Originally Posted by
CDTraveler
I really hope that's sarcasm.
No, I don't think anyone is entitled to make mistakes with deadly weapons. If you chose to own a gun, you should be held responsible for it, and that includes knowing where it it at all times and not taking into onto a plane and then to a country where it is prohibited.
Would you expect a country with strict drug laws to give her a pass if she brought along some marijuana? After all, that's legal in California now.
Yes, I am being sarcastic, but I don't think our government should punish her while letting a FAM who left her weapon unattended in an airplane bathroom off with a wrist slap.
If we have a zero tolerance policy for ordinary citizens who 'forget' they have a weapon with them, then we should be at least as unforgiving towards armed government employees who 'forget' where their weapon is while on duty.
I have no idea what Taiwan will do. As I posted earlier, if I land in the US with something contraband (a banana, for example) and I immediately declare it, it will get confiscated but I won't be otherwise penalized. It isn't clear to me where Taiwan or the US draw the line and decide that somethings land you in jail, even if you declare them.
A similar example: sudafed is illegal in Japan. I didn't know that when I went there. If I landed with my ever-present sudafed tabs, realized they were illegal and immediately declared them, I don't know if Japan would arrest me or just treat me the same way they would have if I'd declared that I had some uneaten sashimi and fresh vegetables in my bag.