Feinstein Goes Ballistic (Gun 'fingerprints' solve crime)

San Jose Mercury News ^ | 11/19/2002 | Diane Feinstein

[SteveH]

Imagine if a technology existed that could help law enforcement take a single bullet from the scene of a homicide and track down the murder weapon -- and then the murderer. Imagine that this technology did not require a government database of gun owners.

[SteveH]

Everybody's favorite Senator and civil rights advocate "Diane!" with a totally new and unexpected viewpoint

[Joe Brower]

Here is a letter to the editor on this propaganda piece from one of the Sentate's most prominent gun-grabbers, off of the CA-firearms list yesterday. Feel free to copy, adapt, and mail to the SJMN:

***

Senator Feinstein's opinion piece is a potpourri of misinformation and out and out lies. There's so much to criticize, let's start with just the most egregious falshood.

Unlike fingerprints, which change very little over the course of a person's life, ballistic markings can, and often do, change with ordinary use.

The clearest real-world evidence that "ballistic fingerprinting" is a farce was the 1997 testing of the gun believed to have killed Martin Luther King. It was test-fired 18 times under court order and court supervision by experts. No two bullets matched each other -- nor the bullet that killed Dr. King!

If the markings don't change from normal wear and tear, it is trivial to change them on purpose. The barrels of many weapons can be changed easily in a matter of minutes. In a hurry? Just dirty one round with a little sand before firing.

Had she done just a little research she would know that the State of California investigated the idea of just such a database. The Department of Justice Fornesics Bureau rejected even a cartridge case imaging law, noting that bullets are even less reliable. Why? The idea was "impractical and will likely create logistic complications so great that they cannot be effectively addressed." In short, it won't work. Read it for yourself at http://www.nssf.org/PDF/CA_study.pdf.

This is not the first time that Senator Feinstein has lied to support her extremist, out-of-touch, anti-self-defense agenda. But it's a shining example of why she cannot be trusted to tell the truth.

[David]

This is just a back door way to gun registration--the "fingerprint" has to be identified to a specific gun at the time of sale; they now have the owner's name.

The "fingerprint" argument itself is also bogus. Anyone can change the "fingerprint" of a gun in less than five minutes with a coat hanger. Unlike real finger prints, the ballistic print is subject to change by a number of factors including intentional modification by the gun owner.

[Puppage]

already been used on a limited basis to help track down and prosecute suspects who committed crimes using a firearm.

I believe the word that's missing here is CONVICTED.There has NEVER been ANY crime solved (a conviction) thru this "feel good" technology. Here's a thought...why don't we just make murder illegal?

[Redbob]

"Feinstein Goes Ballistic"

Of course she does: she realizes the national electorate has just pushed her and her "party" farther toward the fringes of American political thought, and she's desperate for an issue.

She's sorta the Senate equivalent of Nancy Pelosi.

[Phaedrus]

Feinstein is a Liberal Fascist.

[Piquaboy]

I now hear that the next thing she wants to do is register caulking guns. When are the greenies going to get upset over the amount of hair spray she uses which contributes to global warming?

[templar]

Imagine if a technology existed that could help law enforcement take a single bullet from the scene of a homicide and track down the murder weapon -- and then the murderer. Imagine that this technology did not require a government database of gun owners.

I never thought I'd be in agreement with Feinstein about a gun issue. But this time is seems I am. This is imaginary technology.

[steve-b]

the gun believed to have killed Martin Luther King

[pounds head on keyboard] iojerw;asdlqkhtgfalksd;jfja;sjf

[RollingThunder]

As I have said before: "Ballistic Fingerprinting" is an out-right lie. In one time going to a range and firing either one of my pistols or rifles, then going thru the process of properly cleaning them. This so-called "Ballistic Fingerprint" will change.

These socialist liars will do anything to take away our rights to defend ourselves.

[toddst]

These socialist liars will do anything to take away our rights to defend ourselves.

You are correct. Clearly this is an attempt at national registration of all guns - and we know where that goes.

Can't her California pals name a bridge or something for Feinstein so she'll just go away?

[Ranxerox]

It never ceases to amaze me how stupid liberals are. Without fail, they don't consider the complete ramifications of the crap they propose.

For example, consider what would happen if this legislation were to pass: Suppose somebody is murdered with a gun. The police have a suspect in custody who owns the same caliber of gun the victim was killed with, he also has motive, etc. The police are unable to come up with a weapon because the suspect ditched it somewhere.

No problem the police say, we'll just check our database of ballistic fingerprints. Well, since we know that the ballistic characteristics change over the life of the gun, the bullet from the victim doesn't match the ballistic database.

Presto! reasonable doubt. No guarantees, but a half-decent lawyer could get this suspect off the hook.

[Joe Brower]

Creatures like Feinstein aren't stupid, they're quite clever actually. The true meaning and purpose of their words and deeds all become quite clear, and very predictable, actually, when you realize that they don't give a tinker's damn about "fighting crime". Their mission is to disarm the American people.

[Tallguy]

Correct! Ballistic fingerprinting will be nothing more than a secondary piece of evidence. At best, it will lead police to the owner-of-record of a stolen handgun, thereby making that individual's life a mess. Come to think of it, that's probably what Sen. Gun Grabber wants.

Memo to serious criminals: Use a revolver.

[jjm2111]

responds with more keyboard head pounding.


bthbtjibhioje99-hu4jkWR[bhTG

[Dan from Michigan]

Hey Feinswine.

Ever hear of CHANGING THE BARRELL!

[Ancesthntr]

Specifically, the legislation would require that ballistic fingerprints from all newly manufactured and imported firearms are entered into this national ballistics database.

Every new gun would be ``fingerprinted'' before a manufacturer ships the gun out of the factory, and that fingerprint would immediately be entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, which is already operating throughout the nation.

What about the older guns? What, criminals won't steal an old gun from someone's house and commit a crime? This is, of course, the presently unmentioned Step 2 - the forced ballistic snapshotting (BS) of every existing firearm.

This ballistics database does not include information about the gun owner. It merely records the make, model and serial number of the firearm, along with the unique ballistic fingerprint of the firearm.

B... S...! What would be the point of a database without the name, address, SSN, etc. of the owner of the gun? Gathering information about the gun owner is precisely the point of any ballistic database, but especially those proposed by Feinstein and her ilk.

The legislation would also provide funding to assist manufacturers in establishing this system.

Any bets on this funding being stripped out in committee, or certainly no later than 1 year after the system debuts? The burden will then be put on the manufacturers who will, naturally, pass it on to gun buyers. This will make it yet more expensive to buy guns, thereby chasing more people away from firearms ownership and political support (yet another of the hidden goals of these statist bustards).

By recording the ballistic fingerprints of all newly manufactured and imported firearms, the system will eventually contain a large portion of the firearms used in crimes, because a large percentage of crimes are committed with relatively new guns.

Here we go - she's basically admitting that the system (even if it could work for the guns put into the database) will have a massive shortcoming - the lack of data regarding older guns. You all know what will come down the pike in a couple of years after that.

These socialist liars will do anything to take away our rights to defend ourselves.

You bet! All past attempts to register all guns, as a necessary prelude to confiscation, have failed. Now these liars are trying to register via the back door.

The true meaning and purpose of their words and deeds all become quite clear, and very predictable, actually, when you realize that they don't give a tinker's damn about "fighting crime". Their mission is to disarm the American people.

Damned straight! Fortunately, this proposed system is so full of holes that it won't stick - but not for lack of these anti-freedom bustards trying.

Memo to serious criminals: Use a revolver.

Or pick up your shells, or use a brass catcher, or use sabot rounds, or scratch up the cases before loading them, or run a nail file up and down the barrel a couple dozen times, or steal your gun, or go to a firing range and pick up someone else's brass cases and leave them at the crim scene, or.... This is such bovine scatology - there are so many ways to get around this system that even someone as dense as a lieberal must understand this. Additionally, the cost of putting such a system into place will be in the tens of billions of dollars, money that could be much better spent on more traditional crime-solving methods. That is why I know for a fact that this is only a registration scheme.

Note to law-abiding gun owners: Buy guns off paper, or trade guns with your friends or relatives. If your guns are ever "fingerprinted," change the barrels, or fire-lap them , or shoot them a couple hundred times immediately thereafter with varying types of ammunition. Change the firing pin and extractor. If necessary, run a steel brush down the barrel. Do anything to f@#$ with the system.

[goldstategop]

DiFi has been around Washington, D.C too long.

[lavaroise]

Can you say the vigilante cops in our congress have a huge conflict of interest when talking about gun control? Yes.

The only time I will register my gun is when I register in the military with it to fight terrorists.... who vote for democrats.

[RollingThunder]

Okay, let's us reason together here.

1. Follow the law. Properly fire your firearm, then follow the proper instructions to clean your firearm. Believe me this will change things.

2. Follow what happens in the news. Keep abreast of what is happening out there, keep notes and STUDY. This keeps the gun-grabbers off-base as they think they can bully you into submission. With the facts, we will get the truth out. Remember, we will win, because we will dazzle them with our brillance. Whereas the gun-grabbers will lose as they try (and fail) to baffle the people with their bu11$hit.

3. Keep writing your Congressmen and Senators on both the Federal and the State level. Let them know were you stand on this or any other subject. Keep doing this and get others to do the same. If they don't listen. we vote them out of office. This will work, as the democRATS and RINO's learned in this past election.