Plaxico Burress

Plaxico Burress pled guilty to a New York State gun law and accepted a plea agreement with a 2-year prison sentence. The violations he was charged with were two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, and one count of reckless endangerment. Burress faced the possibility of serving at least a minimum of 3 ½ years if he was convicted on the charges. The prosecutor, District Attorney Robert Morgenthau would accept a plea deal, wherein Burress would receive at least two years.

Let’s look at what happened: Plaxico went to a nightclub carrying a gun, concealed on his person and accidentally shot himself in the leg. Apparently, he felt threatened and was carrying the weapon for protection. The gun was not registered in New York, or New Jersey where Burress lived. He had a license to carry a weapon in the state of Florida, but it expired in May 2008. Therefore, he violated gun laws in the state.

I believe people have a God given right to protect themselves and that the gun laws are unconstitutional, because my interpretation of the second amendment is that people have a right to arm themselves for protection. The second amendment of the constitution states: “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.”

He will now be a convicted felon and will not be able to arm himself in the future because of the law that states a convicted felon cannot carry a concealed weapon. There are claims that there is overcrowding in the prisons. So my questions are: “Why did the prosecutor find it necessary to want to give him a 2-year prison sentence for the charges he was accused of?” “What is the NRA’s position on the incident?’’

Apparently, Plaxico needed more training on gun safety, but should he go to jail for two years for this incident, coming from a retired police officer, I don’t think so. He is to be sentenced September 22, 2009; hopefully the Judge will come to a more reasonable punishment.

Greg Zotta