Monday, April 1, 2013

Was Kyle Myers Himself a Target? The Second Amendment (1791) In Jeopardy?

Kyle Myers is best known as the Youtube phenom who shows Internet users how to shoot advanced weapons at targets.  In an ironic twist, it seems Kyle Myers himself may have become a target of the Obama administration.  Without taking shots at either side, consider what appears to be known.  Kyle Myers' residence was raided by 40 agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on Tuesday. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation also participated in the search. Myers is the principal behind a popular weapons and explosives YouTube series called FPSRussia. What is not; however, known is whether Meyers captured any of the event on video.
Myers's FPSRussia series features him demonstrating machine guns, tanks and drones. It may be watched by over a half of a million people. The raid was not a stunt.  So what was the reason for the raid? ATF spokesman Richard Coes told the Banner-Herald: "The claim is that [Myers] was using explosives and getting paid for it via YouTube."  Tannerite is allegedly used in his videos. While tannerite is legal in the U.S., but it's apparently illegal to manufacture it without a federal license. So, did Meyers get paid? YouTube's partner program gives amateur video producers an opportunity to earn money if their videos are watched by enough people. If Myers's YouTube channel was truly watched by more than a half a billion views, he may have indeed been compensated.  However, herein lies the real issue.  With spam and computer programs, how will the prosecutor prove the viewership.  Unless it is clear why he recieved compensation from Youtube, it may be harder to prove than the State thinks. (I wonder if the link to the above Video will increase Myers revenue?)

Furthermore, Franklin County Sheriff Stevie Thomas allegedly told WHLR that Tuesday's raids were in connection with a murder investigation involving the death of Myers's former business partner, Keith Ratliff. Ratliff was found dead from a single gunshot to the head in January. The body was found at FPS Industries.  Nevertheless, Myers has never been named as a suspect or person of interest. Myers was believed to be compliant with current gun laws. Furthermore it is unclear what if anything was seized.

So is this a case of the Government targeting a vocal progun supporter? Was there true probable cause for the raid or was this a warning shot fired over the bow to warn advocates of second amendment rights to back off? *   Perhaps only time will tell.



*The Second Amendment (1791) protects the right to keep and bear arms, a right that dates back to England before the Magna Carta. The English Bill of Rights protected the right of Protestants to own and carry weapons, but denied that right to Catholics. During the colonial era, the Virginia Declaration of Rights asserted that a well-regulated militia is the natural defense of a free state. The Supreme Court has ruled that owning firearms is not an absolute right: it has upheld both federal attempts to regulate certain weapons and states’ power to enact gun control measures. In 2008, the Court ruled in District of Columbia v. Heller that the Second Amendment protected the individual right to keep suitable firearms at home for self-defense.

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14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry. I will do it right if I wish to direct traffic to my site.

I do love this site and think it is a great read.

Anonymous said...

Ouch... one way or another this will leave a mark.

Will it be on the Gun nuts or the anti-gun nuts?

Anonymous said...

Don't know all the facts yet, but it seemed like a bit of overkill in storming this facility.

Video Guy said...

(So, did Meyers get paid? YouTube's partner program gives amateur video producers an opportunity to earn money if their videos are watched by enough people. If Myers's YouTube channel was truly watched by more than a half a billion views, he may have indeed been compensated. However, herein lies the real issue. With spam and computer programs, how will the prosecutor prove the viewership. Unless it is clear why he recieved compensation from Youtube, it may be harder to prove than the State thinks.)

One is offered this option by youtube after it is apparent of the popularity of a particular video.
There is a reveling questionnaire that can be traced.
I myself was offered this partner program from my youtube videos…I refused since my intentions were never to profit from the tragedy of Shanda Sharer…but to inform.
I did allow the musicians whose music I used to place ads through youtube and hopefully gain some compensation for their support and creative talents.

Do ya really thing our government may have silenced this guy?

Anonymous said...

I think every viewer of his show is in jeopardy. The administration is trying to dearm the citizens. why?

2nd Amendment Suporter said...

For years, gun-grabbing liberals have tried to create a debate to "interpret" the Second Amendment in such a fashion as to stop men and women from owning and carrying firearms.

Every criminal act involving a gun is used as an excuse to further restrict access to purchase and carry firearms. The Second Amendment could not be more clear:

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

Video Guy said...

(Every criminal act involving a gun is used as an excuse to further restrict access to purchase and carry firearms. The Second Amendment could not be more clear:)

I agree, but...
Gun manufactures must take responsibility for the way illegal guns enter our streets. Years ago there was a 60 Minutes episode that trailed a gun manufacturer sales person who was selling guns illegality on the side. He just got fired when exposed but never prosecuted.

Also…poverty breeds’ crime and our elected officials are responsible for creating such an environment. If a young mans options are to work at McDonalds for minimum wage, or sell drugs to survive, it becomes a survival instinct. This is why Roosevelt created the survivable minimum wage. It seemed to help end the Bonnie & Clyde types of that age.

Mental illness must also be addressed and such people should never have access to guns. Ronald Reagan de-funded many state mental illness facilities. If one has a mentally ill child and cannot afford the care and medicine…they are out on the streets amongst us with access to guns from gun salesmen like the 60 minutes guy.

Community is the reason our species survived…ancient tribes cared for their sick, respected the elders and joined forces to provide. The greedy and psychopathic were banished…now their called lawyers.
…LOL, just kidding, as I know many lawyers fight for the injustice against others. Not all are corporate shills and lobbyists.

Anonymous said...

In Maryland, a second-grader was suspended from school for shaping his breakfast Danish into the shape of a handgun and saying “Bang, bang.” A couple of six-year-olds were suspended after playing cops and robbers at recess because they pointed their fingers and said “Bang, bang.”

Are Maryland school administrators nuts?

Anonymous said...

After Wisconsin's new concealed carry law passed, "no guns allowed" signs started going up all over the state!

Anonymous said...

A crazy idiot fires thirty rounds near a Safeway in Arizona, shooting Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Seventeen other people are also shot. Fortunately the gunman’s automatic rifle jammed, allowing a Giffords staffer to tackle him. Yet Congress won't pass a simple piece of legislation that would make it illegal to purchase gun magazines that fire off more than ten rounds. The Colorado Joker ordered 6,000 rounds on the Internet without a background check.

When will the insanity stop?

Anonymous said...

Our gun laws only benefit weapons dealers. No wonder that Browning Arms Company was a cosponsor with the NRA of a recent ALEC shooting event.

Browning's top product is the Browning Automatic Rifle. The public simply does not need military machine guns like this Browning product.

L.E. said...

Give Congress a break! The 103d Congress passed the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and the ban on "assault" weapons. President Clinton assured the American people that "[t]he Members of Congress who voted for that bill and I would never do anything to infringe on the right to keep and bear arms to hunt and to engage in other appropriate sporting activities."

So folks, ban machine guns. Hunt with bows, shotguns and single shot rifles. Be happy and let the rest of us keep automatic weapons out of the hands of nuts!

Anonymous said...

Four people killed in Chicago this week. 26 total were shot in Chicago's violent weekend.

This screams for gun reform!

Anonymous said...

no more shootings!