A Roxbury man was sentenced to prison yesterday after he admitted he posed his 17-month-old daughter with a firearm in photos taken earlier this year, said Jake Wark, spokesman for the Suffolk district attorney.Michael Majors, 20, pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment of a child and unlawful possession of a Cobray MAC-11 9mm firearm. Wark said Majors posed his daughter with the weapon and an extended magazine in the photos, which were taken in January.
Majors also pleaded guilty to additional gun charges, including unlawful possession of a large-capacity weapon; a large capacity magazine, or gun chamber; a .38-caliber Colt Government handgun; and various loose rounds of ammunition, Wark said.
What do you think all these unlawful possession charges are all about? Are these items banned in Massachusetts or is it that Mr. Majors is too young to own them legally and therefore didn't go through the proper channels? Being under 21, is there anything he could own legally?
What do you think about that photograph? Is it so bad? On The Universal Hub site a commenter pointed out that the gun might not have been loaded and a 17-month-old could not pull the trigger anyway. What do you think about that?
My guess is that the weapons were the real problem and the baby picture was used to strengthen the prosecutor's argument for jail time. What do you think?
What about responsible lawful gun owners posing their kids with guns? Is that OK? Is there an age below which it's not OK? What's your opinion on that?
Please leave a comment?
Without seeing the picture in question, anything that can be said will be based on speculation.
ReplyDeleteIgnoring Massachusetts draconian firearms laws regarding possession, capacity, etc, it depends on the how the child was posed with the firearm. If the gun was just laying next to the kid, I don't see the harm in that.
Good example: http://www.politicsgunsandbeer.com/2009/02/16/some-things-to-grow-into/
Now if the child was actually holding the gun, that's a problem. I don't know many 17 month olds who know the 4 rules. Now if the kids are old enough to understand the rules and properly handle the firearm, no harm.
Good example:
http://thebredafallacy.blogspot.com/2009/09/i-dont-get-it.html
Knowing Massachusetts and the attitudes of people who live, this was more than likely an overreaction to an innocent picture. Someone probably saw a "machine gun" gun laying next to a kid strapped in a car carrier and wet their pants.
But again, not seeing the picture means everything that can be said regarding it will only be speculation.
If I remember Massachusetts law correctly (not being a resident I have no reason to), you have to be 21 to own/possess a handgun. The Mac-11 qualifies as a handgun. So does a .38. Not sure what is wrong with loose rounds of ammunition, but my guess is that if you can't legally own/possess a handgun if you are under 21 in Mass, you probably can't legally own/possess the ammunition for them.
ReplyDeleteMass law you need to have at least a Class B LTC to posses a handgun of any type OR AMMO! (Our gun permit also covers ammo ownership, and somebody can technically be charged with a crime for possession of a single spent cartridge) To posess a magazine with capacity over 10 rounds you need an LTC A, and the magazine must be manufactured before September 1994 (Likely that Cobray Mag is compliant)
ReplyDeleteYou need to be at least 21 years of age to apply for an LTC of any class.
The LTC also must be shown on any private transfer and that transfer must be registered with the state.
So we also have universal background checks that MikeB is claiming to be a panacea.
Overall the charges are totally stupid. Of course I'm always cautious about people who posses guns illegally, as generally the illegal possession is NOT their only crime, and Roxbury has a LOT of gang issues.
"including unlawful possession of a large-capacity weapon; a large capacity magazine, or gun chamber"
ReplyDeleteLarge capacity gun chamber???
ahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahaha
Note: MikeB doesn't see the humor.
kaveman, Actually I did see the humor. I meant to make a reference to the famous "barrel shrouds."
ReplyDeleteBut I was interested in that "large capacity magazine." That's what you bought last weekend isn't it? I guess you're glad you don't live in Mass. like poor Weer'd Beard, huh?
By the way, how many rounds of ammo can one of them hold? And why would you want one?