Thursday, January 20, 2005

Update on Bodyguard Story

This from Gavin de Becker, the head of the security firm who apparently employed the bodyguard involved in the NYC event, as posted on the moorewatch.com site:
I know that Fox News editors must rely upon others when preparing their stories, and I offer with no judgment that their story titled “Michael Moore’s Bodyguard Arrested on Airport Gun Charge” contains several errors, including its entire headline.

Please correct the errors in your story below as soon as possible, because, as you are aware, the errors reach an ever-widening audience with each passing minute - and will predictably be picked up by other news agencies.

Our full-time employee, Patrick Burk, is not “Michael Moore’s bodyguard.” Accordingly, the headline in the Fox News Web site story is false and misleading.
De Becker goes on to say:
When checking in for the flight, Patrick Burk voluntarily advised United Airlines that he was transporting an unloaded, locked firearm in his checked luggage, precisely as regulations require, and not “carrying” a weapon, as your story inaccurately reports. Advising the counter ticket agent is a routine procedure for police officers and security professionals. In this case, a Port Authority officer decided to arrest Patrick Burk on the charge that he is not licensed to carry a firearm in New York City.

The Fox web site headline contains an error not present in the story. The headline indicates that Patrick Burk was arrested on an “airport gun charge.” He was not. The charge involves having a firearm without a New York City License to carry it. On that note, Patrick Burk was not carrying a weapon on his person (only locked in his baggage), and the police do not allege that he was carrying a weapon on his person, as your story implies.
Here's the Cliff Notes version...the bodyguard was not working for Moore at the time. He is a former Marine special forces officer working for a highly regarded executive protective agency, and he certainly deserves an apology from me for implying he was a meatball. Mr. Burk, my apologies. Bodyguards, like defense attorneys, don't only get to work for the good guys.

Everything I said about the NYC (and Boston) airports STANDS! Do not attempt to carry firearms through those airport, even if your are in full compliance with the law!

BUUUUTTTTT, let's not beg the question...does the Great White Whale hire armed muscle? Yes. Is he a hypocrite of the first degree? Yes. Am I honored that "Anonymous" from michaelmoore.com urged me to grow up? HELL YES!

Hey Michael, maybe I can ambush interview you sometime! Be fun, wouldn't it?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now don't you all feel stupid? Find something else to hate.

FYI the Marine Corps does not have "Special Forces". They have Division and Force Recon of which I was a member for 12 years.

Anonymous said...

Interesting that an obviously intelligent person like yourself can be so childish and hateful at the same time. There must be something about you that needs that.

Anonymous said...

By the way you don't look so slim yourself. You wouldn't be a hypocrite would you?

Anonymous said...

On a postive note my copy of Frank W. James book Effective Handgun Defense just came in from Amazon. Excellent.