Posted on 04/07/2005 8:48:12 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan
VFW in Marcellus wants ATF to give back machine gun
4/7/2005, 2:27 p.m. ET
The Associated Press
MARCELLUS, Mich. (AP) — Area residents want federal authorities to return a 1918 German .50 caliber machine gun to the local VFW Post's war museum after it was taken during a search earlier this year.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms took the Maxim machine gun as part of a broader investigation into the person who donated the weapon to the post, the Three Rivers Commercial-News reported.
Museum curator and Vietnam veteran Wilber Breseman was outraged by the Feb. 23 search.
"How many man-hours and at what monetary value did this operation cost?" Breseman asked. "Wouldn't it have been much better for one officer to approach us and tell us to make this weapon completely inoperable?
"I could have taken it to my shop and welded the barrel and breech shut, which would have taken about 15 minutes."
Four ATF agents and one state trooper arrived at the post with a search warrant for concealed weapons. Mark Hady, the ATF's resident agent in charge, said the donor was under investigation for illegally dealing in firearms.
Hady said the ATF would like to give the gun back, but legal issues surrounding the weapon must be resolved. The weapon would have to be made inoperable, and it was uncertain whether that had been done.
"When we got the orders to go to the VFW, we said, 'Oh God, that's the last thing we want to do,'" Hady said. "I'm not sure how many people were actually there, but we weren't trying to intimidate anyone."
Several hundred Marcellus residents planned to send a petition to Washington to try and get the gun back.
We've got terrorists coming accross the border, north and south, and the BATFE has the time and manpower to raid the VFW?
How can property be guilty of carrying a concealed weapon?
The real guilty ones according to our government seem to be those trying to hold officals to the constitution...
or interfer with their plans to tear down the borders between Canada and Mexico...of course without national sovereignty there will be no USA..so who needs a constitution anyway.
imo
I got a laugh out of 'we'd like to give it back.'
I do want to know more about the 'illegal dealing' involved with this. What's to my mind most likely is some collector gave the thing to the VFW without anyone filling out the required paperwork, paying the tax, and getting the stamp.
Dollars to donuts the folks at the VFW didn't even know if it was demilled or not.
I'm also unaware that Hiram Maxims invention was ever chambered in .50 caliber.
L
The ATF and the DEA are two agencies that need to be removed. They have no respect for the constitution. And the guy that called them "jack booted thugs" wasn't very far off when you read this story.
That would be John Dingell of all people.
Hey - do you want Maxim-carrying criminals to overrun the streets? Well, DO YOU? ;-)
"We were just following orders..."
Why does that sound familiar? ;-)
The German Maxim wasn't made in .50 cal in WWI. For one thing they use the metric system. Sheesh.
http://www.worldwar1.com/arm005.htm
See the real McCoy at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M2_machine_gun
Indeed. Just because something is legal doesn't mean that it is good, just, or moral. Slavery was legal, bans on "race mixing" were legal, etc.
Also, why aren't these twits doing something constructive with our money like, oh this is nutty, looking for gun smuggling terrorists or bomb-making psychos bent on actually snuffing scores of Americans. I guess it is just easier to hassle veterans than protecting the nation from criminals.
It was made in 7.95mm (close to .303in).
exactly. this agency is the home of true sadists, who have very little understanding of the Constitution. Do any of these IDIOTS stop and think what they are doing? The agency is run by people who look at Americans as though we are their servants. They "always" first assume we are wrong. It is beyond contemptible. More and more, the Bush administration is a disappointment. Bush talks about Liberty abroad, yet people in his administration continuously steamroll over the innocent in this land. The Republicans in Congress spend MORE than the democrats -- very disappointing. It is astounding how much we believed things would be different having control of three branches, yet the Reps have shown they are weak minded men, with little appreciation for sacrifice and hard work. The respect for the Constitution must be sacred. Ever since Ruby Ridge, I always get chills reading anything about the BATF. It is a shameful organization, not one that our Founders would tolerate. Their arrogance is only exceeded by their disrespect for the Constitution and their abuse of innocent Americans; in this story, our Veterans.
It is always easier and more pleasant for Government agents to enforce the laws against those who are law abiding.
The US Marshalls were responsible for the murder of Randy Weavers son.
All the BATF did was illegally entrap Randy Weaver and lie to a Federal Judge in order to obtain the warrant that started the Waco fiasco.
I have no love for either agency, I just like to keep the facts straight.
L
With which they then proceded assault the Branch Davidians, media in tow. That first assault (IIRC) wounded Koresh and resulted in the deaths of 4 ATF agents which then set the attitude and tone of the rest of the siege and massacre.
How could they have respect for the Constitution when they're not authorized by it?
Why leave it to your kids? Just start ignoring them.
"Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against - then you'll know that this is not the age for beautiful gestures. We're after power and we mean it. You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you'd better get wise to it. There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted - and you create a nation of law-breakers - and then you cash in on guilt. Now, that's the system, Mr. Rearden, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with." ~Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
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