UK Man Arrested For Posing With Gun In Photo Taken While In The US

Last year during sweeping British protests triggered by the stabbing murders of three young girls at a dance recital by the radicalized 17-year-old child of Rwandan migrants, London Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley threatened to have American citizens “arrested and extradited” to the UK for “stoking racial violence” (i.e. pointing out that third world migrants and often the children of third world migrants are a societal net negative and should be deported). 

The event sparked a series of thousands of arrests of UK citizens for crimes as meager as posting memes online and hoisting British flags in the presence of immigrants.  In the past year at least 12,000 such arrests have been made in the name of “quelling hate speech”, an ill defined violation based on arbitrary guidelines and left up the whims of leftist bureaucrats. 

No US citizens have been extradited, likely because the action would start 1776 Part II and a handful of armed Americans delivered on a Carnival Cruise Liner would end up conquering the UK in a week or less.

However, it would seem that the British authorities have decided to take out their frustrations on their own citizens who dare to visit the US to enjoy some of the freedoms they don’t have at home.  

A British IT consultant was arrested by West Yorkshire Police after posting pictures on LinkedIn of himself holding guns during an American vacation.  Jon Richelieu-Booth, 50, shared the photograph taken at a Florida homestead on August 13.  The post sparked a 13-week ordeal, which began with a police warning at his residence.  Officers cautioned him about online content and its “potential impact on others’ feelings”.

Despite Mr Richelieu-Booth’s offer to demonstrate the photograph’s American origin, authorities chose to arrest him on August 24.  All charges were ultimately thrown out, but police continued to harass Booth until October, when they arrested him yet again for “bail violations”.  

Whilst the original firearms and stalking charges were dismissed, prosecutors pursued a public order offense regarding a separate social media post.  Mr Richelieu-Booth was scheduled to face Bradford magistrates on November 25th for allegedly displaying material intended to cause distress, but this charge was also eventually withdrawn.  He originally faced a potential prison sentence of six months if convicted.

Elon Musk, who has been highly critical of the UK’s censorship policies, reposted a summary of the story to his 229 million followers on X, writing:

“And this is why we have the first and second amendments in America…The first amendment in the US protects freedom of speech, while the second amendment relates to the right to bear arms…”

Though the incident has ended with Booth avoiding jail time, there is a cottage industry of Europeans traveling to the US to experience life away from progressive authoritarianism.  This includes shooting firearms for recreation.  Often these adventures are documented on YouTube and other platforms, and might be considered an embarrassment for some officials overseas.  

Booth’s arrest could be an attempt to chill the waters on British travelers who make life in America look “too good”. 

Some firearms are technically “legal” in the UK, but the application process is arduous and subject to arbitrary police examination, which is why only 0.25% of the population has successfully acquired a firearms certificate.  The behavior of UK police is reminiscent of a communist regime; no crime has been committed, but the government wants to dissuade from certain behaviors anyway. 

A conviction isn’t necessarily the goal.  Instead, the process is the punishment.  The ongoing struggle session for one man sends a warning to the rest of the populace.  The goal is to frighten the public into walking on eggshells.  It’s much easier to control a population that censors itself.  The message is clear:  No matter where you travel in the world, the government at home owns you.  

*  *  * CYBER MONDAY IS HERE – LAST DAY!