Article on American guns in Mexico.

[Ranb]

The attached link tries to blame American made rifles for the violence in Mexico.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0116americanguns0116.html

Part of the article is just crap, starting with the sentence right below the headline reading “Arms race among drug cartels, end of ban in America result in flood of high-power weapons over border”

The authors of this piece are probably like many American gun control supporters, they never actually read the text of the AWB of 1994. If they had, they would know that AR15 type rifles were never actually banned. Existing rifles were allowed to be owned, bought and sold in their original configuration, and new rifles merely had the barrel muzzle left unthreaded to comply with the law. The supply of semi-automatic AR15’s never dropped significantly. Using a legal 20 round magazine does not make the AR15 less lethal than using a 30 round magazine.

The reporter also claims that trigger activation devices such as the Hellfire turn semi-auto rifles into machineguns. This is false, as all these devices do is allow the shooter to pull the trigger faster, the rifle still fires only one round with one pull of the trigger.

In the article, Santiago Vasconcelos said, "These weapons come from your country, we know that for a fact." While this probably true, most of the criminals in this case come from Mexico. Maybe it is time they did more about that, like keeping their criminals in Mexico.

Ranb

 

[Yjacket]

From the article linked by Ranb - -

The weapons are purchased at stores and gun shows, then smuggled into Mexico under car seats or tucked into suitcases.

Sounds to me like it would behoove the nation of Mexico to do something about their border - they are complaining about an illegal act and trying to blame someone other than the criminals. There are a couple of provisions of the 1968GCA violated on the US side of the border as well, if the article is factual. Solution on both sides of the border - - Enforce the existing laws.

 

[Darth Rotor]

In the article, Santiago Vasconcelos said, "These weapons come from your country, we know that for a fact." While this probably true, most of the criminals in this case come from Mexico. Maybe it is time they did more about that, like keeping their criminals in Mexico.

Ranb

Seems a fair trade for the dope and criminals imported from you country across the same border, mi amigo Santiago.

DR

 

[sackett]

If them Mexicans was any good, they'd make they own dam guns, stead of buying up our guns until a Amurican can't hardly afford one for his self.

Where's that Mendoza feller now a days anyway?

http://www.securityarms.com/20010315/galleryfiles/3200/3210.htm

 

[Khonshu]

Well, we never had anything illegal imported into this country from south of the border, or any criminals come across.

At least, that's what Pancho Villa told me.

 

[Ranb]

..... There are a couple of provisions of the 1968GCA violated on the US side of the border as well, if the article is factual. Solution on both sides of the border - - Enforce the existing laws.

I'm sure there are more than a few Americans helping out by acting as straw purchasers for the gun runners. When I was an FFL, I never had anyone as far as I know try that on me, but I have had a few people ask me to make silencers for them under the table. I tell them to show me an ATF form 1 then I can help.

Ranb

 

[Q-Source]

This is similar to blaming Colombia and Peru for drug problems in the US. By the same token, we should stop demonising drug trafickers as they wouldn´t exist if it wasn´t for the high demand of US (and European) junkies.

 

[Learning Phase]

That's it!!! I've got it..

Build a wall to keep the U.S. from smuggling guns to Mexico.

Case solved.

 

[Yjacket]

Revisiting the linked article and having more time this evening to really ponder it I have a couple of additional comments.

The number of weapons confiscated by Mexican authorities has been rising almost uninterrupted since 2002 and reached 10,579 in 2005. The 2006 catch looks to be even bigger, with more than 8,200 guns seized as of June.

These are pretty substantial numbers. I wonder just what percentage of the smuggled firearms these numbers would represent. Such a small percentage in fact that I suspect the whole article. Where would so many semi-auto rifles come from without attracting attention? Certainly not gun shows. Too many law enforcement agents around and when that kind of rifle flow shows up it would be noticed.

Now since the AR-15 and the M-16 are such look-a-likes I really do wonder if the rifles showing up in drug gang possession are not some of the M-16s that the US Government furnished the Mexican Government and then the rifles passed from the Mexican Army to the drug gangs. After all a great many people could not tell one of the rifles from the other without reading the manufacturers stamp even if these people had the firearm in their hot hands. Also I am very skeptical of the insinuation that grenades were being smuggled into Mexico from the US after being purchased in the US at gun shows.

As I noted before. Enforce the existing laws on both sides of the border.

 

[pipelineaudio]

There is a constant foul cry from mexico that they are gun free and americans go down there and force mexicans to own guns, like some sort of crack america gets the mexicans hooked on. Its ridiculous.

In my High School days, you thought nothing of seeing groups of men in the back of pickups driving by school all holding up m-16's and ak-47's. Some were federales some werent. Its not some gun free zone the politicians would like you to believe, not even close

 

[Sir Robin Goodfellow]

What a bunch of nonsense. In Canada, in response to a rash of gang-related shootings last year in Toronto and Vancouver, politicians were quick to demonise the United States for allowing American handguns over the border. It may have been true that the majority of the firearms used in those shootings were stolen in the United States and subsequently smuggled into Canada, but if that is the case, the onus is on Canada Customs to intercept these weapons and detain those who traffick in them. It's always someone else's fault.

 

[Zep]

It's Lisa's fault. Or maybe it's the San Andreas' Fault.

 

[a_unique_person]

In the article, Santiago Vasconcelos said, "These weapons come from your country, we know that for a fact." While this probably true, most of the criminals in this case come from Mexico. Maybe it is time they did more about that, like keeping their criminals in Mexico.

Ranb

I have read that line of argument before. It's pretty hard to keep people in line when they are better armed than your police. There are plenty of dead Mexican cops would attest to that, IMHO.

 

[luchog]

I have read that line of argument before. It's pretty hard to keep people in line when they are better armed than your police. There are plenty of dead Mexican cops would attest to that, IMHO.

During the height of the cocaine-era War on Drugs, one of the biggest complaints from the police forces was that the criminals were better armed than they were; but they still managed to be reasonably effective. Good information and tactics made up for the difference in firepower. Not having one of the most corrupt law enforcement agencies of any major industrialized nation helps a great deal too. I wonder just how many of those criminals are getting their guns through, with the help of, or under a blind eye from, their police and military forces.