Washington state senator arrested in Hong Kong for carrying a gun through airport

If anyone was wondering about this politician's party, he's a Republican.

(No one was actually wondering. We all knew immediately.)

"he did not realize he had packed his pistol in his briefcase while he and his wife were traveling..."It was an honest mistake.""

He thought he could get away with it or he did make an honest mistake with a deadly weapon in an international incident. Either way, he should be held accountable for his actions in both situations.

Putting aside for a second how the US should be dealing with the very real threat of gun violence in this country, I'm always surprised by the misunderstanding of the gravity that carrying a pistol in public has.

Its not just about keeping the safety on and making sure it doesn't go off in your pants. When you bring a gun with you, you're introducing a firearm to a situation where in many case there isnt one. That puts you and everyone else around you at significant risk of being shot now, where again, those odds used to be zero. Not only that, you're basically steering the bus now on who gets shot if violence should break out, and not everyone is trained to handle an actual confrontation with the appropriate skills.

That's what's so mind boggling. At the end of the day, carrying a weapon just makes you and everyone around you more likely to be shot, and people feel the need to do that as a state senator in Washington? It sounds pointless. I'll also add that the process of getting a concealed permit is mostly saying you won't commit a crime, and getting fingerprinted, that's generally it.

“It was an honest mistake. And I expect the situation to be resolved shortly,” Wilson said in the statement.

Wilson said in the statement that when the plane landed in Hong Kong, he “immediately went to customs officials and called their attention to the issue.”

I hope he doesn't assume his status as an American politician will solve the matter. According to the article he volunteered the information. But according to the linked article at RTHK the weapon was found by a customs agent.

Who travels to a foreign country without knowing what is in their possession? Answer: Stupid people who should not own a gun.

"Responsible gun owner"

Wilson said he “discovered the weapon mid-flight between San Francisco and Hong Kong.”

The Portland TSA crew is about to get a serious reprimand.

Coming from someone who carries daily, I get that sometimes you forget it's there and carry into a post office or doctors office. What I don't get is how you forget when going to the airport. Internationally.

But mah Second Amendment rights!

Most responsible gun owner

Also part of the US state government.

fucking great

Rather than just pile on with "idiot LOL" comments I will offer this:

Segregate your airline travel bag from your "other stuff" bag. You need a dedicated backpack or case that you only use for air travel and never anything else.

If you multipurpose your rangebag or whatever, of course you could have potential issues even if you remove the weapons before travel (dogs could alert on the powder residue, etc.)

Likewise if you are a druggie or something you don't want to accidentally end up in Singapore or Russia with your weedbag you forgot was in your backpack.

Even something as inoccuous as having a backpack you used for camping could backfire on you if you leave your folding knife or lighter in there.

Lol. Americans...

"Ma freedom applies here, right?"

I’m glad they took his gun but they should also take away his briefcase. That vacation is a time for him and his wife to spend together, not for reviewing important briefs. Those can and should wait until he goes back to the office to do whatever 1960’s ass job he has that involves a briefcase and a gun.

Gun violence is very rare in Hong Kong, unlike in the United States where firearms are now the No. 1 killer of children and teens.

O-okay, weird thing to randomly bring up (also not actually true if I remember right)