Congress needs to be candid about how loophole-ridden laws have created a huge market for assault weapons, which end up in Mexico. At a hearing, Mr. Issa insisted, “We’re not here to talk about proposed gun legislation.†Federal officials in February sought authority to require gun dealers to report bulk sales of assault rifles only to have it blocked by a provision in the Republican budget. A responsible Congress would re-enact the assault weapons ban, outlaw uncontrolled gun-show sales and reform regulations that allow corrupt dealers to stay in business.
There’s no gun law in the world, save prohibition, which is constitutionally problematic, that’s going to prevent ATF from actively encouraging straw sales that dealers otherwise would not have made. I know this sounds crazy to an outfit as stupidly ignorant as the Times, but gun dealers actually don’t want to sell guns to criminals. If someone comes into your store wanting to buy a dozen AKs, that generally wouldn’t pass the sniff test. ATF was deliberately encouraging those kinds of sales and it has obviously wildly inflated the number of firearms ending up in the hands of smuggling rings.
If the NYT really wants to close a loophole, maybe they should call for abolishing the ATF.
The NYT editorial concludes with the line, ” . . . and reform regulations that allow corrupt dealers to stay in business.”
How about a responsible Congress reforming regulations that allow a corrupt ATF to stay in business?
We’re better off with a stupid ATF than a malicious FBI.
What a load of kool-aid drinking crap.
When confronted with facts they double down on the lies.
Can we PLEASE kick NY (and NJ) out of the Union?
Concur! I’m truly to the point that the only thing the NYT is good for is fishwrap…
As one who grew up in NYC, and now has moved back, I would like to object. But only half heartedly. As corrupt and stupid as the US Congress is, the NYC & NY State legislators are so much worse by every measure.
Well said Sebastian and good point Chas.
I have to believe that the NYT does get it,….. they just don’t like it, the truth.
“Federal officials in February sought authority to require gun dealers to report bulk sales of assault rifles only to have it blocked by a provision in the Republican budget.”
Uh, wasn’t that provision blocked because it actually freaking violated the freaking law, and Congress would have had to change the law to make that reporting requirement legal?
Or am I misremembering things?
On a geo-political/temporal map, I would locate New York City back in the former East Germany. Herr Bloomberg is their anti-freedom mayor, and the New York Socialist Times is their anti-freedom newspaper. However, I am comforted by the fact that they are unhappy and deserve themselves as they strive to outdo each other in their relentless efforts to use government to oppress each other.
The issue with nj is that gun owners have been driven so far underground that we don’t realize how many people there are who own firearms.