DA refuses to prosecute gun law violation [NY SAFE law case]

[hack89]

NEW LEBANON - A Dutchess County man is officially off the hook regardless of whether he did or didn't violate the New York Safe Act. Columbia County's District Attorney Paul Czajka, on Thursday, told a New Lebanon town judge, he's refusing to prosecute the case against 31-year old Gregory Dean.

Columbia County thus becomes the first county in New York to have its district attorney refuse to prosecute a gun law violation. Outside the courthouse Thursday afternoon, Czajka, a former state judge, was being hailed a hero by opponents of the Safe Act who had gathered to protest Dean's arrest.

Originally pulled over because of a burned out light bulb over his license plate, and also charged with driving with a suspended license, Dean wound up in the media spotlight because State Police say the legally registered Smith and Wesson semi-automatic .40 caliber handgun they found in his car had nine bullets in it, two bullets over the legal limited outlined in the New York Safe Act.

http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S3044282.shtml?cat=300

[virginia mountainman]

1. LOL that is rich!

I bet those thugs in Albany will have an epic meltdown if this sort of thing becomes common place! And good for the DA, realizing bullshit, is bullshit, and choosing not to waist public resources on it.

[jimmy the one]

2. wasn't a gross violation

link: say the legally registered Smith and Wesson semi-automatic .40 caliber handgun they found in his car had nine bullets in it, two bullets over the legal limited outlined in the New York Safe Act.

There's no gross violation of the law, so there's some discretionary approach to prosecuting, fine, what's the problem? saved a trial for a slight violation, perhaps they're considering a 'grace period' for awhile as well.
Now if the guy had resisted arrest or otherwise been violent, he likely WOULD have been charged for that violation.

va mtn man: I bet those thugs in Albany will have an epic meltdown if this sort of thing becomes common place! And good for the DA, realizing bullshit, is bullshit, and choosing not to waist public resources on it.

Virginia is not New York, mtn man, you're really not the one to say what other states gun policies are (not everyone adores guns like you do).
And let's compare guncontrol New York City with Richmond Virginia, mtn man, as far as violent crime goes, & see how much better pro gun richmond is doing:

2006 Crime Rates per 100,000 People:
............. New York,NY .....Richmond,VA .......National
Murder: .................7.3 ...................38.8 ..............7
Forcible Rape: ....13.12 ................38.83 .......32.2
Robbery: ...........287.9 ................504.3 .......205.8
AggrAssault: ...329.6 ................460.9 .......336.5
Burglary: ........271.1 ...............1167.0 ........813.2
Larceny......... 1412.9 ...............3245.1 ......2601.7
AutoTheft:..... 195.2 ................744.5 ........501.5
http://www.areaconnect.com/crime/compare.htm?c1=new+york+&s1=NY&c2=richmond+&s2=VA

Oh yeah, guns doing good work, in pro gun Richmond Virginia.

[premium]

4. This is such a false equivalancy,

population of NYC: 8,244,910,

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51/51760.html

population of Richmond, VA: 210,309

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51/51760.html

So of course you're going to have a higher percentage of crime rates in Richmond than in NYC.

But you probably knew that.

Now, let's compare the actual number of gun homicides in NYC to Richmond.

NYC.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/murders-fall-record-city-article-1.1229273

Guns are the leading cause of murders in the city this year, killing 237 people.

Richmond, VA.:

http://rvanews.com/richmond-homicides-in-12

Homicides this year: 43

Overall firearms homicides are much higher in NYC than Richmond, a little bit more than a 5 to 1 ratio.

[jimmy the one]

5. yours is the false equivalency

premium: This is such a false equivalancy,
population of NYC: 8,244,910, population of Richmond, VA: 210,309
So of course you're going to have a higher percentage of crime rates in Richmond than in NYC.

I am & was well aware of both cities' populations, but your last sentence doesn't follow, that richmondva is going to have a higher percentage of crime rates than NYC. Where does that come from?

premium: But you probably knew that.

No I didn't since it's hogwash, the safer cities are generally less populated (<100k) than even richmond. The approx 35 big US cities over 500,000 generally have the highest violent crime rates. I compared rates, which is the only meaningful way to compare city crime.

premium: Now, let's compare the actual number of gun homicides in NYC to Richmond.

After saying that, you provided firearm statistics for NYC, but not richmond.

NYC: Guns are the leading cause of murders in the city this year, killing 237 people.
Richmond, VA.: Homicides this year {2012}: 43 {total homicides}

So what's your point? about 30 of richmond's 43 murders in 2012 were done by gun - at least 67%, which is higher than nyc's gunhomicide rate of 57% (237/414).
richmond times dispatch: .. proportion of homicides and suicides in Virginia committed with a gun between 2003 and 2011.. For homicides, the number of deaths fluctuated from a low of about 67% of all slayings to a high of just over 73%.

premium: Overall firearms homicides are much higher in NYC than Richmond, a little bit more than a 5 to 1 ratio.

Well of course the total murder is higher in nyc, it has 40 times more people than richmond. The proper way to compare cities crime is comparing crime 'rates', not total crime. This is a revelation to you?
Your only point is that richmond's violent crime rates have dropped since my 2006 comparison date, which was a quick google, but nyc violent crime rates have dropped also that time period, about 12% since 2006.

[Ghost in the Machine]

6. Population has something to do with a little thing called "per capita"... ever heard of it?

Back in 1980, I lived in the 3rd smallest county in the state of Tennessee. During that year, there was a family feud going on here, and there were 4 murders here. It was on the news that we had a higher murder rate per capita than Miami, Fla.. where I am oringinally from.

The proper way to compare cities crime is comparing crime 'rates', not total crime. This is a revelation to you?

Yeah, because "crime rates" (4 murders in one YEAR in a whole County of around 8,000 residents *at that time*) is MUCH worse than 10 murders a DAY in a whole County of several million residents...

@ anti-gunner "Logic"

[jimmy the one]

7. spike

Population has something to do with a little thing called "per capita"... ever heard of it?

Duh, that is the point with 'rates' rather than totals(index).

Back in 1980, I lived in the 3rd smallest county in the state of Tennessee. During that year, there was a family feud going on here, and there were 4 murders here. It was on the news that we had a higher murder rate per capita than Miami, Fla..

Duh, that's because you did. If it consistently was higher than miami in murder rates year after year, yeah you'd be safer in miami. But what you saw was a spike.

Yeah, because "crime rates" (4 murders in one YEAR in a whole County of around 8,000 residents *at that time*) is MUCH worse than 10 murders a DAY in a whole County of several million residents

It's called a spike, & small towns are generally not compared with larger cities to get much meaningful crime stats, something which is a revelation to you?
There are approx 360 cities in the US, small towns dunno surely thousands, but you compare urban cities with urban cities, not quirkiness like you do.
Go back to guns dot com, a ghost town now might be to your liking. Or aol.

[Ghost in the Machine]

8. "Go back to guns dot com, a ghost town now might be to your liking. Or aol." What a joke!

I've never been to either of those sites, but you seem pretty familiar... and who the fuck do YOU think YOU are, telling people where to post? I've been here a hell of a lot longer than you have, buddy, and I'll be here long after you're gone (again). The smell of dirty sock is thick here. Who were you before this incarnation? Writing styles always give people away.I'll figure it out, I've gotten quite good at it over the years.

Your post danced all around the word, but you couldn't bring yourself to say it: per capita, because it blew your ranbled mutterings out of the water, disproving your own claim.

"rates are better than totals"... again, I should paste that to a notepad and make a background out of it so I can get a good laugh evey time I boot up my computer!

Thanks for the morning laugh! I'll check back tonight for more nuggets of "wisdom"...

Ghost

[premium]

9. He thinks he's quite good at dancing around

and twisting the data, but he really isn't, you know the old saying, if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit, seems he learned that lesson pretty well.
I won't even communicate with him anymore, it's useless at this point.

[Ghost in the Machine]

18. Yeah, I see what you mean now, and feel the same way. Not worth the effort lol...

Peace,

Ghost

[premium]

22. Peace to you and your family.

Have a good weekend.

[jimmy the one]

10. I can't believe it's not republican

ghost: I've never been to either of those sites, but you seem pretty familiar... and who the fuck do YOU think YOU are, telling people where to post? I've been here a hell of a lot longer than you have, buddy, and I'll be here long after you're gone (again). The smell of dirty sock is thick here.

You remind me of 'I can't believe it's not butter'. I can't believe it's not republican.

Who were you before this incarnation? Writing styles always give people away.I'll figure it out...

Thanks for empathizing, your writing style minded me of another 'ghost in the machine' used to post on guns dot com & aol.

Your post danced all around the word, but you couldn't bring yourself to say it: per capita, because it blew your ranbled mutterings out of the water, disproving your own claim.

Huh? this is gibberish.

"rates are better than totals"... again, I should paste that to a notepad and make a background out of it so I can get a good laugh evey time I boot up my computer!

While you're laughing it might sink in so you learn something. Rates are indeed better than totals when comparing city crime, you evidently don't realize how you contradict your own contentions.
I see you have adopted a little troll buddy. Or vice versy.

[Ghost in the Machine]

14. "I can't believe it's not republican"... <~~~ more proof of lack of intelligent responses...

Thanks for empathizing, your writing style minded me of another 'ghost in the machine' used to post on guns dot com & aol.

Please provide a link to these posts, or retract your assertion and apologize. NOW would be a good time to do so... you know, "sooner, rather than later". I'll bet you can't do it, and you'll be stumbling over yourself with excuses.

While you're laughing it might sink in so you learn something. Rates are indeed better than totals when comparing city crime, you evidently don't realize how you contradict your own contentions.
I see you have adopted a little troll buddy. Or vice versy.

Wrong again, and for the same reasons: When rates per capita, 4 murders in ONE YEAR in a small town of 8,000 puts you in a higher murder rate than Miami, Fla, that was experiencing 8 to 10 murders PER DAY, rates don't mean diddly shit. Their TOTAL is double in ONE DAY than we had in ONE YEAR. What part of your brain fails to compute that? Try taking a class in reading comprehension, as well as one in critical thinking.

BTW, the only troll around here still smells like a dirty sock...

I am done with you, as it seems you have nothing intelligent to add to the discussion, and I don't suffer fools lightly.

Enjoy your stay,

Ghost

[jimmy the one]

15. laundry day

ghost in the machine: Please provide a link to these posts, or retract your assertion and apologize. NOW would be a good time to do so... you know, "sooner, rather than later". I'll bet you can't do it, and you'll be stumbling over yourself with excuses.

Disabuse yourself that any apology is in order. I did not demand you stop posting here, nor any other nonsense you spin.
Guns dot com discontinued msg bds last year (why I called it a ghost town) but evidently allow 'comments' on articles, you might find 'ghost in the machine' in the comment section somewhere:
http://www.guns.com/category/politics-a-2nd-amendment/

the vulgar ghost: I've never been to either of those sites, but you seem pretty familiar... and who the fuck do YOU think YOU are, telling people where to post? I've been here a hell of a lot longer than you have, buddy, and I'll be here long after you're gone (again). The smell of dirty sock is thick here. Who were you before this incarnation? Writing styles always give people away.I'll figure it out, I've gotten quite good at it over the years.

Maybe you should wash laundry more often.

ghost: Wrong again, and for the same reasons: When rates per capita, 4 murders in ONE YEAR in a small town of 8,000 puts you in a higher murder rate than Miami, Fla, that was experiencing 8 to 10 murders PER DAY, rates don't mean diddly shit. Their TOTAL is double in ONE DAY than we had in ONE YEAR. What part of your brain fails to compute that? Try taking a class in reading comprehension, as well as one in critical thinking.

Nobody in their right mind would compare a small town with a city like miami without expecting to see some quirky comparative figure now & then. Nobody in their right mind.
.. your 'per capita' rate for your small town was indeed higher than miami's, but it's meaningless info, quirky, since you're comparing apples to oranges. Or dirty socks to clean ones.

[gejohnston]

16. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury

Guns dot com discontinued msg bds last year (why I called it a ghost town) but evidently allow 'comments' on articles, you might find 'ghost in the machine' in the comment section somewhere:

We can't find any evidence of the defendant's guilt, so he and council will go through these boxes and show you our proof.
Said no DA ever.

[jimmy the one]

17. thanx

the accuser, ghost in the machine: .. and who the fuck do YOU think YOU are, telling people where to post? ... Please provide a link to these posts, or retract your assertion and apologize. NOW would be a good time to do so..

defendant jimmy the one: Disabuse yourself that any apology is in order. I did not demand you stop posting here, nor any other nonsense you spin.
Guns dot com discontinued msg bds last year (why I called it a ghost town) but evidently allow 'comments' on articles, you might find 'ghost in the machine' in the comment section somewhere:

barrister johnston: We can't find any evidence of the defendant's guilt, so he and council will go through these boxes and show you our proof. Said no DA ever.

Thanks barrister, it was a pretty lame accusation, from ghost the potty mouth.

[friendly_iconoclast]

25. An evidence-free slur upon gitm can likewise be dismissed

[CokeMachine]

29. I can't believe you're not a republican.

It's in your post title. Are you here just to stir shit or are you serious? You are very familiar. Have I encountered you before? Seriously, am I missing something.

I just love anyone that thinks they are "the one", jimmy or not.

[CokeMachine]

12. At first

I thought it was the return of Iverglas (don't say it three times) but Iver was much more intelligent. At least her rambling posts actually said something. There is another that posts here that I believe is the sock of bongbong.

Have a good weekend!

[Ghost in the Machine]

13. I've had a few thoughts, too..

But I'm not calling out until I'm 99% sure.

You have a good weekend, too!

Peace,

Ghost

[petronius]

3. That seems like a reasonable use of a prosecutor's discretion, and it doesn't seem

as though the prosecutor wants it to be taken as anything more than that. Good outcome...

[WVU]

19. They need to lock this crap down

and fire the DA before anyone starts getting ideas. How long before all the yahoo gun-freaks start flaunting every law on the books?

How about a DA with the guts to stand up top the NRA and its criminal constituency?

[Straw Man]

20. What crap is that?

They need to lock this crap down

and fire the DA before anyone starts getting ideas. How long before all the yahoo gun-freaks start flaunting every law on the books?

Ideas like what? The notion that two extra rounds in a magazine doesn't rise to the level of "worth the DA's time" when there are plenty of actual dangerous crimes that may require his attention?

Perhaps you mean "flouting every law on the books." And you can be sure that there are plenty of gun laws that this or any New York DA would have prosecuted: felon in possession, for example, or unregistered handgun. You know -- things that might actually keep the public safer instead of the Mickey-Mouse "nine rounds instead of seven" charge.

How about a DA with the guts to stand up top the NRA and its criminal constituency?

Isn't it funny how some so-called progressives go all law-and-ordery when it comes to guns?

[gejohnston]

21. about this law

which was poorly thought out and poorly written. Coumo insisted the assembly vote on it without giving anyone a chance to read it. When details of the law came out, Coumo blamed the Brady Center and MAIG because their lobbyists wrote the thing.

How about a DA with the guts to stand up top the NRA and its criminal constituency?

Have a stash? If so, you are being hypocritical. In the realm of absurd laws, this specific provision rates somewhere between having a joint and playing baseball in Webster, Florida
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1988&dat=19960707&id=0XEiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=c60FAAAAIBAJ&pg=4937,457586

[premium]

23. Awwwwwwww, somebody haz a hurt.

The DA in this case realized that this charge was crap and he couldn't win the case in the county he represented, he also was acting on his own conscious.

How about a DA that stood up and realized that this part of the NY SAFE law was nothing more than pure bullshit.

[premium]

24. You need to learn the political process,

DA's are elected to office, not appointed, therefore, not subject to the whims of people like you.
The only way a DA can be removed from office is malfeasance, or recall, and recall is not an option in this county.

[coldmountain]

26. I think every gun law violation should be prosecuted with extreme prejudice

Guns should be made the new drug violations. I think every gun shop in this country should be turned upside down by the Feds.

Democrats and liberals need to know that the gun rights people are the cultural shock troops of the rightwing.

[gejohnston]

27. actually they are

I think every gun shop in this country should be turned upside down by the Feds.

The ATF does. Any inventory control error can be a prison sentence. Most don't, but legally any violation of the 1968 Gun Control Act is punishable up to ten years. Unfortunately, straw purchasers, if caught, generally get a year or two.

Democrats and liberals need to know that the gun rights people are the cultural shock troops of the rightwing.

Let me fix it for you.
Democrats and liberals need to be brainwashed to believe that gun rights people are the cultural shock troops of the right wing, including gun owning liberals and Democrats, not to mention LGBT groups like Pink Pistols.

So, how is that drug war working out?

Edit to add, no those are not NRA talking points. I know this because they are not bright enough to write their own, so they steal mine.

[coldmountain]

32. Never Mind New Guns Laws—the NRA Keeps Weakening the Existing Ones

[div class="The leaders of the National Rifle Association keep saying we don’t need any new gun laws and should just to enforce the ones we already have. But here’s the rub: nobody has done more to undermine the enforcement of the laws we already have than the NRA leadership."]

[link:http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/01/never-mind-new-guns-laws-the-nra-keeps-weakening-the-existing-ones.html|

How The National Rifle Association Frustrates Enforcement Of Federal Gun Laws

Over "A Dozen" NRA-Backed Riders Frustrate Federal Law Enforcement

A recent report by the Center for American Progress (CAP) details how NRA-backed riders -- which are non-germane amendments routinely inserted into "must pass" spending bills -- have the effect of "chipping away at the federal government's ability to enforce the gun laws and protect the public from gun crime."

CAP explained that "more than a dozen appropriations riders passed each year, typically without any discussion or debate, which significantly limit the federal government's ability to regulate the firearms industry and fight gun-related crime." Among the NRA-supported riders is one that prohibits the ATF from centralizing gun sale records, meaning that it can take weeks to trace a firearm used in a crime.

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/03/25/how-the-national-rifle-association-frustrates-e/193233

[gejohnston]

33. you know what I think of any partisan think tank?

I have a very low opinion of them. Just because I vote for the same people they do doesn't mean I believe everything they tell me. That is especially true when it isn't hard to to find information from more neutral sources to rebutt their claims.
Look at their sources. Position papers written by them and propaganda by the Brady Campaign. Oh yeah, an op ed. I missed scanned copies of the riders. What were the riders and what bills were they attached to? I missed that. But then, I just skimmed the position papers.
FWIW, if it was crap from the Heritage Foundation, I would have been less polite.

[coldmountain]

36. It's true regardless of what you think

[gejohnston]

37. perhaps, but the truth is usually more complex than the hype.

what the links forgot to tell you was President's choice for ATF head was a poor choice. To push a point for a renewed AWB, he went on TV and had a reporter fire an AK-47 on full auto from the hip while talking about the scourge of them on the streets. Never mind that full autos have been pretty much banned in 1934 and crimes with machine guns, like the AK, is more common in Europe than here.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2010/1119/Andrew-Traver-Is-Obama-s-choice-for-ATF-chief-an-antigun-zealot

Here it implies that the AWB regulated machine guns, when it shows someone firing it on full auto in the opening.
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Assault-Weapons-Surge-in-City-69620227.html

His entire rant was dishonest and inaccurate. He would not only have nothing but distrust for the industry he would regulate, but dishonest zealots have no place in high positions of law enforcement, especially an agency that has a poor reputation for professionalism.

How and Why?
History lesson. There has been a national sales tax on gun and ammo sales since 1919. That made the IRS responsible for enforcing federal gun laws including the 1968 Gun Control Act with the Misc. Tax Unit. The IRS really didn't do it, anymore than they wanted to go after moonshiners. The IRS used the MTU as a dumping ground for racists, sexists, people prone to abusing their authority, and other problem children. In 1972, the ATF became a separate agency under the Treasury Dept. Now all of those undesirables had badges and guns. It is still part of their institutional culture. In the 1970s and 1980s ATF agents did violate dealers and collector's civil and constitutional rights with their tactics. Microbreweries have had the same problems. Today, they still have EEO issues like discrimination within the agency. They also have basic competency problems. Not only do they set up stings that arrest no one, but they get their own guns stolen.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/208852231.html
Leaving a fully automatic assault rifle on a car seat is a special kind of irresponsibility and stupidity.
There are professional ATF agents, don't get me wrong. They just don't happen to be in positions of power
http://cleanupatf.org/discussion/

Of course CAP didn't tell the whole story did they? Of course not. They just took a press release from Brady or VPC and printed without question.

The riders may be real, but I need real evidence.

[CokeMachine]

31. Glad to see you are in favor

of the war on drugs. Are you on the correct board??

[premium]

34. One huge problem with your nonsensical rant,

millions of Democrats and liberals are gun rights people who own guns.

[CokeMachine]

28. You're not even trying!!

I wouldn't even trust you with a grease gun. Maybe a squirt gun a couple of blocks away. You are funny though even though you probably don't believe anything you've posted in the last couple of days. DOG forbid if you really do!!

[CokeMachine]

30. Yes "THEY" do, starting with you!

You're not very good at this. Enjoy your stay -- did the NRA send you here to drum up -- whaever you're trying to drum up??

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

35. You seem to miss the point

An elected official is one that has been selected by the people to a leadership role. An election is not nor should it be a capricious appointment by popular vote. In the approach to the election of a District Attorney, only those with a superior record in the practice of law should be nominated. It is vital that those attorneys so charged have in mind the public interest and conform their decisions and practices to best serve their jurisdictions.

The NY SAFE law package was written and adopted with relative haste and it shows. The press has come forward with news of errors and oversights that imply doubts as to the veracity of the laws in question. In the course of his work a DA will be faced with such situations where a citizen is charged with a felony arising from nothing more than a non-functional light bulb. No charge relating to violence of any kind was brought against this defendant.

A district attorney, an officer of the court, is rightly charged with the expectation of decisions reflective of that position. There is also a degree of latitude in the charges he/she may or may not choose to pursue. Within the principles of statutory interpretation is the substantive canon known as the rule of lenity. This is applied such that cases where ambiguity exists in the legislation or between various applicable laws, are to be resolved in favor of the defendant. Pursuing the SAFE Act charge in this case would be a less than wise decision. These laws will undoubtedly be the subject of challenges and appeals with attorneys opposed funded by those entities most despised in liberal circles. The county was saved the expense of such actions and the individual was spared the burden of defending against what 2 bullets make into an E felony.

The public could not have been better served.

[jimmy the one]

38. conversion kits for savvy gunowners

johnston: .. what the links forgot to tell you was President's choice for ATF head was a poor choice.

Accd'g to who, you? oh wait, nra talking point, sorry; accd'g to you & nra.

johnston: To push a point for a renewed AWB, he went on TV and had a reporter fire an AK-47 on full auto from the hip .. Never mind that full autos have been pretty much banned in 1934..

Oh johnston here's something you might learn about assault rifles, cause evidently you are unaware: AK-47 Select Fire Full-Auto Conversion Get full auto conversion plans for your AK-47. This manual takes you through converting a select fire AK–47 to full automatic in a clear, step–by–step fashion. Includes templates, photographs and easy to read diagrams. A must read for anyone thinking about attempting this fully automatic conversion.http://www.weaponscombat.com/full-auto-conversion
.. Slide Fire {bump fire assist} is a company that sells gun stocks that you can use with an AK-47 or an AR-15. These attachments enable accurate "controlled rapid firing," according to the company's website, meaning "you can shoot one round, 2 rounds…15 rounds or a full magazine .. Slide Fire helps shooters increase their accuracy and number of rounds—without actually firing automatically. "You actively fire every round, and if you stop pushing forward or you take your finger off the trigger the gun stops firing. It just helps you fire the gun in semiautomatic very fast,"
.. Fully Automatic Conversion Manuals Contrary to popular belief, fully automatic firearms are legal to own.. to obtain a fully automatic, one must: submit application to BATFE; pass a rigorous background check and provide a set of current fingerprints; and pay a one-time fee of $200 dollars for a Federal Tax Stamp, per firearm..certain firearms may carry restrictions and some states may have established laws that prevent ownership. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/how-make-your-gun-shoot-fully-automatic-one-easy-step

J: His entire rant was dishonest and inaccurate. He would not only have nothing but distrust for the industry he would regulate, but dishonest zealots have no place in high positions of law enforcement..

Disingenuous & misrepresenting the truth again johnston, he was justified in demonstrating the ultimate firing power of the AK47, & what it could be converted to, by a savvy gunowner.
I think you & a lot of gunners on this board, are savvy gunowners.

[gejohnston]

40. from the top

Perhaps I should have rephrased it that the fact the AWB had nothing to do with automatic weapons. Since goal of the transference tax, even if it didn't keep up with inflation, was to create an economic ban. There are also few class three dealers. While I am fully aware of the details of the NFA. Pretty much doesn't mean banned. It means very hard to do legally.

Oh johnston here's something you might learn about assault rifles, cause evidently you are unaware: AK-47 Select Fire Full-Auto Conversion Get full auto conversion plans for your AK-47. This manual takes you through converting a select fire AK–47 to full automatic in a clear, step–by–step fashion. Includes templates, photographs and easy to read diagrams. A must read for anyone thinking about attempting this fully automatic conversion

and getting caught can face prison time. It's easier to make a STEN in your basement.

Disingenuous & misrepresenting the truth again johnston, he was justified in demonstrating the ultimate firing power of the AK47, & what it could be converted to, by a savvy gunowner.
I think you & a lot of gunners on this board, are savvy gunowners.

Actually he overstated the power like it could rip through vests, implying Grampa's deer rifle can't. My opinion. Any selection for a top law enforcement post must be above reproach. The whole rant gives the uninformed the false impression that drug dealers are running around with AKs and that letting the AWB pass now lets you buy automatic weapons at Wal Mart. Here Bloomberg gets laughed at when he tried the same thing

Even the appearance of unfairness or dishonesty should make them ineligible. The conversion kit, which may or may not work, is tap dancing at its finest. But then, tap dancing requires skill. You seem to prefer disco.

gang members are not savy gun owners. In-spite the MJ article, it is not bump fire is a non issue. It crudely simulates full auto, but one can not accurately fire with it. Savy gun owners, meaning not mall ninja,s don't waste their time with it.

[jimmy the one]

39. Thank the nra for batfe

johnston: In 1972, the ATF became a separate agency under the Treasury Dept. Now all of those undesirables had badges and guns. It is still part of their institutional culture. In the 1970s and 1980s ATF agents did violate dealers and collector's civil and constitutional rights with their tactics. Microbreweries have had the same problems. Today, they still have EEO issues like discrimination within the agency. They also have basic competency problems. Not only do they set up stings that arrest no one, but they get their own guns stolen. http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/208852231.html

Johnston cites a blog - wonder if that's better or worse than 'copblock' johnston, the antigovt anti-cop website you cited last week devoted to manipulating statistics? is the copblock founder still serving his 3 month prison sentence do ya know?
.. But johnston, shouldn't you then be blaming the NRA for batf's very existence? Reagan wanted to disband batf & designate batf's duties to secret service: former batf agent vizzard:"If it weren't for the NRA and the liquor industry, there would be no ATF today, because the merger with the Secret Service would have just gone ahead."

jan2013: Over the last 3 decades, gun activists and {progun} lawmakers have purposefully hindered ATF and carefully molded the agency that enforces gun laws to serve their own interests, stunting ATF's budget, handicapping its regulatory authority, and keeping it effectively leaderless. The bureau Obama is counting on to lead his gun control push is a disaster…by Republican design.
.. To understand how the ATF became the weakest of law enforcement agencies, you have to go back to President Ronald Reagan's first term.. Leading the charge was Reagan. On the campaign trail, he'd bashed the ATF and vowed to dissolve it. Once in Washington, Reagan, with NRA's backing, proposed folding ATF into the Secret Service.. ATF agents would help the Secret Service handle its beefed-up responsibilities of campaign years and expand its investigative powers. It would have been a death sentence for the bureau.
.. But then NRA had had a change of heart. The organization's strategists came to worry that if gun law enforcement was handed to Secret Service, one of the few federal agencies with a reputation for competence, gun owners might actually have something to fear. And, they feared, that if the agency did become part of Secret Service, they'd lose an easy target.
..NRA realized, "'Oh my God, we're gonna lose the ATF!'".. Working in conjunction with the liquor lobby NRA coaxed a friendly lawmaker, Sen. Abdnor (R-SD) into scuttling the merger..
Vizzard, "If it weren't for the NRA and the liquor industry, there would be no ATF today, because the merger with the Secret Service would have just gone ahead." http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/01/atf-obama-gun-reform-control-alcohol-tobacco-firearms

[hack89]

41. I think you replied to the wrong post. nt