Criminals use loophole to get guns

chicagotribune ^ | 9-9-01 | Mike Dorning

[SJackson]

The man who is accused of shooting Chicago police detective Joseph M. Airhart Jr. capitalized on a simple but increasingly common way to evade gun control laws: He had someone else buy the guns for him.

The quick path that two powerful handguns allegedly made from the counter of a pawn shop in Benton Harbor, Mich., to the hands of Daniel Salley illustrates a critical gap in the nation's approach to controlling guns.

[SJackson]

The woman who bought the guns for Salley has not been charged, authorities said.

Top penalty rarely given

Mostly, offenders are prosecuted on misdemeanor charges of violating the record-keeping statute

relatively small sentences also influence federal agents' willingness to devote limited resources to pursue cases

so gun-control advocates argue for a federal law that would limit firearm purchases to one handgun per month

So the police aren’t willing to do their job, the prosecutors won’t do theirs (I guess they’re all busy protecting me), so my freedom to purchase a firearm should be curtailed.

Please note, the article about an incident in Chicago, published by a Chicago paper with plenty of reporters, is authored by Mike Dorning, Washington Bureau. No agenda here.

[SJackson]

bang_list

[sheltonmac]

That's all the proof I need. Let's ban all guns. That way, we can be sure that criminal won't have them, right?

[HiJinx]

How much ya' wanna bet Mike in the Washington Bureau goes to lunch frequently with the folks from the Brady Center to Prevent Us from Exercising 2nd Amendment Freedoms (BCPUE2AF)?

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Excellent comments. The more loopholes they try to close the more freedom innocent people lose. I wish the police were as lax about enforcing traffic laws and the IRS was as casual about collecting taxes as the feds are in enforcing laws about guns. Many police seem to be on the anti-gun side and don't want citizens to do anything to protect themselves.

[DrNo]

The woman who bought the guns for Salley has not been charged, authorities said.

Therefore, we need new laws to restrict my ability to purchase firearms!

[hoot2]

LOOPHOLE? didn't see any loophole. "just tell the big LIE, over n over, n soon, its FACT.

[Phantom Lord]

Gun control advocates argue the problem underscores the need for more comprehensive laws, including regulation of all secondhand gun sales. Such a system would establish a paper trail, making it easier to catch buyers who act as fronts for others, they say.

And these criminals would have followed such a law? Sure, and people in crack houses will use trigger locks.

[ctdonath2]

way to evade gun control laws: He had someone else buy the guns for him.

That's already illegal. No loophole.

[Dan from Michigan]

The quick path that two powerful handguns allegedly made from the counter of a pawn shop in Benton Harbor, Mich.

This gun was bought in Michigan.

Michigan has gun registration. If the man's girlfriend was not from Michigan, that's one law broken since it is against the law to buy a handgun outside of the state of residence. And in Michigan, in order for me to buy a pistol, I need to go to the sheriff's office and pick up a 'permit to purchase'. Then I buy the gun, and then bring it back for registration.

And we need more gun laws? This is a propaganda piece.

[SES1066]

As a way of curtailing straw purchases, some gun-control advocates argue for a federal law that would limit firearm purchases to one handgun per month.

I refer to the great British Statesman, William Pitt;
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants, it is the creed of slaves!"
I prefer not to be a slave!

[an amused spectator]

Exactly. Who was the guy they were prosecuting on the east side of the state because someone shot someone else with a gun that was registered to him, but hadn't been his property for a number of years?

[BlueNgold]

WHOA! ... Breaking news! Criminals are willing to break the law in order to get weapons! You mean, criminals don't just say .. oops it's illegal for me to buy a gun so I'll just go home and watch C-Span? My brain is about to explode from sheer shock!

[BlueNgold]

Bold off

[BlueNgold]

Anyone care to reset the font?

[GnL]

It never fails to amaze me how gun grabbers believe that the solution to ineffective gun laws (e.g. straw purchase law) is to pass new ineffective gun laws. Which part of "clueless" don't they understand???

[alpowolf]

"It's a really tough law to charge," said one veteran ATF agent and field supervisor, who asked not to be identified. "Basically, you have to catch somebody in the act.

Holy Cats! You mean you have to have evidence to bust somebody? Since when do the alphabet agencies worry about evidence?

Where are all you JBT apologists? You must have something to say about this.

[Dan from Michigan]

I forgot about that.

BTW - I believe Wayne County's gun board is meeting TOMORROW. This will be interesting. MCRGO has a Wayne County meeting tonight as well.(I think you said you were from there).

I think Wayne is the last big county to issue.

[Phantom Lord]

Hope that worked

[TexRef]

loop·hole (lphl)
n.

1. A freedom or liberty that liberal politicians accidentally forgot to revoke.
2. Any legal practice that liberals would like to make illegal.