"But, this is for certain, it's not the responsibility of professional athletes to try and clean up the proverbial pile of poop left behind by government. It's their job to make money by playing professional sports."

Washington Wizards basketball player Gilbert Arenas was suspended for having three firearms in his locker. His explanation was he wanted them out of the house. He is a father with young children. Buying a safe would probably have been a better idea. Let's face it, storing firearms in your locker at work is probably not the brightest move, but it's not the end of the world either. But, the story doesn't end there. This isn't about whether he was right or wrong for having guns in his locker. It's about equal application of the law.

A personal story can help position this commentary. Some years back while working in my office, I heard the screams of a woman. I walked out of my office, opened the door to the manufacturing floor and found a young male holding a woman by the neck against a wall with her feet dangling off the floor. It looked like something out of a movie scene. As I approached yelling something, he let go of the young lady. A manager attended to the woman. I immediately took him into my office and fired him on the spot and asked him to leave the premises. H.R. will be in touch with his final check, I said. I escorted him to the front door and as he walked away he turned to me and said, "I'm going to kill you mother f......r".

Only a couple of months earlier a former employee of a nearby company walked into a manufacturing plant and killed several employees. He was angry about being fired for cause. Combined with the fact that my former employee was reputed to have local gang ties within the city left me concerned to say the least.

I immediately contacted a security company for armed guard protection of the facility starting the following morning upon recommendation of law enforcement. (Yes, this was before terror threats became illegal.) No armed guards were available that quickly, but they would provide an unarmed guard for at least one day until one was available the following day. Nothing but an early warning signal, or fodder as I perceived it.

The next morning as I left home for work, still concerned about the events of the previous day, I loaded and packed my S&W revolver into my briefcase. Company rules be damned. California state laws regarding transportation of loaded firearms will have to go on hold for a day as well. Losing my job is one thing, losing my life is a whole other matter. I kept that briefcase close for the rest of day. No one knew, nor did I have any illusions about telling someone what I had done, including my boss, the company president. I didn't care that I had broke company rules or was committing at least a misdemeanor, possibly a felony by transporting a loaded firearm in a briefcase in my car. As far as I was concerned, protecting my life was frankly none of their business, nor did I require the approval of the company or the government. My life and personal safety transcended company policy as far as I was concerned. If that sounds arrogant, yes it was and I would do exactly the same thing again without reservation if circumstances dictated it.

Now, if something happened that day and I was in the position of having to shoot the former employee in order to defend my life or that of another employee, I can assure you being fired would have only been a minor annoyance compared to the satisfaction that evening in knowing I will continue to live.

So yes, I can sympathize with professional athletes wanting to protect themselves, even if they are violating local laws. After all, they travel from city to city moving from one locale to another. They are recognized by fans, and nuts alike. They carry money, because after all, they're rich. They, as any celebrity or politician are potential targets. Why shouldn't athletes be afforded the same self-protection rights as any other person? But, the problem is Washington D.C., where if you don't have a permit, you can't bring your gun into the city. Self-protection ends at the district city limit. Self-protection is a local matter, for local authorities to decide.

Tank Johnson, a former Chicago Bears player and Arizona resident was nailed for illegal firearms possession in Illinois a few years back. Johnson felt the need for self-protection in a state where no concealed-carry permit system exists. He was arrested and subsequently convicted of illegal possession of a handgun, which was found in his vehicle by police.

Johnson owned other firearms purchased legally prior to his move to Illinois, which eventually resulted in him being charged again after a police search of his home because two of the firearms were classified as illegal in Illinois.

Tank Johnson today plays for the Cincinnati Bengals, where maybe gun rights are a little less restrictive than Illinois. However, his past brushes with the law for mere ownership of firearms probably prevents him from owning firearms today. And we call ourselves a free people?

What struck a nerve in all of this between Arenas and Johnson was a comment by a Washington reporter suggesting that Gilbert Arenas should have enough sense to obey Washington DC gun laws. In essence, what is legal outside of D.C. is one thing, but within D.C. it is our duty as citizens to be cognizant of such things. The writer goes on to say in effect, we obey Washington D.C. traffic laws, why would we not obey their gun laws?

Don't you just love the way the media compares apples to oranges? Let's understand something. The car registered in Virginia, or any state for that matter, which we drive into D.C., remains legal. The license obtained in any state is valid for driving in D.C. You can't get arrested in D.C. because you drive a Ford or have a valid Florida drivers license. The only product in this country that is legal in one jurisdiction and illegal in another is a firearm. A handgun you own in Springfield, Illinois is illegal when you move to Chicago. The rifle you own in Phoenix, Arizona is illegal when you transfer to Los Angeles for a new job. Only firearms are subject to specific local laws, not only state-to-state, but from city-to-city within some states. What's even more bizarre is certain makes and models are legal in some locales and illegal in others.

People traveling through one state to another, moving to another city, whether for business or pleasure, should have the same fundamental rights. Our legal status with the law should not vary across city or state lines simply because of movement. We have built a nation of fiefdoms when it comes to Second Amendment rights. Either we have the right to own firearms unfettered by government interference and restrictions, or we don't. But traveling through this country should not subject people to becoming criminals simply because of property ownership. We aren't moving to or traveling through a foreign country. This kind of stupidity smacks of third world countries run by dictators who use laws as a matter of convenience to maintain power.

Tank Johnson and Gilbert Arenas are college educated grown men in their late twenties. They are not street thugs anymore than NRA board member and former pro basketball player Karl Malone. Neither Johnson or Gilbert have a history of gang affiliations or criminal backgrounds, other than the problems caused by owning firearms. Tank Johnson grew up in Arizona. Gilbert Arenas grew up in San Fernando in California and attended a communications/technology magnate high school.

These two men are not what the media is suggesting they are. They suggest that being African-American and owning guns is not a good role model for other African-American teens. After all, owning guns and being African-American spells trouble, does it not? If the media just can't come out and call themselves the racists that they are, then I will. The seediness of the comments are something to behold. Look at the Brady Campaign's statement:

"Too many cities with National Basketball Association franchises -- cities like Philadelphia, Detroit, Miami, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Orlando, Chicago and Washington D.C. - also have profound gun violence problems. In a city where children die in drive-by shootings, an NBA player who is reckless with firearms is far from a role model. America's athletic community can and should use its clout and prestige to push for desperately needed positive reforms to address our nation's horrific gun violence problem."

Why don't they just come out and say what they're trying to say? 'Look, you're black, you play in cities that have large black populations, and your job as a black athlete is to not own a gun, because after all, blacks own guns and kill each other in those cities. You need to set an example.'

What kind of racist nonsense is the Brady Campaign spewing forth? Gilbert Arenas and Tank Johnson have no obligation to fix the violence problems of any inner city. The problem of our inner cities was created by a bunch of knucklehead politicians pandering to the African-American community with never-ending handouts and a goal of keeping them suckling from the teat of government forever. It's called being permanently poor, dependent on government, and keeping them that way.

But, this is for certain, it's not the responsibility of professional athletes to try and clean up the proverbial pile of poop left behind by government. It's their job to make money by playing professional sports, providing entertainment to sports fans and just going about the art of living their lives. And if that means making sure they are protected from nut cases or criminals, they have that right. They have no obligation to anyone to be a defenseless victim of crime, clean up poverty, or solve world hunger. They play basketball. Get it?

The Second Amendment needs to be protected from the abuses by states and local government. We need uniformity across the country. We need the Supreme Court to incorporate the Second Amendment this year, and we need strict scrutiny, meaning it takes a damn good reason beyond political whimsy in a community to restrict Second Amendment rights. Maybe then people like Tank Johnson and Gilbert Arenas can go about living their lives without fearing laws that change based on what city you wake up in. No victim, no crime committed, just living their lives as free men. That's all we want in this country is freedom from laws that benefit no one except politicians and criminals.

And, just because you're black, you shouldn't have to listen to the nonsense of the press and anti-gun groups about the example you should be setting for other blacks in poor communities. How about being black, owning a gun and being a good citizen? Isn't that a good enough example?

Tank Johnson has a criminal record only because he owned guns and chose to carry a gun in his vehicle for protection. Gilbert Arenas may very well end up with a criminal record for owning guns as well. If that is their only crime, then there is something seriously wrong with how our country protects constitutional rights. Property ownership or self-defense are not crimes. It needs to be fixed and it needs to happen this year.


Ralph Weller has been a pro-gun activist studying Second Amendment rights for more years than he wishes to admit. He is active in the gun rights community in California, a member of the NRA, California Rifle & Pistol Association, and San Diego Rifle and Revolver Association.