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ATF: Criminals exploiting Alabama gun laws
NBC 15 Mobile, Al ^ | Tuesday, February 11th 2020 | Rachael Wilkerson

Posted on 02/12/2020 7:29:37 AM PST by suthener

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms says Alabama is an easy target for criminals to get a gun.....

The ATF says there is a strong second amendment belief in Alabama as well as other surrounding states, but not a state system of registration or firearm requirements.

"People know that, so this becomes a pipeline almost for firearms leaving legal commerce and then they are sold at flea markets and, etc. Buyers may not ask all the questions they should and someone a little smart and configures state laws and goes from Chicago - a place that has extreme firearms violence but has very strict state laws about purchase," said Marcus Watson.

Marcus Watson runs the AFT field division that oversees Alabama.

He says our state is a source state for guns because "gun laws here are lax compared to other states."

"Someone may purchase 10 firearms legally, go out and shoot them, then they transfer that firearm not from dealer to dealer but individual to individual," said Watson.

Watson says another problem is the lack of gun registration requirements here make it difficult for law enforcement to determine if a gun was stolen or not in certain crimes.

"It is a huge problem," he said.

He says a "gray market" has emerged in Alabama, selling firearms on the street.

"It creates a secondary market where people use guns almost like commerce. On the street a firearm is very valuable. You don't have to break in that house or give up your information. If I can get that gun in a secondary market, nobody knows who I am. I can present myself as anybody and then that gun ends up in some gang banger's hand on the street in Chicago or Michigan, Alabama or wherever," said Watson.

(Excerpt) Read more at mynbc15.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; US: Alabama
KEYWORDS: alabama; atf; banglist; guncontrol
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I posted this to point out the comments by the ATF representative. It is apparently his opinion that Alabama doesn’t have sufficient gun control laws. I sent an email to my congressman about this. I believe the ATF should be more concerned about enforcing laws and not giving their personal opinion about, and trying to influence, state laws. No where in his comments does he suggest Alabama is not following federal gun laws. I told my congressman that federal law enforcement has a history of letting their personal opinions influence their professional duties and we see how that worked out.
1 posted on 02/12/2020 7:29:37 AM PST by suthener
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To: suthener

Gee, I would like to hear this fellow’s views on what is happening in the United Kingdom and Jamaica where the criminal misuse of firearms continues unabated despite widesweeping gun bans being legislated in those places.


2 posted on 02/12/2020 7:32:46 AM PST by OttawaFreeper ("The Gardens was founded by men-sportsmen-who fought for their country" Conn Smythe, 1966)
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To: suthener

And, yet, Alabama had low crime rates.

So, the thesis fails.


3 posted on 02/12/2020 7:33:10 AM PST by 2banana (My common ground with islamic terrorists - they want to die for allah and we want to kill them.)
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To: suthener

Just another big-government apparatchik who is more than willing to allow criminals to determine what rights are allowed the law-abiding.


4 posted on 02/12/2020 7:35:37 AM PST by Joe Brower ("Might we not live in a nobler dream than this?" -- John Ruskin)
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To: suthener
I posted this to point out the comments by the ATF representative. It is apparently his opinion that Alabama doesn’t have sufficient gun control laws. I sent an email to my congressman about this. I believe the ATF should be more concerned about enforcing laws and not giving their personal opinion about, and trying to influence, state laws. No where in his comments does he suggest Alabama is not following federal gun laws. I told my congressman that federal law enforcement has a history of letting their personal opinions influence their professional duties and we see how that worked out.

When the wonkas are all products of ivy-league bureaucrat incubators, this is the kind of nonsense you get. I'd say the BATF has long lived past it's usefulness. Time to go.
5 posted on 02/12/2020 7:38:02 AM PST by farming pharmer
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To: suthener

Screw off, ATF.

We enjoy our Constitutionally-recognized freedoms in Alabama.

“...shall not be infringed.”

Infringed = Act so as to limit or undermine (something); encroach on.


6 posted on 02/12/2020 7:38:54 AM PST by Alas Babylon! (The prisons do not fill themselves. Get moving, Barr!)
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To: Alas Babylon!

Meant to add, Alabama state motto:

We Dare Defend our Rights!


7 posted on 02/12/2020 7:40:10 AM PST by Alas Babylon! (The prisons do not fill themselves. Get moving, Barr!)
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To: suthener

Yeah, and they’re exploiting California’s immigration laws too. So what?


8 posted on 02/12/2020 7:40:15 AM PST by Steely Tom ([Seth Rich] == [the Democrats' John Dean])
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To: Steely Tom

Paging President Trump: Time for new leadership at ATFE. All the way up through Barr.


9 posted on 02/12/2020 7:43:15 AM PST by TheTimeOfMan (The Eloi unexpectedly protected the Morlocks from rogue Eloi as they themselves prepared to be eaten)
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To: suthener

It’s not up to Alabama and her citizens to enforce federal gun laws. The ATF is welcome investigate those who traffic guns between the states and arrest them.

Funny, though, whenever some scumbag is arrested for a crime with a gun from another state, none of the federal laws they broke are ever included in the charges or convictions, so what does any of this matter?


10 posted on 02/12/2020 7:43:34 AM PST by CarmichaelPatriot (Recovering Kalifornian... Loving Alabama!)
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To: suthener

Criminals use stolen cars to commit crimes.

What’s the liberal solution to that?

Make it difficult for innocent people to buy cars?


11 posted on 02/12/2020 7:45:44 AM PST by Vlad The Inhaler (I love Mankind - It's Just Most Of The People That I Can't Stand)
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To: suthener
"People know that, so this becomes a pipeline almost for firearms leaving legal commerce and then they are sold at flea markets and, etc. Buyers may not ask all the questions they should and someone a little smart and configures state laws and goes from Chicago - a place that has extreme firearms violence but has very strict state laws about purchase," said Marcus Watson.

Marcus Watson needs to go back to school and learn English.

12 posted on 02/12/2020 7:52:20 AM PST by real saxophonist (Everything I Play Gone Be Funky, From Now On)
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To: real saxophonist
And, I see Marcus got a degree in B.S.
13 posted on 02/12/2020 7:54:48 AM PST by real saxophonist (Everything I Play Gone Be Funky, From Now On)
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To: suthener
Old joke: When you cross the state line into Alabama, a sheriff's deputy will stop you and ask if you have a gun.

If you say no, he'll give you one.

14 posted on 02/12/2020 7:57:11 AM PST by real saxophonist (Everything I Play Gone Be Funky, From Now On)
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To: suthener

The ATF obviously wants everywhere to have gun control laws like Chicago has.


15 posted on 02/12/2020 7:57:36 AM PST by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizens Are Born Here of Citizen Parents_Know Islam, No Peace-No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: suthener

Welcome to the wonders of a federal republican form of government, Mr. ATF Agent. If one state passes a bunch of stupid laws, the citizens will just hop over the border to another state to bypass them.


16 posted on 02/12/2020 7:59:44 AM PST by Boogieman
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To: real saxophonist

“Old joke: When you cross the state line into Alabama, a sheriff’s deputy will stop you and ask if you have a gun.
If you say no, he’ll give you one.”

Yeah, but our permit process is ridiculous. It can sometimes take 10 or 15 minutes to get a permit. My permit is due for renewal. I have to decide whether to pay $20.00 and renew online or go to the office, show my retired military I.D. and not pay anything.

Disclaimer: permits should not be required; however, the system in my county could not be easier.


17 posted on 02/12/2020 8:05:07 AM PST by suthener
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To: suthener
It creates a secondary market where people use guns almost like commerce.

What does that mean? This Watson guy is not only a gun grabber, he's an idiot.

18 posted on 02/12/2020 8:07:30 AM PST by MileHi (Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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To: suthener

Cry me a river. That ATF is run by a bunch of bureaucratic assholes who don’t think citizens should have guns anyway. Every “gun control” scheme I have ever seen does NOTHING to get the guns out of the hands of criminals. They only impose restrictions on the law abiding.


19 posted on 02/12/2020 8:07:37 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants (If gun ownership by private citizens scares DemocRats, the 2nd Amendment is doing its job.)
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To: Joe Brower

As I’ve said before, tyrants never have want of jack booted thugs to carry out their draconian laws.


20 posted on 02/12/2020 8:09:43 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants (If gun ownership by private citizens scares DemocRats, the 2nd Amendment is doing its job.)
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