Dems urge import ban. Here it comes

[possum]

This is the beginning.

Get ready.

http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=9873215


Dems urge Obama to ban importation of assault weapons

Posted: Feb 19, 2009 01:25 PM

Updated: Feb 19, 2009 06:26 PM

MEXICO CITY (AP) - More than 50 U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to enforce a ban on importing assault weapons.

The 53 lawmakers, all Democrats, say many such guns are later smuggled south to arm Mexico's ruthless drug cartels.

The ban was implemented under the administrations of President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton, and the U.S. government can enforce it under provisions of the 1968 Gun Control Act.

But the lawmakers say in their letter that the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has quietly abandoned the ban in recent years. The ATF declined to comment.

The ATF estimates that 90 percent of weapons seized in Mexico come from sources within the United States. Mexico has long demanded that the United States do more to stop the flow of weapons south, and Obama has pledged to step up those efforts.

Congress included $10 million in the economic stimulus package approved last week for the ATF's Project Gunrunner, which targets gun-trafficking networks in the U.S.

Mexico's drug violence has rapidly escalated despite President Felipe Calderon's deployment of 45,000 soldiers across the country to fight cartels.

[Playboypenguin]

Is this politicians not wanting guns imported into Mexico from the US?

[maestro pistolero]

I know, let's pass a law that makes it illegal for criminals to smuggle guns into Mexico.

[Any .45]

How about Columbia, they are the largest trader of drugs for illegal firearms from the middle east and eastern europe. How would they assume that the US is the problem. Fing idiots. I saw more russian and egyptian AK-47 in Columbia and Ecuador in one location when I was down there than I see handguns at a gun show. These people are getting ridiculous. Drug trade (includes guns) between Europe and South America has been going on for decades, please these demonrats just want to be in bed with everyone. They just don't want to look at the real problem. Soon we'll see Fidel and Chavez sipping tea with Obama bin Biden. Fing commies, fing idiots.

[vranasaurus]

They are not talking about a new law they are talking about enforcement of current law. They want the current ban on the importation of non sporting firearms enforced.

My problem is that the largest source of illegal immigrants in this country comes from Mexico but I don't see the Mexican government doing anything about it. Yet they expect us to do something about THEIR illegal gun problem.

Another question I have is why would the cartels smuggle semi-auto weapons from the us into Mexico when they certainly have the cash and means to import actual military arms which would be much more effective in a abttle against the Mexican Army?

[AZ Med18]

I agree Mexico should just be quiet since they dont help anyone with anyone else problems.

We have an illegal immigration and drug problems. That well come from Mexico. Maybe if that gets solved then we might think about helping them more than we are now.

[THEZACHARIAS]

Tell them we'll trade them back 1 for 1. We'll take back the weapons no questions asked, but they have to take back their citizens whove been sneaking into our country, no griping or groaning to the international community.

[El Paso Joe]

First, this forum is not about bashing the radical right (rep's) or the lunatic left (fing Dems) - that stuff is out of line. Wads up my tee shirt a bit. Specially since I am a lifelong shooter AND a Dem (more or less).
Second, it is spelled Colombia. Columbia is a river in North America...

[RedneckFur]

Guys, watch the political slurs, or this thread will get locked down like fort knox.

That said, I didnt know it was illegal to import non-sporting arms into the US, but really, what defines a sporting arm, acording to that law? Is a WASR 10 a sporting arm? How about a Glock?

I smell something hinky up the pipe, and I worry that some anti gun legisiation will come up in the near future.

[THEZACHARIAS]

Sounds like someones secretary in the anti-gun vanguard found an existing law on the books that was either vague and easily open to "interpretation", or that was taken out of context for the sake of a sensational news headline.

That being said, it still is a shady sign of things to come. No matter who came up with it, for the first time in history the anti-gunners have a respectable portion of congress (not singling anyone out by residence or political persuasion) to back them up, not to mention a president who has gone on record supporting that point of view. It would be naive not to expect some sort of attempt like this to be made.

[lon371]

Already written and headed this way "HR45":barf:

Lonny

[Huey Long]

More than 50 U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to enforce a ban on importing assault weapons.

The 53 lawmakers, all Democrats, say many such guns are later smuggled south to arm Mexico's ruthless drug cartels.

We're having a problem with people exporting black rifles, so we're going to ban their importation? This is a level of knee-jerk stupidity that I thought not even liberals were capable of.

Furthermore, Central America is literally flooded with assault weapons from decades of civil unrest, and those ones are the real deal, not semiautomatic knock-offs like the ones available here in the states. I'll bet C-notes to donuts that at least half the cartels' weapons are coming from there, not here.

[Socrates]

This is why we have record gunsales. These people have just stolen 800 billion dollars from the American people, and given it to their rich friends.
They are going to come up with as many illogical arguments to ban weapons capable of presenting a threat to their oligarchy as possible. We are now going to be at a point when we must recognize that the goal is the thing, not the garbage verbage and rhetoric that justifies it.

Their is no logic here. There is a simple goal, keep and maintain our gravy train, and ability to milk the American people for money, and, to minimize the threat to us, from them.

[BlueTrain]

Why is anyone here upset that they can't buy imported firearms when there are American manufacturers selling firearms? And here's a hint about the cause of any drug problem: Americans wanting to buy drugs, illegal, I assume.

Would you be upset if you couldn't buy a Mercedes and were forced to buy a Cadillac?

[teeroux]

Would you be upset if you couldn't buy a Mercedes and were forced to buy a Cadillac?

Well yes I would and on top of that you remind everyone we can buy an imported car but not an imported gun?

[johnwilliamson062]

Why is anyone here upset that they can't buy imported firearms when there are American manufacturers selling firearms?

Norinco makes better guns, by my standards, than any US manufacturer.

Import bans are easy to pass b/c they pick up support from Brady, protectionists, and they are great feel good legislation, etc.

This stuff is genius. Everyone realizes this new law requiring US firms to use US steel is going to kill some of the manufacturing companies like Caterpillar. They make the heavy machinery for most of the world. With the extra costs involved with using only US steel no one is going to want to purchase from them. If they sell every piece of heavy machinery in the US that will still be less than they are going to lose internationally.

Think about the retaliatory sanctions countries are going to be able to issue over these bans.

Manufacturing is not what made the US rich. Exporting is. The key to regaining our position is not increasing manufacturing it is increasing exporting, which these import restrictions do not help with at all. Japan has the lowest duties and restrictions of any major economy in the world, and that is what has allowed them to export despite all their other problems.

[buzz_knox]

But we were promised that guns were off the table! That guns were a third rail issue the Dems wouldn't get near!

[buzz_knox]

Why is anyone here upset that they can't buy imported firearms when there are American manufacturers selling firearms? And here's a hint about the cause of any drug problem: Americans wanting to buy drugs, illegal, I assume.

Would you be upset if you couldn't buy a Mercedes and were forced to buy a Cadillac?

Can you tell me who in the US is making AKs using non-imported parts? How about FALs, CETMEs, or any other foreign rifle?

[vranasaurus]

That said, I didnt know it was illegal to import non-sporting arms into the US, but really, what defines a sporting arm, acording to that law? Is a WASR 10 a sporting arm? How about a Glock?

It essentially prohibts the importation of "semi-automatic assault weapons" or the assembly of such weapons from imported parts. If they have two or more of the "evil features" then they can't be imported. There are coutable parts and so many have to be non imported to be in compliance. Many of these weapons are imported in a psorting configuration, i.e. no pistol grip, they can be converted to such weapons as long as a sufficient number of imported parts are replaced.



Here is a website that does a pretty good job of explaining the law.
922r explained

As soon as Mexico can keep their people and drugs from flowing across our border we can talk about keeping our guns from flowing across theirs (if they even do at all).

[johnwilliamson062]

Why is anyone here upset that they can't buy imported firearms when there are American manufacturers selling firearms?

Do you have any idea what prices will shoot up to if they can not use any imported parts?

[cjw3cma]

It will not happen.

The American way is to consume. Stopping the importation of a viable salable product is anti-American. Remember the former president telling Americans the best thing we could do after the 9/11 attacks was to SHOP.

It started with the Eisenhower administration and has continued to this day - we are consumers / 99% of what we consume ends up in the trash within 6 months of purchase. Weapons are a consumable product and as such will continue to be imported.

[44capnball]

Now I understand.

That's why they're training the military to do house to house gun searches in midwest American towns...

http://www.carrollspaper.com/main.as...451&TM=55111.9

Once credible intelligence has been gathered," said Kots, "portions of the town will be road-blocked and more in-depth searches of homes and vehicles will be conducted in accordance with the residents' wishes.

"One of the techniques we use in today's political environment is cordon and knock," Kots explained. "We ask for the head of the household, get permission to search, then have them open doors and cupboards. The homeowner maintains control. We peer over their shoulder, and the soldier uses the homeowner's body language and position to protect him."

During this phase of the operation, troops will interact with residents and media while implementing crowd-control measures and possibly treating and evacuating injured persons.

The unit will use a Blackhawk helicopter for overhead command and control, and to simulate medevacs.

The drill will culminate in the apprehension of the suspected arms dealer.

Because, you know, American towns are full of dangerous arms dealers who are sending guns to Mexico. I feel so much safer now that I can have soldiers come into my home to rifle through cupboards, if it means keeping Mexican drug cartels disarmed.

Maybe they can raid our local pharmacies, too, so Mexican drug cartels can't get drugs either.

[Kleinzeit]

[Mexico] expects us to do something about THEIR illegal gun problem.

So, if insurgents in Iraq were going into Iran (for example) to buy weapons, you would agree that the Iranians can't be held responsible for that. Right? I mean, that would be Iraq's problem, not Iran's.

Personally, I don't see how an illegal gun problem in Mexico is only THEIR problem. I can't drive down to Rosarito for carne asada anymore because it's too dangerous. I'm unhappy about that and I'm unhappy that any part of the problem can be traced to my own community and that people in my own community want to just say, "Not my problem."

[Kleinzeit]

PS - I'm not so tribal either as to think that the deaths of innocent Mexicans at the hands of well-armed cartels is only a problem for Mexico. I don't want to hear of anyone, anywhere being killed by criminals with illegal weapons.

[Huey Long]

Can you tell me who in the US is making AKs using non-imported parts? How about FALs, CETMEs, or any other foreign rifle?

DSA.