When Barack Obama promised Sarah Brady he was pursuing gun control "under the radar," maybe he really meant it. The new controversy surrounds the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives' Operation Castaway.
Operation Castaway is the program that led to the arrest of, gun dealer, Hugh Crumpler III. He has been charged for his part in a weapons smuggling operation from Florida to Central America. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R) is asking, Attorney General, Eric Holder and, ATF Acting Director, Kenneth Melson questions about the full nature of the ATF's Operation Castaway, specifically about the involvement of the ATF's Tampa Field Division.
The ATF is already denying any wrongdoing in the program. The ATF is claiming Operation Castaway was nothing like the botched Fast and Furious program that had ATF personnel allowing and encouraging weapons to flow from gun stores in the United States and into the hands of Mexican gangs. The problem is how do we trust the ATF? We already caught them allowing the smuggling of weapons to Mexico. How can we now be expected to believe the ATF would not also allow weapons to be smuggled into Central America?
How many more programs like this have been going on? Has our federal government had a secret policy of allowing weapons to illegally fall into the hands of dangerous criminals? If so, what is the motivation? The only obvious answer is that ATF is attempting to build a case for more gun laws in the United States, especially with regard to the sale of assault weapons.
Showing posts with label Fast and Furious. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fast and Furious. Show all posts
July 13, 2011
Obama Using ATF to Pass Gun Control Under the Radar
When Barack Obama told Sarah Brady he was pursuing gun control "under the radar," people began to wonder exactly what he meant. Now, we have a specific example of how a President can abuse his power, overstep his authority, and circumvent the system to enact his own special gun laws.
Under the Obama administration, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, commonly known as the ATF, has unilaterally passed a new rule that requires firearms dealers in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas to report to the ATF sales to an individual of multiple semiautomatic rifles, greater than .22 caliber, with detachable magazines during any five-day period. The stated purpose of this new law is to limit the flow of firearms from the Untied States to Mexico.
This new rule essentially amounts to a new federal gun-control law; however, it was passed without a single vote in Congress. Barack Obama knew he could never get this sort of gun-control law through both houses of Congress, so he just created the law through executive authority and got in through the backdoor.
One of the most problematic features of this new gun law is that is does not apply equally to all states. American citizens who live in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas are now subject to more federal gun restrictions than those citizens in other states. Since the federal government cannot impose federal laws on specific groups of people, this law is unconstitutional.
We may not have to spend a lot of time worrying about the uneven application of this law on the southern border states, however. If the ATF gets away with this law, they are bound to expand it to more states. Eventually, the Obama administration will argue the law was so effective in curbing illegal gun sales in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas that the gun smugglers have started using buyers in states like Colorado, Nevada, Oklahoma, Utah, etc. Then the ATF will expand the law to other states. Eventually, the law will probably apply to Alaska too. Do not be surprised if Barack Obama and the ATF start claiming people are buying guns in Alaska, putting them on boats, and sailing them down the Pacific coast to Mexico.
A ridiculous part of this new rule is the "greater than .22 caliber" clause. Nearly all firearms, except .22s themselves, are greater than .22 caliber. The ATF probably threw in this clause to give the illusion the ATF is concerned only with high-powered rifles. In reality, this law going after just about any rifle caliber. For example, the ATF has always been very aggressive about targeting, AR-15s, the civilian version of the M16. Standard AR-15s fire .223 (similar to 5.56 NATO). Even though the .223 round is only moderately powerful, when compared to most rifle rounds, the ATF probably set the power threshold so low for this law so they could include AR-15s.
Also note that the ATF is specifically mentioning "detachable magazines" and "semiautomatic" rifles in the rule. This is just code for "assault weapons." The ATF simply does not like people have assault weapons, and those are the first weapons they would abolish if given the chance. That is what they are pursuing with this rule. This rule is what will set the stage for eventually placing stricter controls on the types of guns the ATF does not like.
The most egregious element to all of this ATF reporting business is the hypocrisy. The Obama administration is claiming that too many firearms are ending up in Mexico, but the ATF's "Fast and Furious" program was deliberately allowing actual working firearms to be transferred to Mexican gangs. Obama and the ATF are out panicking everyone about how many US weapons are ending up in the hands of gangs in Mexico when our government was just caught intentionally allowing--and even encouraging--those weapons to flow into Mexico as part of a organized effort. You just can't make this stuff up.
Under the Obama administration, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, commonly known as the ATF, has unilaterally passed a new rule that requires firearms dealers in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas to report to the ATF sales to an individual of multiple semiautomatic rifles, greater than .22 caliber, with detachable magazines during any five-day period. The stated purpose of this new law is to limit the flow of firearms from the Untied States to Mexico.
This new rule essentially amounts to a new federal gun-control law; however, it was passed without a single vote in Congress. Barack Obama knew he could never get this sort of gun-control law through both houses of Congress, so he just created the law through executive authority and got in through the backdoor.
One of the most problematic features of this new gun law is that is does not apply equally to all states. American citizens who live in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas are now subject to more federal gun restrictions than those citizens in other states. Since the federal government cannot impose federal laws on specific groups of people, this law is unconstitutional.
We may not have to spend a lot of time worrying about the uneven application of this law on the southern border states, however. If the ATF gets away with this law, they are bound to expand it to more states. Eventually, the Obama administration will argue the law was so effective in curbing illegal gun sales in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas that the gun smugglers have started using buyers in states like Colorado, Nevada, Oklahoma, Utah, etc. Then the ATF will expand the law to other states. Eventually, the law will probably apply to Alaska too. Do not be surprised if Barack Obama and the ATF start claiming people are buying guns in Alaska, putting them on boats, and sailing them down the Pacific coast to Mexico.
A ridiculous part of this new rule is the "greater than .22 caliber" clause. Nearly all firearms, except .22s themselves, are greater than .22 caliber. The ATF probably threw in this clause to give the illusion the ATF is concerned only with high-powered rifles. In reality, this law going after just about any rifle caliber. For example, the ATF has always been very aggressive about targeting, AR-15s, the civilian version of the M16. Standard AR-15s fire .223 (similar to 5.56 NATO). Even though the .223 round is only moderately powerful, when compared to most rifle rounds, the ATF probably set the power threshold so low for this law so they could include AR-15s.
Also note that the ATF is specifically mentioning "detachable magazines" and "semiautomatic" rifles in the rule. This is just code for "assault weapons." The ATF simply does not like people have assault weapons, and those are the first weapons they would abolish if given the chance. That is what they are pursuing with this rule. This rule is what will set the stage for eventually placing stricter controls on the types of guns the ATF does not like.
The most egregious element to all of this ATF reporting business is the hypocrisy. The Obama administration is claiming that too many firearms are ending up in Mexico, but the ATF's "Fast and Furious" program was deliberately allowing actual working firearms to be transferred to Mexican gangs. Obama and the ATF are out panicking everyone about how many US weapons are ending up in the hands of gangs in Mexico when our government was just caught intentionally allowing--and even encouraging--those weapons to flow into Mexico as part of a organized effort. You just can't make this stuff up.
June 28, 2011
ATF Fast and Furious Whistleblower Fired in Retaliation
After twenty-four years of service, ATF agent, Vince Cefalu has been fired after being one of the leading forces in the exposure of one of the stupidest and most ill-conceived sting operations in the history of America. The ATF claims its "Fast and Furious" program was supposed to track weapons flowing from the United States to Mexico by encouraging gun dealers to sell weapons to suspicious gun buyers who might smuggle the weapons to Mexico. The real intent, however, was most likely to set the stage for tougher gun laws in the United States by building a case that American weapons end up in the hands of violent drug cartels.
Read the whole story at the link below.
"Project Gunrunner Whistleblower Says ATF Sent Him Termination Notice"
Read the whole story at the link below.
"Project Gunrunner Whistleblower Says ATF Sent Him Termination Notice"
June 18, 2011
ATF-Mexico Fast and Furious Sting Was About Gun Control
Under the direction of the Department of Justice, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (commonly known as the ATF) has greatly embarrassed itself with an ill-conceived program that allowed weapons to flow illegally from the United States and into the hands of violent drug cartels in Mexico. The program was named Fast and Furious and ran from 2009 to 2011. The ATF claims they were trying to track the weapons in an effort to expose drug cartel networks, but all they really did is arrest some criminal nobodies and allowed the drug cartels to acquire arms illegally.
Some innocent people were killed by criminals using the illegally smuggled weapons. Most notably, US citizen and border patrol agent, Brian Terry was killed in an Arizona border shoot-out involving these weapons.
This whole operation was truly a debacle, a massive failure, and a disgraceful incident that has resulted in needless deaths of innocent people. The ATF is trying to defend itself by stating they were trying to take some short-term losses to gain greater ground in the international drug war, but there are some problems with that position.
Why should the ATF care so much about tracking weapons flowing out of America? Certainly, the ATF has an interest in gun smuggling, even when the weapons are leaving, but why would they run such a risky program that actually placed working weapons in the hands of violent criminals? Furthermore, why is the ATF worrying about the operations of drug cartels in a foreign country? Fast and Furious accomplished very little, and anyone who looks at the program objectively can easily see that there could have been no reasonable expectation that anything could have been accomplished. The operation and its goals just do not make sense.
The reality is the ATF's Fast and Furious program was about providing concrete evidence that guns are being purchased in the United States and going directly into the hands of the cartels in Mexico. If the ATF can provide overwhelming evidence that substantial quantities of weapons are being purchased in the United States for sale to Mexican cartel thugs who are using those weapons to commit murder, the evidence can be used to push for stronger gun laws in the United States.
Imagine what an effective argument the ATF could make in favor of greater intrusions on the Second Amendment if they could demonstrate gun sales in American are ultimately aiding violent criminals in other countries. The ATF could use the data to call for an all-out ban on assault rifles and greater regulations of handguns. They could also make a very effective argument to place limits on the quantities of weapons US citizens can buy.
Fast and Furious was not about exposing Mexican drug cartels. Fast and Furious was about the ATF collecting evidence to erode your Second Amendments rights. Fortunately, the ATF failed in their mission, and this botched operation has been exposed. Unfortunately, this cruel and aggressive attempt to build up ammunition against the Second Amendment has resulted in the spilling of innocent blood on the soil of America and Mexico.
Some innocent people were killed by criminals using the illegally smuggled weapons. Most notably, US citizen and border patrol agent, Brian Terry was killed in an Arizona border shoot-out involving these weapons.
This whole operation was truly a debacle, a massive failure, and a disgraceful incident that has resulted in needless deaths of innocent people. The ATF is trying to defend itself by stating they were trying to take some short-term losses to gain greater ground in the international drug war, but there are some problems with that position.
Why should the ATF care so much about tracking weapons flowing out of America? Certainly, the ATF has an interest in gun smuggling, even when the weapons are leaving, but why would they run such a risky program that actually placed working weapons in the hands of violent criminals? Furthermore, why is the ATF worrying about the operations of drug cartels in a foreign country? Fast and Furious accomplished very little, and anyone who looks at the program objectively can easily see that there could have been no reasonable expectation that anything could have been accomplished. The operation and its goals just do not make sense.
The reality is the ATF's Fast and Furious program was about providing concrete evidence that guns are being purchased in the United States and going directly into the hands of the cartels in Mexico. If the ATF can provide overwhelming evidence that substantial quantities of weapons are being purchased in the United States for sale to Mexican cartel thugs who are using those weapons to commit murder, the evidence can be used to push for stronger gun laws in the United States.
Imagine what an effective argument the ATF could make in favor of greater intrusions on the Second Amendment if they could demonstrate gun sales in American are ultimately aiding violent criminals in other countries. The ATF could use the data to call for an all-out ban on assault rifles and greater regulations of handguns. They could also make a very effective argument to place limits on the quantities of weapons US citizens can buy.
Fast and Furious was not about exposing Mexican drug cartels. Fast and Furious was about the ATF collecting evidence to erode your Second Amendments rights. Fortunately, the ATF failed in their mission, and this botched operation has been exposed. Unfortunately, this cruel and aggressive attempt to build up ammunition against the Second Amendment has resulted in the spilling of innocent blood on the soil of America and Mexico.
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