that day. Bldg 1, bldg 2, and bldg 7 later in the day. 7 was clearly a demolition job.
January 21, 2012 at 4:44 pm
Liberalism is a mental disorder and they have a Mayor and a City council that have the disease.They are afraid of guns and think the solution is to only let the criminals have them.Shootings on the streets of NYC are a daily occurrence even with the strict gun laws.. What do you expect from a the NYC Mayor who supports men who are interested in other mens rectums
January 21, 2012 at 6:30 am
A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. This is NOT a privilege like a drivers license, this is a right granted to everyone in the United States. Now you little Hitler organizations (NYC, DC, Chicago)need to learn to read and comprehend the 2nd amendment and let me help you:
The Right of the people to Keep (That means its mine and you cannot have it) and Bear arms(That means: I have it right here on me) Shall not be infringed. ( Means: Screw you and drive safe) Any Questions?
January 21, 2012 at 6:10 am
Simple answer…boycott NYC. Not going there anytime soon…..didn’t leave anything there the last time I visited. Besides, the only people I met there were 2 Russian cab drivers who spoke no English and a Saudi Arabian fruit stand operator. NYC isn’t a part of the U.S. anymore.
January 21, 2012 at 12:43 am
NY sucks, New York is an anti freedom state
January 20, 2012 at 11:46 pm
sean is a gay redneck who likes cow balls on his meetloaf
January 21, 2012 at 3:28 pm
Every comment misses the point. The Right to bear arms is a Right not a privilege. Any attempt to remove guns from the populace is an attempt to control the populace. Gun control is a tool of tyrants.
January 20, 2012 at 10:49 pm
Bloomberg is a m o r o n i c a s s h o l e. And, any state that doesn’t provide reciprocal carry laws is most certainly run by a s s h o l e s.
January 20, 2012 at 10:33 pm
Now there’s another reason NOT to go to NYC. We’ll just keep our guns and money, $$$$$$$$, here in Good ‘Ole Tennessee.
January 20, 2012 at 9:01 pm
yo, frank. tell your pals that they should check out the local gun laws when they travel out of state. ignorance is no defense. in the modern era, they could have contact the local police dept to inquire if a special permit was necessary. the right to bear arms is more of a privilege. people should exercise their due diligence and respect the laws of other states. check your umbrage/outrage at the state line. i’ve been to your state, nice place, nice people.
January 20, 2012 at 4:51 pm
Rather smug statement for someone who is ignorant of the Constitution. The right of the people to KEEP and BEAR arms shall not be infringed. Just because the Democrat machine in your state doesn’t like the plain reading of the Constitution, does not exempt your state from the obligation to follow Constitution.
January 20, 2012 at 11:21 pm
What does the Second Amendment REALLY say? “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”
Nice of you to show your ignorance by plugging the amendment while ignoring HALF OF IT. What this woman part of a well-regulated militia? NO. Therefore, the Amendment doesn’t apply.
January 21, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Well, the Supreme Court says the amendment does apply. Excuse my for saying so, but you are showing off YOUR ignorance.
January 21, 2012 at 6:50 pm
And maybe she should have called the state police department of every state you drive through to make sure the recognize your states drivers license. Ever try reading and understand NYS/NYC gun laws?
January 21, 2012 at 12:36 am
The right to bear arms is..the right to bear arms! It is no more a privilege than suffrage.
January 21, 2012 at 11:05 am
the right to bear arms is more of a privilege????
THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS ?
Perhaps you missed the word RIGHT in your response
January 21, 2012 at 11:10 am
Perhaps you missed the “WELL-REGULATED MILITIA” part of the Second Amendment.
January 21, 2012 at 12:14 pm
Perhaps you should take a class or two on Constitutional law so you can learn the difference between the preamble and the right.
January 21, 2012 at 12:54 pm
Perhaps you should actually READ the Constitution and see that the Preamble to the Constitution is NOT actually part of any Amendment. You’ll also see that the “well-regulated militia” phrase is part of the Second Amendment and NOT included in the Preamble.
Here’s what the Preamble actually says: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” Any mention of a “well-regulated militia”? NO.
January 21, 2012 at 1:24 pm
Only an idiot would take a gun to another state without first knowing the gun laws of that state.
Yes, the Constitution gives us the unrestricted right to keep and bear arms. Unfortunately, as just about EVERYONE is aware, the Government hasn’t gotten around to reading the full constitution and, as a result, we have stupid gun laws in some states.
As such, only the stupidest members of society (especially if one owns a gun) are not aware of this problem and the resulting effect on state laws.
Simply put, this woman is a moron who deserves to have her gun taken away, her permit revoked and some form of criminal penalty applied. That’s what you get when you have your head up your ass.
January 21, 2012 at 1:00 pm
There is no such thing as a gun law , there are only violations of the
Constitution. Those who would deny us that right are the ones we
need protection from.
January 21, 2012 at 1:32 pm
Kevin, I understand your point, but I’m a realist; the gun laws exist and you can pound the constitution all you want but it’s not going to stop the Government from putting you in jail. Sure, you can try your luck at the Supreme Court, but you get to suffer a whole lot before you even get a chance to make your case. As much as I want to see the Government respect the Constitution, I have no desire to be the test case…I’ll just obey the law and watch how well it works for that guy on the news….
January 21, 2012 at 2:16 pm
She may be ignorant, but she isn’t an idiot. My question to you is, what is the crime and who was injured?
You need to get a clue, learn to self-govern, and then maybe, we can get all these stupid laws off of our books.
January 21, 2012 at 8:14 pm
The U.S. Supreme Court has recognized the right to keep and bear arms as an individual right . Case closed.
January 21, 2012 at 3:44 pm
love you karen dont mind these dukes of hazards reruins people
January 21, 2012 at 3:43 pm
Yo, Karen. Tell your uptight friends in NY to lighten up. Under common law, if there isn’t a victim, there is no crime. Come on. I’ve been to your state, rude people, snotty cabbies.
January 21, 2012 at 8:09 pm
Whoa, momma. There’s dumb, real dumb, and then there’s Tennessee dumb.
January 20, 2012 at 3:50 pm
For 100 yrs the industrialized states have instigated war against Arab sovereigns in order to monopolize oil and entrench oligarchic, and now fascistic power. 911 was about blowback. NYC and the Wall Street “shook down” their oil cronies in Saudi, and provoked the incident.
January 20, 2012 at 5:03 pm
“She has a license to carry a concealed weapon in the Volunteer State and says she didn’t know that it didn’t apply to the Empire State”
HOW DID SHE EVEN GET A LICENSE? Serves her right. If you have a driver’s license from NYS.. and you move to Ohio, …would she think she doesn’t need a new license?
January 20, 2012 at 1:54 pm
One does not need a new driver’s license when visiting or passing through another state.
January 20, 2012 at 2:27 pm
would she think she doesn’t need a new license? Yes, her license would be valid.
This gun restriction is only NYC law, not NY State.
January 20, 2012 at 3:51 pm
Hate to say it but NYC and NYS do not recognize any other states handgun permits.
January 21, 2012 at 12:37 am
Thanks for the info! I didn’t know that I had to get a New York drivers license to be able to drive my car if I were ever insane or desperate enough to visit your state. I did not realize that NY is so anal. Thanks again for the info.
January 20, 2012 at 11:33 pm