Quote:
|
semiautomatic rifles greater than .22 caliber with detachable magazines."
|
Does this mean that they want to track AKs but not ARs? (.223?)?
Consider it a trial balloon, or the camel's nose under the tent flap. If they can get this, using the Mexican "crisis" as an excuse, they will certainly ask for more later.
The whole "mexican drug war violence fueled by US guns" is a red herring. Yes, the majority of the guns they recover will have been made in the US. We make, and sell a lot of guns, and have been doing so for a couple hundred years. Mexico has virtually no domestic firearms industry. Nearly ALL the guns in that country came from somewhere else. Including large numbers of actual assault rifles (M16s) supplied to Mexico by the US Government! The Mexican military has had thousands of desertions in the past decade (apparently the drug cartels pay better than the Mexican Army), and more than a few deserters took their army supplied guns with them.
Belt fed machineguns and M16s with M203 40mm grenade launchers (recovered from drug gangs) are NOT being sold in border gun shops and smuggled to Mexico!
The Mexican govt's excuse for not cleaning their own house is "we can't, because of all the guns coming from the US". And its total BS. They also claim the violence on the border is a result of the US demand for drugs (also BS), conveniently ignoring the fact that there is no such violence on the other US border, despite the same US "demand for drugs". If the Canadians are experiencing a huge murder rate and gang wars over drugs, we certainly are not hearing about it.
When this is pointed out, (in public) there is usually an almost instantaneous accusation of racism against anyone so bold as to point out the difference between the northern and southern US borders. Again, BS. Its not
racial, its
cultural.
BATFE is fishing. IF they can get the authority to track rifle sales the way they want, they will be able to come up with statistics to support a further increase in their power and mission.
One statistic that has already been in the press several times in the past year shows the huge majority of guns siezed from the drug cartels as coming from the US. But look closely at the wording. When it is accurately reported (and that isn't always done) the quoted statistic begins with the phrase "of those guns traced..."
Its a small matter, really, to round up a bunch of guns, saying Made in USA on them, add in a few others, and ask the BATFE to trace them. Instant (and misleading) statistic. Tracking rifles sold by border area FFL dealers will result in the same kind of statistic. While any number reported will, naturally be as accurate as possible (because that can be checked) , the implication will be touted as fact, without any of the vital qualifiers needed to assess the real world applicability of the statistic. And once the media (and politicians) get their hands on a statistic, it never seems to go away, even when clearly and factually discredited. "43 times more likely to be killed because you have a gun in your home..." anyone?