Posted on 04/15/2008 3:00:04 PM PDT by neverdem
NEWTOWN, Conn. — New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, at a meeting of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition he founded, announced today the Responsible Firearms Retail Partnership program with Wal-Mart. The retailer has agreed to retain records of purchasers of firearms that are later traced by law enforcement for reasons never disclosed to Wal-Mart. The retailer also agreed to run background checks on its employees handling firearms.
Commenting on today's announcement the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) - the firearms industry's trade association - said the partnership's name gives the false impression that federally licensed firearms dealers are somehow irresponsible. "Today's announcement reflects Mayor Bloomberg's troubling ignorance and misunderstanding of what can - and cannot - be gleaned from data of guns recovered by law enforcement and traced from the manufacturer to the first retailer purchaser," said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) maintain this trace data.
ATF has said repeatedly, "The appearance of (a licensed dealer) or a first unlicensed purchaser of record in association with a crime gun or in association with multiple crime guns in no way suggests that either the federal firearms licensed dealer (FFL) or the first purchaser has committed criminal acts. Rather, such information may provide a starting point for further and more detailed investigation" (Crime Gun Trace Analysis Reports, ATF, 1998).
NSSF has never opposed background checks on firearm retailer employees. "We have had a program to assist our members in running background checks on their prospective employees at a discounted rate," said Keane. "NSSF would consider supporting legislation to allow gun dealers to conduct background checks on prospective employees through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which is currently prohibited by law."
"It is stunning that a mayor who claims to be interested in combating the criminal acquisition and misuse of firearms would continue to insult ATF and federal firearms licensees," continued Keane. He was alluding to Mayor Bloomberg's March 10, 2008, deposition (part 1 of deposition, part 2 of deposition) - part of a lawsuit filed by the City of New York against several out-of-state firearms dealers. During the deposition Bloomberg testified he stood by his earlier statements that ATF is "asleep at the switch," and added that the agency is "not doing their job" (page 52).
Perhaps the mayor's insults stems from his self-professed ignorance of our nation's firearms laws and regulations, business practices of firearms retailers and the duties of the ATF. "I don't know what the law is and what procedures are," responded the mayor to a deposition question on illegally purchased firearms (page 35). "I have no knowledge of what appropriate safeguards are for a dealer to comply with the law or what standard practices are in the arms business" (page 74).
In the same deposition Mr. Bloomberg admitted he did not know that ATF conducted inspections of firearms retailers. "I didn't even know they had inspections," the bewildered mayor offered (page 58). Mr. Bloomberg also noted that he did not know what a Federal Firearms Transaction Record commonly known as a Form 4473 was (page 75) or a NICS background check (page 79). Of course, before a licensed firearms dealer can sell a firearm the law requires the purchaser to complete, under penalty of perjury, a Form 4473. The form asks detailed questions about the purchaser including any past crimes committed and whether they are the actual buyer of the gun. Once the form is completed, and before the licensed dealer can transfer the firearm, the purchaser must pass a mandatory background check through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System or NICS, which is run by the FBI.
Mr. Bloomberg has rebuffed past firearms industry requests to educate him about industry's cooperative relations with law enforcement in assisting them in their efforts to reduce criminal access to firearms. For example, the partnership program between NSSF and ATF called Don't Lie for the Other Guy. In this program NSSF helps ATF to better educate America's firearms retailers on how to detect would-be straw purchasers and to raise public awareness that it is a serious crime to buy a firearm for a prohibited person. At his deposition, the mayor testified the program was "totally foreign" to him. Ironically, however, at his May 2006 press conference announcing his lawsuit against out-of-state firearms retailers, the ATF-Industry "Don't Lie" program was featured in a video clip where a firearms retailer "does the right thing" and refuses to sell a firearm to a perceived straw purchaser.
"The mayor's deposition and past statements make it clear that today's announcement was nothing but a publicity stunt," concluded Keane.
For the National Shooting Sports Foundation: Lawrence G. Keane, 203-426-1320
The firearms industry should put principle before profit and put an industry wide moratorium on sales to the police forces of cities with anti 2nd Amendment administrations. Unfortunately, those do make for some pretty juicy contracts.
Unbelievable. Bloomberg doesn’t even know what the laws are, that dealers are inspected, and buyers have NICS checks.
Agree agree agree yet .........won’t work !
They’ll just buy from a sellout.......
"This article swayed me. I never thought I’d say it, but I can see the need for some reasonable limitations on who can possess high capacity, semi-auto military style weapons. Frankly, I think it should be illegal for civilian law enforcement personnel/agencies to possess such weapons. The notion is purely antithetical to the intent of our founding fathers. Of course, I suppose I’d be willing to allow some exceptions, like for an extreme emergency that exceeded the capabilities of the local militia."
Stupid asshole, just outlaw crime if it bothers you so much. You can bet that the perps don’t much care how you’re bothered.
“Mayor” Michael Bloomberg - still EMBARRASSING American Jewry all ways, all days.
Oh agree 100%.......had same thought YOU posted.
Police would be police in my world vs paramilitary wannabes.
The sight (a few years ago) of a LASD SWAT weenie with a M60 GPMG on his surplus USAF Peacekeeper internal security vehicle that the AF Security Forces in the 80’s used for nuke security made my blood boil. That asshat was half loading that damn thing in a neighborhood, the burbs, going after a single barricaded suspect.
The greater threat to the neighborhood was the solution vs the problem IMO.
Lethal duty weapons for a LEO in my opinion AND EXPERIENCE should be an M4 Carbine, a 12 ga riot gun, a sidearm and small backup pistol or revolver.
Anything more , contain and call in a FiBi HRT.
Just my opinion of course......:o)
Similar to outlawing murder on the left coast, as I recall worked real well.
LOL never am I surprised when a gun grabber liberal opens his/her mouth.
***The retailer has agreed to retain records of purchasers of firearms that are later traced by law enforcement for reasons never disclosed to Wal-Mart. ***
And just how many Ruger 10/22s, Remmington, Weatherby bolt action rifles, Mossburg shotguns and Marlin lever action rifles are used in crimes in NT!
NT=NY!
Proof read.
Proof read.
Proof read.
A SWAT guy had an M60E he was using for a raid? What the heck kind of role would a support gunner play for a simple house raid?
What makes you think he doesn't know? The man is a liar, a tyrant, an "enemy domestic," and a fraud. He is not acting out of ignorance.
The question is: "Why did God give us IEDs and SLAP rounds?"
And that is exactly why the government wants to take them away.
He knows full well what he's doing. He got his bell wrung by the State of GA and VA (and possibly others?) so he's moving towards a path of lesser resistance....the point of sale.
He couldn't bully the States so he'll bully the seller. The guy's a tyrant, plain and simple.
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