Back Again
Well, the long weekend has come and gone, as is inevitable. Regular blogging will resume shortly. Meanwhile, pop on over to Jeff's for his take on the latest installment of the Blame New Hampshire game being played by Boston Mayor Tom Menino as he tries to explain why the streets of Boston are teeming with violent criminals and it's not the fault of anyone connected to Boston or Massachusetts.
Seems to me what we have here is a rise in the number of CRIMINALS taking up residence in our fair city. But we can't address that problem. Why, it might make the criminals mad at us. I've said it a hundred times, but it bears repeating: If the lack of gun control and the mere presence of guns are responsible for violent crime in our communities, the streets of Burlington and Montpelier would be running red with blood.
Yet, Menino, and other local officials will continue to blame neighboring states for their own inability to arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate (novel concepts, I know) the dangerous criminals who have taken over entire neighborhoods of the city.
I won't get into too much detail punching out all the holes in that article, but here's my favorite quote.
Yeah, just like all those excellent murder laws, rape laws, drug trafficking laws, aggravated assault laws, armed robbery laws, shoplifting laws, carjacking laws, vandalism laws, auto theft laws, traffic laws, etc., that apply only to __________.
Anyone?
Bueller?
Bueller?
And there's this from our neighbor to the south:
Implying that (a) prior to the tightening of the state's licensing regulations, criminals were buying guns in-state, legally, despite the federally-required background checks, or (b) the tightening of regulations regarding handgun ownership caused ordinary citizens to abandon their law-abiding ways and become felons overnight by illegally buying guns in New Hampshire.
I'm going with (c) none of the above.
Guns are being brought into Boston from Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine at a stepped-up pace, according to city officials, who are grappling with a significant rise in shootings and firearms arrests this year.
Seems to me what we have here is a rise in the number of CRIMINALS taking up residence in our fair city. But we can't address that problem. Why, it might make the criminals mad at us. I've said it a hundred times, but it bears repeating: If the lack of gun control and the mere presence of guns are responsible for violent crime in our communities, the streets of Burlington and Montpelier would be running red with blood.
Yet, Menino, and other local officials will continue to blame neighboring states for their own inability to arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate (novel concepts, I know) the dangerous criminals who have taken over entire neighborhoods of the city.
I won't get into too much detail punching out all the holes in that article, but here's my favorite quote.
"Massachusetts has excellent gun laws," said Larry Mayes, the city's chief of human services.
Yeah, just like all those excellent murder laws, rape laws, drug trafficking laws, aggravated assault laws, armed robbery laws, shoplifting laws, carjacking laws, vandalism laws, auto theft laws, traffic laws, etc., that apply only to __________.
Anyone?
Bueller?
Bueller?
And there's this from our neighbor to the south:
The problem goes beyond Boston. In the past year, Hartford police have noticed that more guns from the streets were obtained in New Hampshire, said Matt Hennessy, chief of staff for Mayor Eddie A. Perez. The uptick followed a tightening of regulations that now require handgun buyers to obtain certification from Connecticut's Department of Public Safety.
Implying that (a) prior to the tightening of the state's licensing regulations, criminals were buying guns in-state, legally, despite the federally-required background checks, or (b) the tightening of regulations regarding handgun ownership caused ordinary citizens to abandon their law-abiding ways and become felons overnight by illegally buying guns in New Hampshire.
I'm going with (c) none of the above.
