Solution is a Secure Border, Not Gun Control
Congress has jumped into the topic of Mexican border violence with both
feet, having held 10 different Subcommittee and Full Committee hearings
on the topic, with more coming. It has also become clear that anti-gun politicians and groups are intent on using this issue to advance new gun laws .
In the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Drugs and Crime, Sen. Dianne Feinstein renewed her attacks on gun owners' rights. During her remarks, she stated that there are over 2,000 guns
smuggled into Mexico from the U.S. each day. But when she tried to
elicit support for that number from a representative from the BATFE, he
responded that the number was much lower. Senator Feinstein was clearly
unhappy that he would not endorse her anti-gun sound bite.
Feinstein also repeated the claim that 90% of seized guns are from American sources (please see related story below). In fact, it is unknown where most of the arms possessed by the cartels originate. According to the BATFE 90% of the firearms traced are from American sources, but BATFE only traces 25% of the guns seized
by Mexican authorities. The remaining 75% of guns seized along with all
the firearms remaining in the hands of the cartels are of unknown
origin. The fact that only 25% of the guns seized are traced raises a
significant question: Why has the Mexican government not requested
traces on the remaining 75%? Could it be because those guns are far
less likely to have originated in America? Could it be
that the Mexican authorities do not want it known where these guns come
from? Could it be that it benefits the Mexican government to continue
to blame U.S. gun laws to divert attention away from the rampant
corruption of local governments and police forces? Could it be all of
the above?
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also entered
the debate, traveling to Mexico and taking the opportunity to blame
American gun laws. She called for a renewal of the
semi-auto ban, and even trumpeted the ban's illusory impact: "And
there's no doubt in my mind that the 10 years we had an assault weapons ban in America was one of the tools that helped to drive down the crime rate."
Perhaps if Clinton had read the congressionally mandated study performed by the Urban Institute (see evidence below)
she would know it showed that the ban couldn't possibly have had much
impact on crime because "the banned guns were never used in more than a
modest fraction of all gun murders" before the ban.
In another development that will not please the gun ban crowd, the leader of the Border Patrol Union, T.J. Bonner, said
he was "underwhelmed" by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's
plans to secure the border and went on to debunk the idea that Mexican
violence is caused by American guns: "The U.S. has more weapons but we don't have that kind of violence in our streets," he said.
American
gun owners know that that the real solution to the border violence is
to actually secure the border. Shifting the focus to gun laws is
nothing more than a calculated attack on our Second Amendment rights.
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ATF abuse connected to U.S. guns "found" in Mexico.
The ATF took them there, and encourages border-area gun shops to make multiple sales to shady characters in order to pad trace statistics. In exchange, the gun shop's books won't fail to "pass inspection."
http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-national/is-project-gunwalker-about-to-bust-wide-open
http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/2011/01/sources-timeline-summary-of-atf-project.html
August 24, 2009 / Richmond Times Dispatch
Long time Anti-Gun Advocate State Senator R.C. Soles, 74, shot one of two intruders at his home just outside Tabor City, N.C. about 5 p.m. Sunday, the prosecutor for the politician’s home county said. The State Bureau of Investigation and Columbus County Sheriff’s Department are investigating the shooting , Gore said. Soles, who was not arrested , declined to discuss the incident Sunday evening. The Senator, who has made a career of being against gun ownership for the general public, didn’t hesitate to defend himself with his own gun when he believed he was in immediate danger and he was the victim. It has prompted some to ask if the Senator believes his life and personal safety is more valuable than yours or mine. But this is to be expected from those who believe they can run our lives, raise our kids , and protect our families better than we can.
Now, obviously if there are a lot of guns on this side of the border, it makes it easier. However, once a person enters Mexico, isnt it the Mexican government that then determines law ?
True, guns could be smuggled in to Mexico...just like drugs are smuggled in to the US from Mexico. Both, to my knowledge, are illegal .
Just as an experiment, lets assume that the US had perfect gun control laws. No gun could make it on to Mexican soil from American soil, period. Mexicans who want guns would get them from other places. Furthermore, other people (from other countries, if the gun laws in the US were perfect) who would be willing to sell the Mexicans Guns would do so. In the end, what would have Mexico benefitted?
What about ships carrying arms from outside countries? Don't fool yourself that all the arms are coming from the US. We might the closest place to get a weapon but the major cartels are not going to buy a semi-auto gun when they can have a full automatic. These guys have tons of money thanks to all the American druggies. If we could get our kids and adults off drugs the violence would probably go down. This is similar to the 1930 violence that occurred in our country during prohibition . You make something illegal criminals will find a way to make money off the venture.
I agree with your comment that it is a Mexican government issue not a US issue. We don't belong in this issue. Just like the Mexicans need to stay on their side of the river in their helicopters.
Guns in Mexico are our problem if the Mexicans are being supplied with guns from the US side of the border.
That's like saying that since the Drug Cartels are on Mexican soil then they are not our problem.
You are right. But the drug cartels become our problem only once their drugs or their violence crosses our border. And even then, we are limited to our own national boundaries...we dont send troops in to Mexico to take them out (unless something secret is going on...but that is the stuff of novels). No doubt some people wish that we would, but we have already built a wall. Mexico has to step up to the plate to enforce its own laws, if it can. If it cant, then do we invade? We already have 2 wars going on which is 2 too many.
Do we then shut down all manufacturing plants where guns from Mexico have been traced back to? I dont think so...not in this economy .
Could our gun laws be better? Of course they could. Even if they were, that would not solve Mexicos problem. Now, if Mexico asks us to do something, to change certain laws, that is something else.
It all starts with the opportunity our drug laws , drug market and money create. Throw in the currency controls making repatriation of the money inconvenient and the desirability of the guns that are readily available here and you have to ask yourself why not take the profits back in guns and amo? It’s a symbiotic relationship. They satisfy the market created by our hypocrisy on drugs; we satisfy the market created by their corruption.
When they trace the gun serial numbers to the US you can’t deny where they came form.
But is it our gun laws ? Probably not primary, but surly a contributor.
"When they trace the gun serial numbers to the US you can’t deny where they came form."
They 'trace back the the USA.' is not useful data. To know that they 'trace back here' at all means the you know EXACTLY where to, yet absolutely ZERO data on this has been published.
Gosh, I wonder why....
Also, only a small fraction of the recovered guns are ven traced at all, and then, they only bother when they have reason to think it may have come from the USA. Why? because all of the other sources are totally untracable anyway. There are entire factories for weapons, all over the globe, that manufacture any range of weapons you want, and don't document any of it. The USA is simply the only source they can actually trace at all.
And still, no names? The record keeping process is so rigorous, it shouldn't take but a day or two to compile everything we want to know; WHO!
But they can't do it.... hmmmm.... The ATF has yet to give us one single name or serial number.
Why? There is only one possible answer; it isn't a civilian source. So gun laws on civilians wouldn't do much, would they? The sheer volume alone is proof enough.
There have been stories of guns traced back to the US, and to specific gun dealers. This is no phantom. A question may be “to what extent?” Not a sole player role, but a significant contributor. The source of Mexico’s problems, of course, follows the standard lineage: corruption; opportunity (drug money ); competition (drug cartels); and projection of power to support the business plan (drug and gang related violence).
For a neutral data source, I recommend:
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/04/counting-mexicos-guns /
I believe you could sit these narrow minded people down in front of an oncoming train and tell them that they would get run over if they don't move and never budge because they believe what they want to. Or in the case of the majority of them, do what they were told by their wealthy backers. It doesn't matter how much scientific backed research you throw at them, they'll never get it. To me, they are like chicken little. An acorn falls on thier head and they think the sky is falling. Of course I probably would too if I were being bankrolled by some of the most wealthy anti freedom, anti liberty groups on this planet plotting for global domination. Which by the way isn't too far in the future. That is if things keep heading in the same direction.