August 18, 2007

 

 

      

 

        - Assemblyman Mark Leno                                        - Mayor Michael Bloomberg

            ( D- San Francisco)                                                        of New York City

            (Wikipedia Content)                                                                                           (Wikipedia Content)

 

 

To All,

     Here are some "faces" from the "Workplace Safety for Criminals" Crowd that firearms activists better be aware of:

 

"Frisco, Frisco Uber alles...":

        Can gun-grabbers telegraph a punch or what?

 

        Not content in turning San Francisco into a "free fire" zone for thieves, dope-dealers and those who would assault various local LGBT pedestrians, Leno wants to take his Disarm the Taxpayers Traveling Medicine Show up the road to Sacramento.

 

        In a press release from August 9, 2007, Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-SF) announced that he is going to pull an old "gut and amend" on AB 1668 by replacing some open information source requirements with a state prohibition on gun shows at Daly City's Cow Palace.

 

       Given the success of gun control measures in San Francisco so far, one could have thought that Leno would have preferred to spend his time on more productive pursuits (A modernized waste treatment plant at Hunters Point, complete with re-built sewer lines, is a thought.). But no, Leno seems to have it in his head to tell law abiding gun owners what to do by driving farther up the road for their shooting supplies ( For example, a Sportsman's Warehouse is located 108 or so miles up the road in Rocklin, California. So much for reducing the state's carbon footprint. ).

 

       Now, it is clear that a gun show is much, much more than a venue for retail sales. It's a place for whole flocks of birds of a distinctly self-determinative nature to get together, chew the fat, and even update their voter registration cards. But in all probability, there is likely more illegal activity going on near or around the corner of Leavenworth and Turk in San Francisco than there is in the Cow Palace's parking lot on any given day there is also a gun show at the Palace. So perhaps Leno and the rest of the Bay's Political Bozos should perhaps stick to their own knitting by doing something about the demand-side of the gang-dominated drug trade. Given the recent spate of "mergers and consolidations" related to Frisco's illegal narcotic distribution system, violence in Frisco could be best addressed by convincing the locals to "Say No" to drugs. That is more likely to have an impact on drug gang criminality than all the wasted pieces of Legislative drivel combined. Or perhaps they could find a way to tax crack sales as much as they would wish to tax cigarettes or petroleum-based fuels. There is usually more than one way that Liberals have found to drag an economic activity into the ground.

 

Links at:

http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a13/press/20070809AD13PR01.htm

 

 

The Emperor's Glass House:

     Bill Rankin and Rhonda Cook noted in an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the latest ruling from US District Judge "Kangaroo Jack" Weinstein, which would seemingly extend the authority of the courts of New York to such Empire State venues as Smyrna, Richmond, and Charleston (Apparently Weinstein has a copy of that old New Yorker cover, the one with the distinctly Yankee viewpoint of US Geography, pinned to his office wall.). In response, Mayor Bloomberg applauded like the trained seal he aspires to be given that he appears headed towards a Presidential Campaign run designed to drain anti-gun votes from Senator Hillary Clinton.

 

     Now, Judge Weinstein is an old acquaintance to firearms rights activists. When the Brady Bunch needs a "go-to" guy in the Federal Judiciary for a first round ruling in favor of gun confiscation, Weinstein is the first name on Sarah's Rolodex.

 

     But perhaps Judge Weinstein is opening up a means by which harassed gun dealers may exact some "tit for tat". If Judge Weinstein's legal reasoning has any merit at all, then it may be possible for Georgia and Virginia dealers to go after those economic activities in New York that enable criminals to carry out their nefarious deeds in those states.

 

    For example, imagine a 19 year old drug dealer from Brooklyn who uses his ill-gotten proceeds to buy a BMW Alpina B7 to use in running drugs and other illegally held items from Atlanta back to his home "turf". Imagine also that the drug dealer paid untraceable cash for the car to avoid "lifestyle" complications with the fine folks at the Internal Revenue Service. Further more, it was paid to a New York City car dealer more interested in monthly sales quotas than in wondering where a 19 year-old gets that kind of money. And, for the sake of argument, imagine that Georgia law enforcement were to pull over said drug dealer while transporting contraband in said Beemer on Highway 85 just north of Atlanta, who then dutifully file their arrest reports recording the potential criminal use of said BMW.

 

     If a convictions for this and similar types of crime were to result, then perhaps Georgia citizens would have found the crime nexus to run "sting operations" where they would approach luxury car dealers in the Big Apple with offers to buy their wares for cash. Teenagers over the age of 18 could be used much the same way that antigun groups have used teenagers in LA area gunshops in trying to buy handgun ammunition (only cars are not illegal for teens to buy). If the dealer accepts the transaction, then said luxury car dealers could be sued for material contributions to the drug trade in Georgia (along with contributing to drunk driving by out-of-staters, contributing to the violation of Georgia's traffic laws, and, lastly and most heinously, increasing Georgia's carbon footprint.).

 

     One could only imagine the possibilities that this kind of "creative legal thinking" could do to impress Mayor Bloomberg. Given the disparity in revenues, values, and sales taxes between Beemers and Glocks, Bloomberg had better start hoping that Glock, Beretta, and the rest start marketing a line of Rolex-quality handguns to bring the economic impact back to parity. Otherwise, the stone going through the window pane in this case might just end up being thrown at Mayor Bloomberg and Judge Weinstein. Stay tuned.

 

   

Link at:

http://www.ajc.com/search/content/metro/stories/2007/08/16/gun.html

 

 

Homer Simpson Has Met His Match:

    For those who are in desperate need of a conundrum, they only have to reach for a copy of Assemblyman Mark Feuer's AB 1471 for a prime example.

 

    For example, the Legislative Counsel's Digest notes:

 

    "...This bill, the Crime Gun Identification Act of 2007, would, commencing

     January 1, 2010, expand the definition of ' unsafe handgun' to include

     semiautomatic pistols that are not designed and equipped with a micro-

     scopic array of characters that identify the make, model, and serial

     number of the pistol, etched in 2 or more places on the interior surface

     or internal working parts of the pistol, and that are transferred by

     imprinting on each cartridge case when the firearm is fired...."

 

     The actual wording of the bill notes:

 

     "...12126...(b)...(7) Commencing January 1, 2010, for all semiautomatic

      pistols that are not already listed on the roster pursuant to Section 12131,

      it is not designed and equipped with a microscopic array of characters

      that identify the make, model, and serial number of the pistol, etched or

      otherwise imprinted in two or more places on the interior surface or internal

      working parts of the pistol, and that are transferred by imprinting on each

      cartridge case when the firearm is fired...The microscopic array of

      characters required by this section shall not be considered the name

      of the maker, model, manufacturer's number, or other mark of identification,

      including any distinguishing number or mark assigned by the Department

      of Justice, within the meaning of Sections 12090 and 12094...."

 

 

      In turn, Penal Code Section 12090 reads:

 

      "...Any person who changes, alters, removes or obliterates the name of the

       maker, model, or manufacturer's number, or other mark of identification,

       including any distinguishing number or mark assigned by the Department

       of Justice on any pistol, revolver, or any other firearm, without first having

       secured written permission from the department to make such a change,

       alteration or removal shall be punished by imprisonment in the state

       prison..."

 

       And Penal Code Section 12094 reads:

 

       "...12094.  (a) Any person with knowledge of any change, alteration, removal,

        or obliteration described herein, who buys, receives, disposes of, sells,

        offers for sale, or has in his or her possession any pistol, revolver, or other

        firearm which has had the name of the maker, model, or the manufacturer's

        number or other mark of identification including any distinguishing number

        or mark assigned by the Department of Justice changed, altered, removed,

        or obliterated is guilty of a misdemeanor...."

 

  As Homer would say, "...D'Oh!!!"

 

  In other words, if a criminal were to obliterate the micro-stamped features prior to committing some sort of crime, the most he would be in fear of is having to worry about a civil liability lawsuit from some fine California torts attorney hired by the survivors of his victim or victims.

 

 Boy, must California's underworld be quaking in it's boots over that prospect.

 

    To be honest, this is typical of the work product one sees from Liberals bent on gun confiscation. A bill is sold to the public on the premise that new restrictions will cut or solve crimes, when in reality the bill is designed to let criminals off with no worries. On the other hand, honest citizens are faced with the pain of increased costs. Or, in the case of law enforcement, increased liability exposure if microstamped engraving wears from the multiple use of their service pistols or from the presence of microstamped cases at shooting scenes. AB 1471 doesn't even do anything about the carbon footprint of criminals throughout California. The best that can be said for AB 1471 is that is a bad legislation designed to hoodwink donors of an antigun persuasion out of funds that could theoretically be spent on Presidential Primary candidates of an antigun persuasion. And that is not much.

 

   Perhaps it is too much for a person to ask the Legislature to somehow acquire common sense between now and August 20, 2007, when they are most likely to vote again on AB 1471. But then, miracles have been known to happen before, especially when constituents with common sense communicate their opinions to their elected representatives. Call your State Senators today.

 

Link at:

http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/asm/ab_1451-1500/ab_1471_bill_20070711_amended_sen_v96.html

 

 

Respectfully,