I’ve been to New York City many times. I know people who have lived there all of their lives. There are those in that city who struggle to comprehend that New York City isn’t the entire world. They don’t seem to understand that every other place in the country isn’t operated just like their city.
“Where you from?”
“New Mexico.”
“Hey, ain’t that in south Jersey?”
“No, it’s on the west coast.”
“Oh, out near Manhattan.”
“No, it’s another state from New York City.”
“Oh, the upper west side, I get it.”
People who travel to New York City from another part of the country can be in for a bit of a culture shock. Such is the case of Meredith Graves, who is from the state of Tennessee. Mrs. Graves and her husband went to New York City as she had a job interview there. While the couple was visiting the Ground Zero memorial Mrs. Graves realized she has a small pistol in her purse. She asked where she could check her firearm and was subsequently arrested. New York City is so upset with her that the Manhattan District Attorney is trying to get her convicted on felony gun possession charges. If found guilty, she could spend the next 3 ½ years in jail.
This is a prime example of culture shock. In New York City people don’t check their guns anywhere. They keep them hidden on their person, even if it means accidently shooting themselves in a in the leg at a night club and going to jail, but that’s another story. Meredith Graves in from Tennessee and there are parts of Tennessee where elementary school children carry guns to school in case they see something good for dinner during their commute. The citizens of New York City saw what Meredith Graves was doing and thought she was crazy. Meredith Grave saw how she was being treated over a little gun by the people of New York City and thought they were crazy. If someone who lived his entire life in New York City went down to Tennessee, I’m certain things would get crazy.
“Aye, what is dis’ possum or something you trying to feed me here?”
“If you don’t like it there’s a gun in the bathroom and you’re more than welcome to go and shoot yourself something else for breakfast.”
“Whoa, hey yo.”
“Y’all crazy.”
The National Butt Head Association of America (NBHAA) has claimed New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as their poster child. They will use his likeness in all of their promotional literature and feel he truly represents them. His behavior is the envy of butt heads everywhere.
At a press conference about the incident Mayor Bloomberg’s comments made members of the NBHAA proud. He said that assuming she (Meredith Graves) didn’t get arrested for carrying a gun; she probably would’ve gotten arrested for the cocaine in her purse. The only problem was that she didn’t have cocaine in her purse. What Meredith Graves had was powdered aspirin for headaches.
I suppose we should understand that Mayor Michael Bloomberg is on a mission to rid New York City of guns that come from outside the city. He wants to make sure if you’re shot or mugged by someone using a gun in New York City, that the gun used to commit the crime was illegally obtained, unregistered and sold in a brown paper bag on a street corner in his city. If you legally have a firearm from another state you must first be arrested and then the Mayor gets to falsely accuse you of committing other crimes at a press conference. The members of NBHAA can only marvel at Mayor Bloomberg’s behavior.
I think if common sense would’ve played a role in this situation things would’ve been different. Someone might have told Meredith Graves her gun was illegal and to put it away and never take it out again until she’s got back to Tennessee. The police might have a way for honest people, such as Mrs. Graves, to check their legally obtained firearms while they visit the city and get them when they leave. It’s obvious such people mean no harm. Tax payers could then be spared the burden of having such a case go through their court system.
I hope at future press conferences Mayor Michal Bloomberg will have all the facts straight before he attacks someone’s reputation. Unfortunately if he knew what he was talking about before he talked about it, his membership with the NBHAA could be in jeopardy.
