For those who might be concerned about the article in the Mt. Laurel Telegraph

 

The Aitken's were invited and encouraged to speak at the rally.

 

The New Jersey Second Amendment Society and I stand as FIRMLY behind Brian in his bid for release as we have from the beginning.

I believe that we should keep the focus on appealing to Governor Christie for Brian’s release.

 

The FACTS are:

Brian Aitken is NOT a criminal, and he does not belong in prison.

Please call Governor Christie and ask him to release Brian ASAP.

Thank you.

Frank... It seems that the Aitken family just threw you and the NJ2AS under a bus.

 

The Aitkens apparently have an agenda that centers on Brian alone and will not entertain any activist attachment to that cause. I understand that NJ2AS has only Bryan's well being in mind also, but it seems that Aitkens do no believe that to be true. I am willing to bet they are being pressured, coerced or flat out told by powers that be to not get involved with NJ2AS and other such groups. Most likely being told that it will hurt Bryans chance at clemency.

 

I would run away from this case. Bryan does not deserve to be spending 7yrs in jail, but his family does not see this as a 2A vs NJ fight. They only see it as a good boy made a mistake incident.

As any parent would. They are only concerned with getting him out and that is totally understandable. We still support the release of Brian and will until he gets pardoned. No matter what, he should not be in jail.

 

 

 

 

 

Frank... It seems that the Aitken family just threw you and the NJ2AS under a bus.

 

The Aitkens apparently have an agenda that centers on Brian alone and will not entertain any activist attachment to that cause. I understand that NJ2AS has only Bryan's well being in mind also, but it seems that Aitkens do no believe that to be true. I am willing to bet they are being pressured, coerced or flat out told by powers that be to not get involved with NJ2AS and other such groups. Most likely being told that it will hurt Bryans chance at clemency.

 

I would run away from this case. Bryan does not deserve to be spending 7yrs in jail, but his family does not see this as a 2A vs NJ fight. They only see it as a good boy made a mistake incident.

Frank... It seems that the Aitken family just threw you and the NJ2AS under a bus.

 

The Aitkens apparently have an agenda that centers on Brian alone and will not entertain any activist attachment to that cause. I understand that NJ2AS has only Bryan's well being in mind also, but it seems that Aitkens do no believe that to be true. I am willing to bet they are being pressured, coerced or flat out told by powers that be to not get involved with NJ2AS and other such groups. Most likely being told that it will hurt Bryans chance at clemency.

 

I would run away from this case. Bryan does not deserve to be spending 7yrs in jail, but his family does not see this as a 2A vs NJ fight. They only see it as a good boy made a mistake incident.

 

I appreciate your vote of confidence. I cannot begin to understand the Aitken's motivation, but we will stand by Brian until he is released. Nothing has changed.

Its just dissappointing that they dont understand the corelation between the two....

Its just dissappointing that they dont understand the corelation between the two....

 

Fortunately, their understanding and/or participation are not a prerequisite for us continuing to do the right thing. I happen to have reason to believe that despite his parent's lack of understanding, Brian does appreciate what we are trying to do for him. Frankly, even if he did not, I would still be unwilling to turn our backs on him. The facts remain the same. Brian is in prison for exercising his right to keep and bear arms. NJ gun laws lack respect for the Second Amendment. We will continue to work to CHANGE that fact, *AND* we will be SUCCESSFUL!

 

My statement in defense of the NJ2AS and myself was solely to set the record straight. The Aitkens were ALWAYS invited and encouraged to participate in, and speak at the rally. Any statement to the contrary by ANYONE is simply patently FALSE!

 

 

 

"NOW IS THE TIME!!!"

Frank... keep up the fight. Knowing what a thankless position you are in, I really appreciate what you do for all NJ citizens, not just us loons.

Was this mentioned on their facebook page?

I just read the article online. While the bigger picture is Brian getting free, you need to make sure the facts are straight and be sure you put your response on the FB page Frank.

 

No good deed goes unpunished and we don't want negative press over a mothers rant.

I just read the article online. While the bigger picture is Brian getting free, you need to make sure the facts are straight and be sure you put your response on the FB page Frank.

 

No good deed goes unpunished and we don't want negative press over a mothers rant.

 

I have responded on their FaceBook page as follows. I doubt that they will leave it up:

 

 

I am encouraging all members and friends of the New Jersey Second Amendment Society to respond to the CALL TO ACTION! Call the Governor and let him know that you expect him to release Brian ASAP. In spite of Sue Aitken's misrepresentations to the Mt. Laurel Telegraph, The Aitken family had an open invitation, and were actually encouraged to speak at the rally and set the tone for the event. It was their decision not to participate. While I can sympathize with her confusion at this difficult time, I cannot let these misrepresentations stand. As we have from the beginning, we stand firmly behind Brian's bid for an immediate release. CALL THE GOVERNOR! BRIAN IS NOT A CRIMINAL. HE DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE IN PRISON. ANY QUESTIONS???

I have responded on their FaceBook page as follows. I doubt that they will leave it up:

 

 

I am encouraging all members and friends of the New Jersey Second Amendment Society to respond to the CALL TO ACTION! Call the Governor and let him know that you expect him to release Brian ASAP. In spite of Sue Aitken's misrepresentations to the Mt. Laurel Telegraph, The Aitken family had an open invitation, and were actually encouraged to speak at the rally and set the tone for the event. It was their decision not to participate. While I can sympathize with her confusion at this difficult time, I cannot let these misrepresentations stand. As we have from the beginning, we stand firmly behind Brian's bid for an immediate release. CALL THE GOVERNOR! BRIAN IS NOT A CRIMINAL. HE DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE IN PRISON. ANY QUESTIONS???

 

They probably will censor it. They censor any comments that discuss, mention, or scream anything about the 2A.

And your comment is history!!

And your comment is history!!

 

 

It doesn't surprise me.

No surprise. His father is a dishonest person. I am going to proceed under the assumption that they found Brian in a basket, and there is no blood relationship to those people. :-)

 

 

and I respect your right to do that.. I am going to proceed under the assumption that the repeated slaps in the face are enough to curb my interest in him and his problems.. they had an enormous amount of public outcry from the pro2a public... if they don't want that outcry.. if they want to do it on their own.. more power to them... the way they treat the pro2a movement as the plague says a ton... more than enough imo..

and I respect your right to do that.. I am going to proceed under the assumption that the repeated slaps in the face are enough to curb my interest in him and his problems.. they had an enormous amount of public outcry from the pro2a public... if they don't want that outcry.. if they want to do it on their own.. more power to them... the way they treat the pro2a movement as the plague says a ton... more than enough imo..

 

Dude....you were so right about questioning all the blind support of this guy....I feel like got egg on my face....

Unfortanatly the way our court systems work, it is not unusual to condem the ways if that was what put you their in the first place so i soley understand their reasoning to decline..

 

It sucks but works in our system..

Dude....you were so right about questioning all the blind support of this guy....I feel like got egg on my face....

 

oh well it is what it is.. focus all that energy on getting some laws changed here.. "he" may not want you to fight for "his rights".. but there are thousands of gun owners (myself included) who feel the system in NJ does suck.. and needs reform.. the Brian thing came and went.. and for his own good I hope he doesn't spend the 7 years.. he doesn't deserve that.. but lets just get back on track and focus on the matters at hand..

 

* our ridiculous firearms purchasing system..

* AWB evil feature game

* CCW

* a strong castle doctrine

 

If someone shuns you and pushes you away.. so be it.. let them fight their fight.. we got plenty of pressing things to work on besides Brian..

 

edit: and just to add.. rallying behind him? nothing to regret.. because it was the logical thing to do.. if he is as upstanding as he has been labeled as being.... he would be the ideal poster boy for the 2a movement.. and gun law reform.. my on issue has always been the same.. and that is he did legitimately break the law.. I was never really in support of completely overturning the conviction.. but I did totally support amending the sentence.. 7 years IS ridiculous..

Mrs. Aitken clearly misses that NJ firearms laws are, in fact, "political" by their very nature. And if her son is released/granted clemency/etc. that too will be a "political" move by Governor Christie.

 

That's the problem with people in NJ. They don't like unjust laws and they want to fight like hell if they get caught up by them, but they will not only sit on their hands but actively work against changing them.

 

I'm torn by this. On one hand, I don't believe that Brian deserves to be in jail. On the other hand, he's biting the hand that feeds him by rejecting the support of the group that has single-handedly brought his case the national attention it needs. So part of me wants him released immediately, but the other part of me wants him to stay in jail and we can make an example out of him there, where his case is more valuable to us "politically".

 

In the end, I'm a bigger person than Mrs. Aitken and feel that her son deserves all the help he can get, even from those of us who are "politically" motivated to change the very laws that ensnared her son. I will be placing a call to the Governor's office by the end of the day today.

my on issue has always been the same.. and that is he did legitimately break the law.. I was never really in support of completely overturning the conviction..

 

Vlad,

 

Was he actually convicted on the magazine/hollow point charges? Nobody has been able to afirmatively say he was...

Vlad,

 

Was he actually convicted on the magazine/hollow point charges? Nobody has been able to afirmatively say he was...

yes he was

yes he was

 

 

Any idea what the penalty was? I know there's a fine + jail time, but I didn't know what he his official punishment for those offenses were.

 

Oh, and for the record, my call to the Governor's office will be about granting clemency solely on the illegal possession charge. Whatever penalties imposed by the magazine/hollow point conviction should stand independent of this effort. While I don't agree that those should be crimes, the fact remains that they are and we should be working to correct that and not just excusing those who break those laws.

Any idea what the penalty was? I know there's a fine + jail time, but I didn't know what he his official punishment for those offenses were.

 

Oh, and for the record, my call to the Governor's office will be about granting clemancy solely on the illegal possession charge. Whatever penalties imposed by the magazine/hollow point conviction should stand independent of this effort. While I don't agree that those should be crimes, the fact remains that they are and we should be working to correct that and not just excusing those who break those laws.

I believe it was 7 months/mag. Do not remember full details at his time.

Vlad,

 

Was he actually convicted on the magazine/hollow point charges? Nobody has been able to afirmatively say he was...

 

 

as far as I know yes...

 

the problem again just to be clear since I don't think I was..

 

irregardless of what he did or didn't do.. I am assuming the following... he is not a repeat violent offender... there was no actual assault or even threat made... he was not committing any crime.. and so on... so I think that it's unfair that he gets this hugely stiff sentence... and then I read about an illegal killing someone in a motor vehicle accident.. gets no time.. and is simply deported.. I read about gang members committing crimes and being out of jail in a year... that is really the problem.. nothing more... find him guilty... but give the guy a fair and reasonable sentence.. 7 years? ridiculous..

Any idea what the penalty was? I know there's a fine + jail time, but I didn't know what he his official punishment for those offenses were.

 

Oh, and for the record, my call to the Governor's office will be about granting clemency solely on the illegal possession charge. Whatever penalties imposed by the magazine/hollow point conviction should stand independent of this effort. While I don't agree that those should be crimes, the fact remains that they are and we should be working to correct that and not just excusing those who break those laws.

 

 

THIS...

 

and that lays in the problem with his family and the effort... they want one.. but not the other..

 

"free brian it's not fair.. let him out of jail"

 

but they want to completely ignore that which got him there... without acknowledging that the laws is effed up and needs to be changed.. there is no legitimate reason to cut him loose.. can't have it both ways...

I've never been in a situation where I had to worry about facing jail time, but have seen and heard enough to know that the lawyers run the game for a smart defendant. Everything from what to say, what not to say etc. This is a highly publicized case, and I suspect that every move Brian and his family have made since they pulled out of the rally has to do with the lawyers, and Brian and his family are just doing what they are told. It may be a strategic approach, and they were told "If Brian wants to get out of jail, do this." If it were me sitting in jail for 7 years and a lawyer told me I may get out if I listen to him, I would listen without reservation.

I've never been in a situation where I had to worry about facing jail time, but have seen and heard enough to know that the lawyers run the game for a smart defendant. Everything from what to say, what not to say etc. This is a highly publicized case, and I suspect that every move Brian and his family have made since they pulled out of the rally has to do with the lawyers, and Brian and his family are just doing what they are told. It may be a strategic approach, and they were told "If Brian wants to get out of jail, do this." If it were me sitting in jail for 7 years and a lawyer told me I may get out if I listen to him, I would listen without reservation.

 

There's only one problem with that... His lawyer, Evan Nappen, went on Tom Gresham's radio show a few weeks ago (Frank was a guest on that episode too) and within a few days NJ2AS received their C&D request from Brian. If his lawyer's advice was not to have the rally, then why would he appear on a nationally syndicated radio show promoting the same?

 

If anything, I think it was advice from the state, not from Brian's attorney. Somebody else pointed out that it may have been a scare tactic to get them to distance themselves from a real 2A NJ group to better their chances of clemency. So it would appear that Mrs. Aitken became a political pawn to avoid becoming a political pawn.

Christie will Listen to Paula Dow on this subject..that is part of what her Job entails. Paula Dow is RABIDLY anti-gun. ANY HINT that Clemency, Commutation, or Pardon will Bolster a group like NJ2AS, ANJRPC, SAF, or anyone else and she will put all of her weight AGAINST any action on Aitken's case in his favor.

+1 kpd

Even if things go well for him, this is something we will likely not see;

 

Pro 2A Groups Win Release For Brian Aitkens

A concentrated effort by national gun rights groups and local Second Amendment advocacy organizations prevailed on Gov. Chris Christie to reexamine and overturn the conviction of Brian Aitkens, a man convicted to 7 years imprisonment for minor firearms offenses while legally transporting his legally owned firearms by car from his previous residence in Colorado to his new home in New Jersey. "Justice was not served in the conviction of Mr. Aitkens," said the Governor, "and we appreciate the efforts of these groups in bringing this injustice to our attention. New Jersey does not capriciously imprison law abiding citizens in this way for these relatively minor offenses, and action will be taken immediately to rectify this terrible mistake on the part of an overzealous judge who has since been removed from the bench." And so on, and so forth...

 

But, if things go the other way, it is likely that we'll see this (or something like it)

 

Powerful Gun Lobby Defeated In New Jersey

The national pro gun forces of darkness were struck a telling blow when their impassioned pleas to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for the complete pardon of convicted gun runner Brian Aitkens were not granted. Aitkens, who was convicted of multiple violations of New Jersey's restrictions on the possession of assault weapons and hollow point (cop killer) bullets while driving through the state was sentenced to the mandatory minimum of 7 years for illegally transporting these heinous tool of destruction. "Notwithstanding the illegitimate and unsubstantiated claims of judicial misconduct and unconstitutionality made by the national and local members of the pro-gun lobby", said NJ AG Paula Dow, "we have determined that Mr. Aitkens was fairly treated in regards to the crimes for which he was convicted, and will serve his time as sentenced." This defeat of the powerful pro gun groups comes on the heels of another defeat in California, and demonstrate that in spite of their absurd rhetoric, the citizens of the United States are tired of being lied to by groups who would like to see a return to Wild West days of gunfights in the streets and the wholesale slaughter of our innocent children. And so on, and so forth...

 

Sucks, but it is what it is.

 

Powerful Gun Lobby Defeated In New Jersey

The national pro gun forces of darkness were struck a telling blow when their impassioned pleas to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for the complete pardon of convicted gun runner Brian Aitkens were not granted. Aitkens, who was convicted of multiple violations of New Jersey's restrictions on the possession of assault weapons and hollow point (cop killer) bullets while driving through the state was sentenced to the mandatory minimum of 7 years for illegally transporting these heinous tool of destruction. "Notwithstanding the illegitimate and unsubstantiated claims of judicial misconduct and unconstitutionality made by the national and local members of the pro-gun lobby", said NJ AG Paula Dow, "we have determined that Mr. Aitkens was fairly treated in regards to the crimes for which he was convicted, and will serve his time as sentenced." This defeat of the powerful pro gun groups comes on the heels of another defeat in California, and demonstrate that in spite of their absurd rhetoric, the citizens of the United States are tired of being lied to by groups who would like to see a return to Wild West days of gunfights in the streets and the wholesale slaughter of our innocent children. And so on, and so forth...

 

 

Are you sure you don't write for the otherside? I almost thought Cryan Bryan (Miller) wrote that.........