Mexican Criminals, American Guns

Mexican Criminals, American Guns

www.nationalreview.com

The next time gun-control advocates point to violence in Mexico and call for more restrictions on gun sales or a revived assault-weapons ban, they should consider that the problem may not be with the laws on the books, but with those who enforce them.

A number of outlets — among them CBS News, the L.A. Times, and the Center for Public Integrity — have alleged scandalous behavior at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

(visit the link for the full news article)

Yup this is my kind of reporter... telling it like it is and not the blown-up PC version mainstream media wants us to believe...

Let me share with you one more quote from this story.

The media — for example, Reuters — have widely reported that “nine out of ten guns” found at Mexican crime scenes came from U.S. gun dealers, but this claim has been debunked: The statistic takes into account only guns traced by the FBI. Such tracing is possible only if the Mexican authorities submit a weapon to the FBI, and they submit only weapons designed for the U.S. civilian market (the only kind of gun the FBI is equipped to trace). Once all guns retrieved in Mexico are included, only 17 percent come from U.S. gun dealers.

The numbers the press has been reporting have clearly been wrong right from the start...WHY???
So where are these so called facts and figures coming from????
You guessed it... Both Governments Mexico and US... Why???
Isn't it obvious... to build a case for new sweeping gun control measures...

www.nationalreview.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

That takes us to a third quote

There are plenty of places for the cartels to buy guns other than the U.S. retail market. A goodly portion of weapons trotted out for the press cannot be legally purchased in the U.S. without the ATF’s say-so and approval from the local chief law-enforcement officer (short-barreled rifles, for example). Rocket-propelled grenades and newly manufactured machine guns are not available at gun shows. Further gun control imposed on typical American buyers would have no effect on the ability of the cartels to purchase these military-grade weapons

Just what I've been saying all this time... let's face it you cant walk into a wal-mart and buy a hand grenade... unless they carry that particular item in a department I never visit like the ladies naughty undergarment section.. would give new meaning to "Booby-Trapped"

I belong to another forum, that happens to be pro 2A, and more importantly, California's gun rights. They have been on this issue repeatedly, and I am rather impressed that someone else has reported it. I just hope these ACTUAL facts get represented, instead of swept under the rug, as they have been for so long. Kudos to you sir.

reply to post by RicketyCricket


I suggest you forward this story to your...
cough cough... other Forum... to keep them up to date on the latest happ's

reply to post by DaddyBare


So the Mexican and US Governments are pushing this eh?

pffft..

It's all just a shell game.

The vast majority of legal gun owners are responsible mature adults who have never committed any crimes. I read some where that the vast majority of gun related crimes were done with illegal firearms.

Who is buying what they're selling?
Not I!

All of this INSISTENCE and double digit million dollar operations to stop the so called "river of steel" is due to the Obama administration's early assertions (right after his AG took office he and the administration started agitating for a new and PERMANENT assault weapons ban to and I quote "stop the violence in MEXICO" YES you read that right they wanted to take away OUR guns to stop the violence IN MEXICO)

The reason they took this angle of approach to gun control is the STEADILY FALLING violent crime rate involving guns in the United States especially since the 2004 end of the assault weapons ban!

In addition to this the BIGGEST illegal gun scandals in recent years have been Blackwater, Smith and Wesson, SABRE defence, and the loss of almost an ENTIRE order of 20,000 glocks supposed to go to iraqi police that ended up flooding the arms markets of Turkey and Europe.

What do all of these busts have in common? They are all companies and situations that had VERY close ties with the military industrial complex and ongoing Intelligence operations.

This while the ATF from the Clinton years onward has had an "official unofficial" ongoing policy of targeting those with federal firearms licenses that do low volumes of sales or are only maintaining their licenses to hold collections legally. This policy makes them seek out these collectors and small dealers and hitting them with such onerous burdens of paperwork scrutiny and harassment that they are basically bullied into Surrendering their FFL by the massive costs and bureaucratic red tape that they are buried under.

And in a way the ATF is right there is in fact a "river of steel" headed south into mexico but the people they are targeting are not any part of it. And if the ATF were to try and go after the real perpetrators they would be stopped by Homeland the CIA and state department.

Even in the case of Sabre defence the last big manufacturer to go down ... there was a bust that happened awhile ago that the ATF along with Sabre exec's said it was an isolated incident perpetrated by employees in quality control and inventory. Even before this incident though Steyr mannlicher revoked Sabre's license to manufacture Steyr AUG's under contract for the civilian market in the US nearly TWO YEARS before Sabre was forcibly shut down and put up for auction... then days after that several execs were arrested for trafficking and fraud! If you think the ATF didn't know this whole time you probably don't understand the gun industry or the INTENSE level of scrutiny you bring upon yourself to be an arms manufacturer in the US!

Either way though the river of steel is guarded by the shadowy world of deniable assets and "ongoing operations vital to national security" Even if you don't like guns or etc this whole situation should still have you (pardon the pun) up in arms!

The gun industry is a PRIME example of big government TARGETING small businesses and encouraging croneyism and failed state style antics. Especially when you factor in that while the ATF has a policy of trying to get small dealers and collectors to surrender their licenses through harassment and unfair targeting for onerous and unnecessary scrutiny. They also have another policy of assigning PAID GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES to HELP big companies and suppliers through the same processes and paper work. Literally assigning someone that is paid god knows how much a year in federal salary to work as a fixer for private companies and help them navigate the seas of ATF policy and approval processes!

You don't have to believe me about any of this either it's all documented through the various professional associations of manufacturers and dealers and collectors on their websites and in their publications. Heck you can even find QUOTES from ATF spokespeople and etc ADMITTING with PRIDE to most of these discriminatory policies.

Oh and just to clarify.... these policies I mentioned in my post above have the effect of making it near unto IMPOSSIBLE for most small dealers to get away with letting guns go under the table in ANY real numbers. For that you need a class two manufacturer with some serious production numbers to hide, and even then you probably better be paying off some people in the local field office or you're bound to get caught in 18 months or less.