NJ2AS Operation Establish Compliance Records First Substantial Victory
Manahawkin, NJ – The New Jersey Second Amendment Society (NJ2AS) has recorded its first substantial victory in Operation Establish Compliance with the reversal of Egg Harbor Township’s policy of requiring the signing of an unlimited release of information and liability waiver as a condition of processing firearms permit applications. Operation Establish Compliance is the ongoing effort to force Municipal Police Departments to issue firearms permits in accordance with the law.
NJ2AS was only days away from filing a lawsuit challenging the additional form when Drew Parker, who serves on the Egg Harbor Township Zoning Board and is a member of NJ2AS, brought the issue to the attention of the Township Committee. The Committee immediately conducted a thorough investigation, led by Joe Cafero, ultimately concluding that the form was in use, and was, in fact, an illegal additional requirement. The Committee then acted quickly to stop the use of the form.
“The NJ2AS Board of Directors, Staff and all of our members applaud the actions of the Egg Harbor Township’s Township Committee and the cooperation of their Chief of Police.”, said Frank Fiamingo, President and co-founder of NJ2AS. “We are grateful that they did the right thing, and in doing so, have avoided a costly lawsuit for both parties. It is encouraging to see such effective and responsible leadership at the local level. That’s the whole point of having a Second Amendment Society. So we can work together to resolve problems.”
NJ2AS has now shifted focus to another town with similar requirements. “Our current, ongoing lawsuit, NJ2AS v. NJSP, seeking access to the New Jersey State Police Firearms Applicant Investigation Guide, has shown that we are willing to go to the mat.”, Frank Fiamingo went on to say. “We will do whatever it takes to eliminate these illegal practices. As usual, we will provide updates to our efforts in Operation Establish Compliance as soon as they become available. Anyone can sign up for our free email alert system at NJ2AS.com.”
The New Jersey Second Amendment Society (http://www.NJ2AS.com) is the most relevant pro-gun-owner organization in New Jersey with thousands of members and supporters throughout the State, emphasizing education of the community and legislature, safety and skills training and properly distinguishing between criminals and the law-abiding in legislation and administrative practices.
Who Guards the Guards: Guns Stolen from Trooper’s Home
WTHI is reporting that “police are looking for 2 people they suspect of stealing guns from an Indiana State Police Detective’s home.”
While we don’t fault the officer in this case, it does show that criminals will find guns, even if “only the police” have guns as many anti-gun zealots say should be the case. So if only the police had guns, now the criminals would as well.
Who Guards the Guards: One Law For Them…
Today seems to be a big day for “Who Guards the Guards” stories, and this one is something to think about very hard. California has extremely strict gun laws regarding what private citizens can and cannot own, and yet the Associated Press noted, via the San Jose Mercury News:
Peace officers throughout California have bought more than 7,600 assault weapons that are outlawed for civilians in the decade since state lawmakers allowed the practice, according to data obtained by The Associated Press after it was revealed that federal authorities are investigating illegal gun sales by law enforcement.
Investigators have not said what kinds of weapons were involved, but did say they were ones that officers can buy but civilians cannot. That category also can include certain types of handguns and high-capacity ammunition magazines.
We would ask, if private citizens can’t own these guns, why do the police need them?
Who Guards the Guards: Putnamville Detective’s Home Burglarized
Yet another sad tale to tell, as The Greencastle Banner-Graphic is reporting, “The Criminal Investigation Division at the Putnamville Post is seeking help from the public in the investigation of residential burglary at Danville.”
These stories should be a warning to anyone who believes “Only the police should have guns,” as it shows that criminals will still find a way of stealing guns!
Newsbusters Calls out CBS News
While CBS News has been one of the few outlets to report on Fast and Furious, the outlet showed its anti-gun bias in a story noted by Newsbusters. Our friends at Newsbusters reported:
Former New York City police commissioner Bill Bratton brought his pro-gun control agenda into a segment about the FBI’s latest crime statistics on Tuesday’s Early Show on CBS, blaming the “the insanity of the lack of gun control laws in this country” for an increase in police deaths during 2011.
This attempts to suggest that criminals buy guns the same way as law-abiding citizens, and this simply isn’t true. It is disrespectful to those law abiding citizens to blame them for the death of law enforcement officers this year, especially as gun sales have increased and overall crime is down – a fact not noted by Bill Bratton.
The other truth is that Bratton doesn’t want to suggest that New York is suddenly a more dangerous place, while the rest of the country is seeing a decrease in overall crime.
The Daily Beast Offers Misleading Headline and Skips Facts
This headline says all that many people need to hear: “More Cops Shots as Felons Buy Illegal Guns Online,” but what The Daily Beast doesn’t note is that crime has actually fallen as gun sales have increased.
The story also fails to note that legal guns sales have been on the rise as well, and that Black Friday saw one day record sales. All those facts are missing in this biased take on guns.
The article offers this passage as well, which again sort of offers a fuzzy – not exactly accurate take:
The Brady Act mandated federal background checks for people buying firearms from federally licensed gun dealers, but not for private sellers. The thinking was that it was an exemption for hobbyists, says John Feinblatt, Bloomberg’s criminal-justice coordinator. But it became what gun-control advocates call the gun-show loophole, through which 30 to 40 percent of gun sales pass, according to the Department of Justice. With the Internet, that loophole has become a “24/7 black market for firearms,” says Feinblatt. “It’s even more anonymous than a gun show, which is already a magnet for criminals. But at least at a gun show you’re selling side by side with honest dealers and the ATF could be around. There’s none of that online.”
Gun dealers and even hobbyists cannot legally sell guns online. But as with prostitution and illegal drug sales this is just a very open marketplace.
The “Fix Gun Checks Act” doesn’t even really apply as The Daily Beast suggests – simply because those selling guns online are already breaking the law. You can’t mail guns to someone who doesn’t have a Federal Firearms License, so these sales would likely continue even WITH new laws.
Thus this is just about criminals not the guns. Criminals will continue to break the law.
Detroit PD “paying out hundreds of dollars”
The Detroit Free Press jumped on the feel good – yet probably does little good – band wagon, noting “The Detroit Police Department is paying out hundreds of dollars today and next week as part of a gun buy-back program that took 744 weapons off the streets.”
There is a tense issue with that sentence we’d like to point out, how can the event be ongoing “is paying” and continues “today and next week” and yet “took.” If it is ongoing it should have “taken 744 so far,” but that’s the least of the problem with this reporting.
As with many it implies these do “take weapons off the street,” which there is no proof. Crime in the city is high and we just wonder whether these events make any difference?
Digital Journal Offers Insight on U.S. Gun Laws
Writing this week for Digital Journal, Christopher Wager, in an op-ed titled, “How Does Virginia Tech affect U.S. gun laws?” notes that the ATF enforces laws, and does not create or draft those laws. Wager writes:
The ATF is responsible, not for legislating gun control laws or arguing the second amendment, but for enforcement. One of the primary functions of the ATF is to enforce gun control through inspections of sellers, dealers, and importers. Also, it is spelled out to dealers and resellers who may own a gun and who may not. For example, those with a police or federal crime record, and those with a mental disability are among those who cannot. In addition, it is the business of the FBI to insure background check are being done.
But even when crimes are committed, such as last week’s tragic shooting at Virginia Tech, the role of the ATF needs to be considered. Wager adds:
Police officers and gun dealers, nor the ATF can begin to speculate the intention of a person to do harm at any given moment, regardless of their weapon, a car, a gun, or a knife. Society will never be able to fully protect itself.
This is one of many interesting points Wager makes, and one that many anti-gun zealots seem to forget.
CayCompass: Feds investigate US-Cayman firearms smuggling ring
While the story is still very much only developing, it seems that United States federal law enforcement is investigating firearms smuggling between Florida and Grand Cayman. According to CayCompass this has been going on since 2008.
We don’t expect to see another Fast and Furious exactly, but there have been other capers that have turned out to be full-blown debacles. This story might be one to follow.
Who Guards the Guards: Another Police Gun Used to Shoot 80-year old
This is the second piece we are reporting on how a police gun was used in a shooting in the past week, and according to Fox Charlotte, it seems that not only was a “Police Officer’s Gun Used in Shooting in Burke County,” but that an officer may have been informed. The news outlet reports:
Burke County deputies say an off-duty officer from Valdese was one of two guys who broke into a man’s home Friday.
That man was then shot in the chest with the cop’s gun. The officer admitted he was there but says he didn’t shoot Edward Lail.
To those who say “only the police should have guns,” we’d like to ask if they still feel that way in light of this story?
