From the local ABC affiliate: Gun-Running Ring Busted
...snip...
Among the items they were caught with were AK-47 assault rifles, nine-millimeter handguns and at least one Mac .380-caliber submachine gun.
New York City is trying to combat this problem, but Republicans are thwarting efforts to control the problem, essentially aiding those who are smuggling illegal weapons into the City.From am New York, according to 2000 data from the US Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, 90% of the guns used in crimes are wielded by people other than the person who purchased the weapon. In NYC these weapons are often purchased in five southern states, Virginia, Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas. The guns are then smuggled to New York City and sold illegaly. It is estimated that up to 60% of guns used in crimes in NYC come from those five states.
New York City is attempting to sue gun manufacturers to crack down on their sales to gun dealers who violate regulations for gun purchases. This is seen as one of the most effective ways to target those dealers who will sell weapons to just about anyone who walks through the door. Of course the manufacturers aren't too happy about it and with the NRA have tried to block the lawsuit.
Now Republicans in Congress are trying to subvert the lawsuit by throwing up legislative roadblocks. Language was inserted into a federal appropriations bill by Rep. Todd Tiahart (R-Kansas) to keep NYC from accessing data from the ATF. This data is critical to the case and blocking access may derail the litigation.
Additionally, NRA is trying to give the gun industry broad immunity from lawsuits through the "Protection Of Lawful Commerce In Firearms Act," yet another Orwellian twist of language considering it is specifically unlawful commerce in firearms that is the issue in these lawsuits. This bill nearly passed last year, falling only when poison pill amendments were added. This bill could very well pass this year.
This is not an abstract issue of constitutional interpretation. This is a vital law enforcement and public safety issue. With the end of tha assault weapons ban we may well see guns like the AK-47s and Mac 11s seized in Brooklyn on the streets of New York City again. Republicans are aiding those who would sell and smuggle these weapons to places like NYC where they can be used in crimes.
We need to keep the NRA's "Gun Smugglers Protection Act" from passing and we need to let Rep. Tiahart know that we don't appreciate him thwarting NYC's efforts to crack down on illegal gun sales.
