Staff Reports
John Rishloo Booth, a British IT consultant vacationing in Florida, found himself in handcuffs back home after posting a perfectly legal photo of himself holding a shotgun at a range. The image, snapped during his U.S. trip where no laws were broken, ignited a firestorm when British police raided his home, arrested him, and slapped him with charges under the UK’s draconian firearms laws simply for possessing the picture. This blatant overreach exposes how anti-gun zealots abroad treat even harmless snapshots as criminal threats, a warning sign for Americans watching progressive policies creep toward similar tyranny.
Florida authorities confirmed the photo complied fully with state laws allowing responsible firearm handling and photography, yet UK officials pounced the moment Booth returned, treating him like a terrorist for celebrating American freedoms. Booth’s ordeal included hours in custody and ongoing legal battles, all triggered by social media busybodies who reported the post as “threatening.” It’s a textbook case of how leftist intolerance weaponizes the internet against gun owners, punishing lawful enjoyment of the Second Amendment while ignoring real criminals flooding their streets.
This isn’t just a UK problem—it’s a preview of what happens when soft-on-crime elites prioritize feelings over facts. In America, under President Trump’s strong leadership defending gun rights, we’ve seen states like Florida push back against federal overreach, but Democrats in blue cities keep pushing red-flag laws that could turn your range day pic into a SWAT call. Booth’s arrest reminds us that once governments start policing thoughts and images, the right to bear arms becomes the right to beg permission, eroding the self-defense foundation our Founders enshrined.
Responsible gun ownership thrives when celebrated, not censored, yet Booth’s harassers embody the globalist mindset that views armed citizens as the enemy. His story demands that patriots double down on supporting the NRA and state legislatures fortifying concealed carry and stand-your-ground laws against Biden-era ATF encroachments now rightly rolled back. Failing to act invites the same police state tactics here, where a hunting photo could land you in cuffs instead of protecting your family.
America stands as the last bastion against this madness, with Trump’s reelection signaling renewed vigor for constitutional carry nationwide. Booth deserved a high-five for embracing liberty, not a cell for it—let his plight fuel the fight to keep firearms free from woke censorship. Vigilance now ensures future generations inherit the armed freedom that keeps tyrants at bay.
