Wednesday, July 1, 2009

ATF going door-to-door

In case you haven't seen this yet, the Houston Chronicle is reporting that ATF agents are going door to door to investigate guns bought near the border.

I expect this Mexican drug war thing to be the rationale for the next big gun control push.

2 comments:

  1. I posted about this as well,and my thoughts on it is,this is a plan for something bigger. That being either to push a ban,or to start gathering after HR45 passes.

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  2. Well, I for one can tell you that I wouldn't want BATF knocking on my door asking to see my guns (though I do love showing guns to friends). However, at least the cause for it described in the story had some merit (4 guns, one day, low-income). I wouldn't begrudge the BATF taking a tack somewhat like the IRS, looking at the numbers and saying something doesn't add up, in turn triggering an "audit." I wouldn't want the IRS knocking here either, but if they did so I wouldn't view it as an abrogation of my rights.

    Leaving it understood that the American gun owner's role in the Mexico violence is wildly overstated - possibly even just made up - by media, I think we can agree it is true that straw purchases happen. How often and whether it really leads to violence anywhere is the only debate. But the law is being broken, and we can't tolerate that. As law-abiding gun owners, shouldn't we welcome enforcement of "the laws we have?" I thought that was a big part of the anti-gun ban argument; enough is on the books to solve these problems, it's just that no one wants to do it, and banning guns altogether is a lazy, ineffective and socially costly solution.

    Certainly this enforcement is a little heavy-handed...but I optimistically view it as an alternative to a gun ban, not a first step. If it is effective, it can prove once and for all that no new laws - or bans - are needed. If it is a prelude to confiscation, that would be a sinister act of our government, indeed.

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