Same sh!t, different decade...
Posted on 04/04/2009 8:32:18 AM PDT by marktwain
ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--"When all you have is a hammer," so goes an old saying, "everything looks like a nail." Likewise, when you are committed to a bias you try every way possible to support it.
A recent statement by William Hoover, assistant director for field operations at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, is being used by those who seemingly have a bias against guns and gun ownership.
Hoover testified in the House of Representatives that "there is more than enough evidence to indicate that over 90 percent of the firearms that have either been recovered in, or interdicted in transport to Mexico, originated from various sources within the United States.
Even though the statement is misleading, media outlets and some politicians seized on Hoover's claim and began to shout it from sea to shining sea.
"U.S. Guns Arming Mexican Drug Gangs; Second Amendment to Blame?" is how ABCnews.com heralded the news.
The New York Times was a bit bolder declaring in a headline, "U.S. Is Arms Bazaar for Mexican Cartels."
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton followed the media's lead and repeated the 90 percent figure to reporters on a flight to Mexico City.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California parroted the figure at a Senate hearing, saying: "It is unacceptable to have 90 percent of the guns that are picked up in Mexico ... come from the United States."
The message so far has been clear: Guns are too easy to obtain in the United States and the Second Amendment is to blame. As a result, the gun violence in Mexico is made worse. There is one problem, though: The 90 percent figure is bogus. Fox News was suspicious of the 90 percent claim and did some digging. What the news network found is that only 17 percent of guns found at Mexican crime scenes have been actually traced to the U.S.
There is quite a discrepancy between 17 percent and 90 percent. So which is actually correct?
An ATF spokesperson clarified the 90 percent statistic that was used by Hoover. She told FoxNews.com "that over 90 percent of the traced firearms originate from the U.S."
The key to understanding the "90 percent" figure is the word "traced." The vast majority of guns recovered in Mexico do not get sent back to the U.S. for tracing, because, Fox News reported, "it is obvious from their markings that they do not come from the U.S."
ATF Special Agent William Newell told FoxNews.com that in between 2007 and 2008 Mexico submitted 11,000 guns to the ATF for tracing. Of that number, 6,000 were successfully traced and of those, approximately 90 percent -- 5,114 to be exact -- were found to have come from the United States.
However, according to the Mexican government, 29,000 guns were recovered from crime scenes during 2007 and 2008, FoxNews.com reported.
Let's try to put things in perspective, something the aforementioned media outlets and politicians have yet to do: Of the 29,000 guns recovered at Mexican crime scenes in 2007-2008, only 5,114 -- about 17 percent -- have been traced to the United States. Approximately 18,000 were never submitted for tracing because it was obvious they were not from the United States.
"Not every weapon seized in Mexico has a serial number on it that would make it traceable, and the U.S. effort to trace weapons really only extends to weapons that have been in the U.S. market," Matt Allen, special agent of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told FoxNews.com.
While it is true that 90 percent of the traced guns recovered from Mexican crime scenes are found to have come from the U.S., the actual number of guns that have been traced to the United States is only 17 percent.
Where do the guns being used in Mexico come from? According to FoxNews.com, they come from a variety of sources. Among them are Russia, South America, Asia, Guatemala and even the Mexican Army.
Will the media and left-leaning politicians correct themselves and acknowledge that the gun violence along the US-Mexican border is mostly due to guns coming from places other than America? I doubt it. When you're trying to support your bias, "17 percent" is not very persuasive.
Kelly Boggs is a weekly columnist for Baptist Press and editor of the Baptist Message (www.baptistmessage.com), newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention.
Nor will there ever be, even if we call them on it.
Perjury. And he'll get away with it too, because bureaucrats are above the law.
Ping
You know, I can believe that 90 % of the guns caught at the border, going from the USA to Mexico originated in the USA. I'd even believe 100%, if you include guns made overseas but purchased or stolen here.
I find it strange that this article makes no points about the difference between "recovered at Mexican crime scenes" and "interdicted in transport to Mexico". Muddling this distinction muddles the whole argument.
Also, 18,000 guns is not that many. Certainly not considering the fact that we have a pretty open border, and millions of guns in private hands.
What I also expect is that a fair number of the 18,000 guns might have been in the victim's hands. That's a number we'll never see.
Didnt the ATF do dirty tricks in the Clinton years?
The MSM is a bunch of gun grabbers.
FIRST-PERSON: Mexico, U.S. guns and the media’s 90 percent myth:
Steps the left will use to ban firearms:
1) Massive media attention over every Binghamton like shooting and the copycats that will surely follow .
2) Create propaganda campaign on how American Arm exports are causing world wide civil strife.(Mexico)
3) Exploit these ‘crisis’ to over exaggerate public support as a reason for YET more government regulation.
4) Attack the 2nd amendment as outdated,uncivil and a negative influence on society
5) Multi frontal attack on the NRA or anyone else who defends the 2nd amendment
6) Enter the lawyers: and their lawsuits against gun manufacturers.
Gun owners—there is strength in numbers......be prepared
The msmhas a small problem it can’t remember toreport a story with facts or just make a story up see msm works for the last sixty years.
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COMMENTS Corrupt Third World governments are deliberately fomenting social unrest---manipulating drug activities and gang warfare on US soil-----for a targeted goal.
The espanolas are using the same playbook as the greedy Mideast connivers----the well-worn chapter entititled "How To Dupe the US Into Pouring Trillions Into Your Country." The con job entails faking that they "can't govern"....that they are "helpless victims."
This con sure works good in the Mideast---some of those lowlifes have been operating for years and are STILL too stupid to govern themselves.....UNLESS US tax dollars are pouring in.
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CON ALERT Now watch the espanolas use tried and true Mideast cons to get US tax dollars flowing:
1. Victimization----never fails.
2. Baiting "enemies" of the US to attack their Third World hellholes (or, more precisely, people THEY claim are US enemies) in order to dupe the US to step in, and step up the dollar flow.
3. Sending espanola government agents masquerading as drug lords into the countryside to foment unrest.
4. Populating the US with espanola government agents to agitate for US govt involvement to trigger the flow of US tax dollars. //////////Cong TOM TANCREDO relates his conversation with Juan Hernandez (candidate McC's Hispanic outreach rep).
Hernandez is a dual citizen and headed the Mexican govt's **Ministry of Mexicans Living in the United States. **
Hernandez said the purpose of the Mexican govt agency was to increase the flow of Mexican nationals to the US to serve Mexico’s needs:
To increase remittances of $10 billion a year (30% of the Mexican GDP); to alleviate Mexican social instability and to get free training for Mexicans who are expected to repatriate the skills (paid for by US citizens) back to Mexico.
Hernandez supports US amnesty laws as well: "By populating the US with millions of Hispanics who are tied economically, politically and linguistically to Mexico, we are able to exert enormous influence and pressure on U.S. policy and its dealings with Mexico,’’ Henandez told Tancredo.
SOURCE http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=33894
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Echos of conniving Mideast greed resound south of the border.....wadda ya wanna bet the pukeneos are part of this scam? These jerks never saw an immigrant they didn't like---whether from eastern Europe, the Soviet bloc, or the Third World south of the border.
This classification was once reserved for those claiming religious or political persecution. Now Mexican are streaming into the US whining about "persecution"......as another way to collect US govt freebies.
THE RIPOFF UP CLOSE Social Security provides outrageous government aid to "refugees" claiming "persecution." Keep in mind these people never paid a dime into the SS system; yet, they can collect seven years straight and can get extended payments if they are politically well-connected. The SS checks to these "persecuted refugees" can amount to $1000 a month and more.
NOTE WELL Some of these suckups are wealthy people whining about "persecution", squatting on US soil, intent on draining the US treasury.
ACTION NOW Call your reps and demand: (1) these payments, and, (2) the "persecuted refugee" classification be stopped.
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Espanola con artists have been planning this "drug war" for a long time-----as a way to sneak more Mexicans into our country. They whine as they sneak over our borders, crying "persecution," acting like "god's children looking for a better life."
Doing menial jobs cheap is part of the con game. Now they are in high gear-----using scare tactics to alarm the US into getting involved---
This is a Third World con game to drain the US treasury.
The segment aired with no comment from the anchor who just moved along to the next story.
Regards,
GtG
Fox News did run the truth several times in the last day or so.
Same sh!t, different decade...
Ping!
I've been attending gun shows for over 20 years and have yet to find fully automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenade launchers or anything beyond one-round-per-trigger-pull available without a nosy (and expensive) Federal license.
The truly sad fact never reported is that the common Mexican citizens are deprived of effective firearms under their own laws - leaving the lawless, the corrupt and the government (and combinations of all three) the only ones armed. The drug cartels and their bought-off authorities would never had run roughshod over a citizenry empowered by a 2nd Amendment like ours.
These two dumbos are willingly subjugating our sacred constitutional right to bear arms.........to appease a foreign government.
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