Recently, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent Peter Forcelli lamented weak gun trafficking laws, saying "Some people view this as no more consequential than doing 65 in a 55."
Forcelli was testifying before the House Oversight Committee's hearing on ATF Project Fast and Furious. When he brought up the weak gun trafficking laws, committee chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA)http://politicalcorrection.org/blog...1106150010">tried to stop him from talking rather than discuss the state of current laws.
Editorials yesterday in the Washington Post and today in the Los Angeles Times noted that http://politicalcorrection.org/fact...1106130012">weak gun laws have made stopping gun trafficking almost impossible.
From the http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion...9377.story">Los Angeles Times:
But it is worth noting that the ATF is charged with an impossible mission: enforcing weak laws in a nation awash in firearms, where even the most modest attempts to regulate or prevent mass straw purchases invite accusations of infringements on 2nd Amendment rights from the gun lobby.
Consider that in 2006 the ATF came under congressional scrutiny for attempting to crack down on straw purchases at Virginia gun shows. That operation had been launched in response to a rise in homicides in the state. Agents traced about 400 guns recovered from crime scenes back to Virginia gun shows, according to congressional testimony. ATF officers who attended the shows and conducted residency checks to verify that interested buyers provided accurate information were later accused of harassing legitimate gun owners.
From http://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...story.html">Washington Post:
Lawmakers should give the ATF the tools it needs to fight illegal gun trafficking. They should enact stronger penalties for straw purchases and craft a federal gun-smuggling statute; close the gun-show loophole, which allows buyers under certain circumstances to purchase weapons without a background check; resuscitate the ban on assault weapons; and give the ATF the authority to collect data on multiple sales of long guns in border states. The Senate should move quickly to confirm a director for the long-leaderless bureau.
We may never know whether the bureau would have launched the Fast and Furious operation had it had other, more effective tools at its disposal. Those who would clobber the bureau for possible mistakes should look in the mirror and accept some responsibility for its failings.
The Wall Street Journal also noted the effects of weak gun laws when they reported that the Fast and Furious scandal http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...43738.html">would likely lead to the ouster of acting ATF director Kenneth Melson:
The ATF is at the forefront of the government's efforts to stem the flow of what both the U.S. and Mexican governments say is a flood of U.S. arms to Mexican cartels. ATF agents say stopping that flow is often complicated by gun-owning traditions, particularly in border states, and laws that make it difficult to prosecute illegal weapons sales.
Rep. Issa was possibly correct to call the Fast and Furious program "http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/06...index.html">felony stupid," but
not looking into the weak gun laws that enable gun trafficking to Mexican cartels because of gun lobby pressure could be deemed "felony irresponsible."
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Those who hammer their guns into plows, will plow for those who don't~ Thomas Jefferson~ Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held it's ground~Unknown~Just because your offended doesn't mean your right~Unknown.
But it is worth noting that the ATF is charged with an impossible mission: enforcing weak laws in a nation awash in firearms, where even the most modest attempts to regulate or prevent mass straw purchases invite accusations of infringements on 2nd Amendment rights from the gun lobby.
1. That's right point the finger somewhere else. Hopefully no one will figure out that it was THE GOVERNMENT that broke the law and not law-abiding citizens. Those at the Do"J" who are responsible should be prosecuted and put in jail.
2. If as the ATF admits their mission is "impossible" (queue small violin music) then lets immediately defund the ATF. By their own admission they are not able to carry out the task for which the tax payers are paying.
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Do suppose if the Republicans extend their majority in the US House of Representatives, establish a majority in the US Senate, and win the US Presidency in 2012 they might want to investigate some of the goings on of the Obama administration? I would. But then again, sometimes Republicans act like their supposed principles are just a pretext to distinguish themselves from the Democrats for the purpose of shoe horning themselves into public office.
The Obama administration has aimed it's slime machine at guns and gun advocates. The liberal media is getting the message out that guns are awful and evil. Liberal politicians and liberal papers are opposed to armed folks protecting themselves and their loved ones. They claim that the cops can do that very well. When seconds count the cops are minutes away, maybe a lot of minutes.
Riddle me this one: Why would a Mexican dope lord buy a few very expensive semi-auto guns from the US when he can buy a shipping container full of full-auto AK-47s for $250 each from an international arms peddler?
It gets even stinkier. Dozens of murders have been committed in Mexico with the guns the BATFE allowed smugglers to take over the border. The BATFE and the FBI colluded to allow two convicted felons to buy hundreds of guns.
Quote:
However, according to court records reviewed by Fox News, two of the 20 defendants indicted in the Fast and Furious investigation have felony convictions and criminal backgrounds that experts say, at the very least, should have delayed them buying a single firearm. Instead, the duo bought dozens of guns on multiple occasions while federal officials watched on closed-circuit cameras.
Must we wait for the next election before we have hearings, indictments, convictions and incarcerations on this ? I for one, would LOVE to see the AG in horizontal stripes. As far as presidential knowledge of this effort...well...I don't think the republicans can disgrace the president any further, faster or more effectively than he disgraces himself on a daily basis. I'd be content with Holder's 'perp walk'......he so richly deserves that stroll....
It gets even stinkier. Dozens of murders have been committed in Mexico with the guns the BATFE allowed smugglers to take over the border. The BATFE and the FBI colluded to allow two convicted felons to buy hundreds of guns.
You beat me to it, I was going to post this as a new thread, I'm glad I read this one first.
One of the things that really irks me about this case is the lack of coverage in the main stream press. Thus far I've seen one 3 minute piece in the mainstream press about it.
Yesterday at work there were 7 of us in the break room at lunch time. When I brought this case up none of the other 6 had a clue what I was talking about.
Do your own social experiments, start asking people what they know about this. I'm guessing that most will find that an overwhelming percentage of the public doesn't have a clue about this case.
Another thing that irks me is that BATFE is responsible for this operation, yet this same organization is calling on Obama to issue an executive order to make the gun shops in the border states to report multiple sales of long guns. WTF???
__________________
Those who hammer their guns into plows, will plow for those who don't~ Thomas Jefferson~ Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held it's ground~Unknown~Just because your offended doesn't mean your right~Unknown.
It is hypocrisy and criminality all rolled up into one ball of asserted immunity.
This screams for justice.....but that P.O.S. attorney general will not lift a finger....
'la pesce fetedi la testa'
Do your own social experiments, start asking people what they know about this. I'm guessing that most will find that an overwhelming percentage of the public doesn't have a clue about this case.
Many of the people I work with follow this story. But I live in Arizona so we have more than a passing interest.
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Really???
