Team 5 Investigates - Additional Commentary
Channel 5's story made mention of Niya Mills and Sukia Omere, two illegal gun "dealers" from Boston.
mAss Backwards - January 2006:
Here's what Channel 5 left out of their report.*
Bailey's Law, much like Darwinism, shall not be denied.
Bailey's Law: As a person who possesses both money and a complete disregard for the law (and who wants a gun) approaches another person who possesses both guns and a complete disregard for the law (and who wants money), the odds of an illegal firearms transfer not taking place approach zero.
As I've said on numerous occasions, if mere legislation could alter a person's moral compass or affect the way criminally-inclined individuals behave, we'd have eradicated murder, rape, armed robbery, shoplifting, and drunk driving by now.
And, then there's this segment from last night:
What they're not saying is that the above statement essentially applies to every lawful firearm transaction that's ever taken place in this country.
I could visit a federally licensed gun dealer this morning, fill out the required paperwork, wait for the dealer to call in the background check, hand over my credit card, and take possession of a new handgun and ammunition.
No laws broken.
If I then place that gun in a holster under my jacket, drive to Logan Airport, and attempt to board an airplane with it this afternoon, I will have violated numerous existing state and federal firearms laws.
How would any of that be the fault of the dealer who lawfully sold me the gun? Perhaps John Rosenthal would like the state legislature in Massachusetts to pass a law requiring all licensed gun dealers in the state to install electronic mind reading devices, and add "full-penetration mental probes" to the list of requirements for purchasing a firearm in Massachusetts.
When I purchased a firearm (obligatory related gun porn here) at a New Hampshire gun show while I was a still a Massachusetts resident, the dealer, upon seeing I was a Massachusetts resident, asked to see my Massachusetts License to Carry in addition to my driver's license.
I'm not sure what the current state (VT) and federal laws say on this subject. Anyone?
Anyway, that's all for now. Here's a post of mine from March 2006 with more relevant commentary and snark to keep you entertained over that third cup of coffee this morning.
*In defense of Channel 5, I'll say this. With a mere five minutes or so to work with, it's impossible to give this subject anything close to full and fair coverage. I've been writing about this shit for just about four years now, and I'd have a hard time [read: NFW, couldn't do it] condensing all of this into a two-hour movie.
mAss Backwards - January 2006:
Two young women are under arrest, accused of buying handguns in Alabama so they could sell them in Boston for a quick profit.
Niya Mills, 23, of Roxbury and Sukia Omere, 20, of Boston were arrested Tuesday and found with six handguns and 50 rounds of ammunition in the car the women rented for their trip to Alabama, US Attorney Michael J. Sullivan said. The women had hoped to resell the handguns for up to $800 each, he said.
Here's what Channel 5 left out of their report.*
Mills told police that she tried to buy the guns from a pawn shop but was turned away because she was not an Alabama resident and instead bought the weapons from unidentified people on the streets, the ATF affidavit stated.
Bailey's Law, much like Darwinism, shall not be denied.
Bailey's Law: As a person who possesses both money and a complete disregard for the law (and who wants a gun) approaches another person who possesses both guns and a complete disregard for the law (and who wants money), the odds of an illegal firearms transfer not taking place approach zero.
As I've said on numerous occasions, if mere legislation could alter a person's moral compass or affect the way criminally-inclined individuals behave, we'd have eradicated murder, rape, armed robbery, shoplifting, and drunk driving by now.
And, then there's this segment from last night:
Within minutes, we found a federally licensed dealer who was willing to sell us a semi automatic weapon and its magazine, even though we did not have a permit.
"We'll sell you the mag; we'll sell you the gun. What you do with it after you leave here is up to you. If you're going to take it somewhere where it's illegal, then you pay the price for that, not us," said the dealer.
What they're not saying is that the above statement essentially applies to every lawful firearm transaction that's ever taken place in this country.
I could visit a federally licensed gun dealer this morning, fill out the required paperwork, wait for the dealer to call in the background check, hand over my credit card, and take possession of a new handgun and ammunition.
No laws broken.
If I then place that gun in a holster under my jacket, drive to Logan Airport, and attempt to board an airplane with it this afternoon, I will have violated numerous existing state and federal firearms laws.
How would any of that be the fault of the dealer who lawfully sold me the gun? Perhaps John Rosenthal would like the state legislature in Massachusetts to pass a law requiring all licensed gun dealers in the state to install electronic mind reading devices, and add "full-penetration mental probes" to the list of requirements for purchasing a firearm in Massachusetts.
When I purchased a firearm (obligatory related gun porn here) at a New Hampshire gun show while I was a still a Massachusetts resident, the dealer, upon seeing I was a Massachusetts resident, asked to see my Massachusetts License to Carry in addition to my driver's license.
I'm not sure what the current state (VT) and federal laws say on this subject. Anyone?
Anyway, that's all for now. Here's a post of mine from March 2006 with more relevant commentary and snark to keep you entertained over that third cup of coffee this morning.
*In defense of Channel 5, I'll say this. With a mere five minutes or so to work with, it's impossible to give this subject anything close to full and fair coverage. I've been writing about this shit for just about four years now, and I'd have a hard time [read: NFW, couldn't do it] condensing all of this into a two-hour movie.
