The Washington Post has, over the course of this week, run what they're calling an "investigation"--a multi-part hit piece on gun dealers, blaming them for "gun crime." The series starts with Sunday's five-page article about Realco guns, in Forestville, Maryland, which has, according to the article, sold more than 2,500 "crime guns" over the last eighteen years.
What the article does not do, however, is present any evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the owners/operators of Realco--just the opposite:
State and federal regulators have documented only minor problems in numerous inspections.
We are then treated to this Orwellian quote, from a Prince George police PR flak:
"The owners of Realco Guns are cooperative with our detectives and have been compliant with all reporting requirements," said Maj. Andy Ellis, commander of the public affairs division for Prince George's police. "It shows a weakness in our system when a company like Realco can adhere to the law yet still be the source of so many crime guns."
In other words, the fact that nothing they're doing is illegal means we need more laws, to make it illegal.
Keep in mind that those 2,500 "crime guns" would seem to include every gun sold by that store, that ever enters police custody, for any reason, as National Gun Rights Examiner David Codrea discussed. Remember also that every gun given up in a gun "buyback" enters "police custody," thus nicely padding the "crime gun" numbers.
Realco is just one of the gun dealers picked on in the series--D&R Arms got its own bit of Two Minutes' Hate, and other dealers received smaller portions of blame in yet another article in the series.
The WaPo also takes the "gun lobby" to task, for supposedly using its political muscle to hamstring efforts by the BATFE to combat the threat. I'll leave the response to that in Mike Vanderboegh's competent hands.
Now, of course, the Brady Campaign must get in on the act, with Dennis "What People?" Henigan tediously complaining about the Tiahrt Amendment, which limits release of gun trace data. Henigan doesn't bother to try to explain why Michael Sullivan, as acting director of the BATFE, supported the Tiahrt Amendment, as does the Fraternal Order of Police.
The Brady Campaign's litigation arm, the Brady Center, has gotten into the act with a lawsuit against a Wisconsin gun dealer, Badger Outdoors. The plaintiffs are two police officers wounded with a gun bought at that store. As with the Virginia and Maryland gun dealers discussed above, the store's culpability here seems more than a little dubious. From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Fernandez previously had been convicted of marijuana and cocaine possession as well as carrying a concealed weapon, all misdemeanors that don't prohibit a gun sale under federal law.
But it is against the law to sell to a drug user, and Dunphy, the attorney, said Badger Guns employees should have seen that as a red flag.
"They are not entitled to play ostrich and stick their head in sand just because someone doesn't admit to being a drug user and sell to them," he said.
So, in other words, gun dealers are just supposed to know a prospective customer's criminal history--even when the mandated NICS check turns up nothing that would mandate blocking a sale.
I think I've figured out what new law Major Andy Ellis, who lamented the fact that Realco doesn't seem to have broken any laws, should demand: to obtain a gun dealer's federal firearms license (FFL), an applicant should have to prove that he is clairvoyant.
Also see:
Comments
"In other words, the fact that nothing they're doing is illegal means we need more laws, to make it illegal."
Now Kurt, that is a subtlety that you (or I) could not *possibly* be capable of inferring, being the knuckle-dragging prehistorics that we are. Haven't you heard how dumb gunnies are?
Actually, I read the insinuation as being more a simple exploiting of SPLC-style paranoia. (We're agreed that either way the long-term strategy includes simply defining anything you don't like as illegal.)
See, it is the very fact that officialdom cannot find anything legitimate to hang them on, that PROVES that they must be up to something even more sinister, and even worse, that they must be engaged in a *cover-up*. So, we've just got to give the state more tools and power to discover what self-evident nefariousness it might be. And of course those "new tools" always include more manufactured, prior-restraint, victim-not-required offenses, which--ready for this?--cause a sudden and visible spike in "crime" that proves all along that the disarmers were right to go after the obvious ne'er-do-wells in the first place. Rinse, repeat.
Oh, and don't forget to continually deride anyone who sees the scam for what it is, as *paranoid*.
See how that works? It's the Perpetual Motion Propaganda Plan.
Typical Brady Anti-Gun BS.
Ray
http://www.semiautorifles.com/
If only one person in the whole of the United States imported, manufactured, assembled and sold GUNS, explosive powder and projectiles, all GUNS, explosive powder and projectiles would be directly traceable to that person. Therefore that person would be responsible for all GUN CRIMES occurring in the United States.
The combining of certain substances which burn rapidly upon ignition and subsequent fashioning of the first device to expel projectiles by force of explosion has been attributed to the Chinese. Since invention of ‘GUN‘-powder, the first GUN, and use of a GUN to expel projectiles is directly traceable to the Chinese, the Chinese are responsible for all GUN CRIMES..
The Laws of Nature and Nature’s God provided the substances and the materials from which GUNS, projectiles and Humans are made.
Humans are said to be Created in the image of, and by GOD.
All GUN-powder, GUNS, projectiles, and Humans are directly traceable to the Laws of Nature, Nature’s God and GOD. Therefore Nature, Nature’s God and GOD is responsible for all GUN CRIMES.
Any Questions?
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!