Guess who's suddenly into guns, despite his documentary slamming the supposed gun culture of America? And unlicensed guns at that? Why, it's no one but our own cuddly teddy-bear friend, Michael Moore, and his bodyguard (via Drudge):

Filmmaker Michael Moore's bodyguard was arrested for carrying an unlicensed weapon in New York's JFK airport Wednesday night.

Police took Patrick Burke, who says Moore employs him, into custody after he declared he was carrying a firearm at a ticket counter. Burke is licensed to carry a firearm in Florida and California, but not in New York. Burke was taken to Queens central booking and could potentially be charged with a felony for the incident.

Moore's 2003 Oscar-winning film "Bowling for Columbine" criticizes what Moore calls America's "culture of fear" and its obsession with guns.

So while Moore wants to deny the right of ordinary Americans to defend themselves with firearms, he has his entourage packing heat? Not only does Moore expose himself as a hypocrite, but he's not a particularly smart one, either. Most gun owners know not to carry their weapons into an airport, licensed or not. It's part of the responsibility of gun ownership that NRA members, for instance, take seriously.

I'm sure that we will hear endless rationalizations about how Moore receives security threats all the time and needs protection. Does that mean the Second Amendment only applies to Hollywood stars? Does Moore deserve more protection than a lower-income family living in a gang-infested neighborhood? I have no problem with Moore having firearms for his protection. I just wish that Moore and others of his ilk would quit carping about others who want the same right without being accused of being bloodthirsty, Dirty Harry wannabes.

UPDATE: Gavin de Becker complained to Moorewatch, who also posted about this, that the story is somewhat false:

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.

If you believe Patrick Burk was ever assigned to protect Michael Moore, or any number of other public figures, you might accurately report that “A bodyguard who was once assigned to protect Michael Moore...”

You could as accurately say “A bodyguard that was once assigned to protect President Clinton,” because Patrick Burk has also been assigned to protect President Clinton in the past - but you wouldn’t be accurate if you said “President Clinton’s Bodyguard.”

Patrick Burk is not Michael Moore’s bodyguard, nor was he protecting Michael Moore or in any way involved with Michael Moore on Wednesday night, when he (Burk) was checking in at JFK for a flight to Los Angeles.

De Becker also notes that Burk wasn't carrying the weapon on his person but in his checked luggage, locked and unloaded. He also goes on to elaborate on several other alleged inaccuracies in the original Fox report, which he said has since been pulled. (Not at this time!)

Moorewatch updated its post, and I have as well, but de Becker's splitting hairs on this point. From de Becker's twisted syntax, it's apparent Moore hired Burk as a bodyguard for some period of time through de Becker's firm, although I'm sure de Becker can't reveal that for security and privacy reasons. The point of my post (and Moorewatch) is that hiring a private armed guard reveals Moore's hypocrisy on gun control (hat tip Xrlq):

MOORE: Yes, I'm talking about stopping the selling of ammunition for weapons that are specifically designed to kill human beings.

DONAHUE: And you see that as pistols, handguns.

MOORE: Handguns or weapons where you can fire multiple rounds at a time. You don't need to essentially spray the woods to get your deer. If you do, you should be, you know, doing needle point or some other sport.

DONAHUE: OK, so let's understand. You'd like a ban on the sale of handguns.

MOORE: Yes. I believe that we don't need handguns.

DONAHUE: And a ban on the sale of brrr! That kind of gun.

MOORE: Anything that fires multiple rounds like that, absolutely.

Sorry, but that doesn't square up with hiring private security guards with handguns for his protection. If he's comfortable with that, then he wants to ensure that only the rich and powerful can defend themselves from attack -- a far cry from his rhetoric.

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» Guns for me, but not for thee from Posse Incitatus
Captain Ed links to the hilarious news that Michael Moore's bodyguard has been arrested for carrying an unlicensed firearm. Some might call Moore a hypocrite, but from our own extensive knowledge of the liberal mind, the Posse can say this [Read More]

Tracked on January 20, 2005 11:27 AM

» Hear Ye! Hear Ye! from King of Fools
Village News - 12/16/04 Captain Ed notes that Michael Moore's bodyguard was arrested for carrying an unlicensed weapon in New York's JFK. LaShawn points out some racial preferences which are usually overlooked. Dory has issues with a clas... [Read More]

Tracked on January 20, 2005 3:59 PM