New ATF report again shows Bloomberg lies about trace data
[Last weeks'] release of aggregate gun trace data in the New York City region by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) once again puts the lie to long-standing claims by Mayor Michael Bloomberg that this data is not available to law enforcement, the Second Amendment Foundation said.
Click 'Read More' for the entire press release.
William G. McMahon, ATF Special Agent in Charge for the ATF's New York field division, released the data for 2006 on Thursday [September 6, 2007].
"No matter what the data shows - and it contains no surprises for anyone who understands the firearms black market - the most significant fact of all is that the ATF has once again demonstrated that this data is available for on-going, legitimate criminal investigations," said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb. "Of course, this probably went right over the heads of anti-gunners, including Mayor Bloomberg, who probably do not realize that the ATF just exploded their big lie.
"Special Agent McMahon struck a huge blow for truth, because the release of this 2006 trace activity shows that police in New York City are asking for, and getting, critical gun trace data," he added. "But to hear Bloomberg and his cronies in the anti-gun Mayors Coalition, local police are stymied by a federal law that protects this sensitive trace data from being exploited for political aggrandizement.
"One other important thing to keep in perspective about this data is that it proves beyond doubt that restrictive gun control laws in New York and elsewhere, including one-gun-a-month laws in other states, waiting periods and federal background checks do not prevent criminals from getting guns," Gottlieb observed. "These laws, and other gun control measures, only restrict the rights of honest citizens.
"Perhaps equally important," he concluded, "is that harassment lawsuits against the firearms industry and individual firearms retailers also do not stop determined criminals from committing crimes with guns they obtain illegally. And, for that matter, neither do vigilante sting operations, conducted by anti-gun mayors and their rogue private investigators."
Related Story:
Bloomberg blames gun rights advocates for officer's shooting
- Officials say Calves was a career criminal and had a prior murder conviction. They also say Calves' gun was stolen in Ohio.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has been fighting the illegal sale of guns out of state is seething at the news.
"It's unconscionable that anyone would not want to do everything possible to strengthen the law and prevent future shootings from happening and to prevent violent felons from getting illegal guns," said Bloomberg. "Our police officers are in the line of fire literally every day, and we need to do everything we can to protect them."
Uh..."everything we can" - like making stealing a gun illegal? Like making transporting it across state lines illegal? Like making possession of it when you're a felon illegal? What would one more law - or ten more laws - have done to deter this criminal?
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