It Also Reveals The Insanity Of Extreme Gun ControlIn January 2019, the US DOJ released the results of a study of 240,000 prison inmates who had guns at the time of their arrest. The study revealed that the most common sources of firearms were illegal dealers, straw purchases, other criminals and direct theft by the criminal. These sources accounted for more than 3/4s of all the firearms these criminals had.
Now a press release from the ATF, in regards to an actual case, confirms these results and reveals how firearms are trafficked in violation of federal gun laws:
- The gun trafficker in this case was a convicted felon, prohibited from possessing or purchasing firearms and ammunition.
- He used a person without a criminal record, commonly called a “straw purchaser” to purchase the guns for him. This straw purchaser also violated federal law and could face 5 years for each offense, although they rarely face any jail time.
- He then transported the firearms from Georgia to Massachusetts. He sold them illegally both directly to criminal “end users” and to another drug and weapons dealer.
What does this reveal about illegal firearms dealers here in the USA? Well, here are some observations:
First, it reveals that illegal gun dealers are quite resourceful. Easy or hard, they will find a way to obtain “product”.
Second, they are networked. In this case, one dealer sold guns to another. If you shut down supply to one illegal dealer, that dealer may quickly find another source.
Third, and perhaps most significant, these illegal dealers are already closely associated with drug dealers, who have sources outside the country and smuggling networks to bring items in.
So, what would happen if all gun sales were banned and all currently legal guns could somehow be confiscated? Obviously, this would provide a huge opportunity for existing criminal networks to supply current illegal drug and weapons dealers with guns for illegal sales. The supply of guns to criminals would not be affected.
Of course, we need not speculate. We only need look to our neighbor to the South (Mexico), where firearms are virtually banned, yet they are available illegally to anyone with a little money. Or to Jamaica an island awash in illegal firearms. Or to countless other nations that have tried to control crime by banning guns. The result is always the same: Good people become helpless victims, while criminals continue to be armed. Banning guns works about as well as banning drugs – those who are going to abuse them always seem to find a source.
Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. By this standard, following these examples is insane.
Rev. R. Vincent Warde
1-24-2022
