90% Myth shows up on AOL

[M4Sherman]

Heads up guys. AOL just ran a first page article on the myth that 90% of Mexican drug guns come from the Ol' US of A.

http://www.aolnews.com/surge-desk/a...-war-guns-originate-in-united-states/19624304

To me it seems someone is a bit naive and possibly slow since this is almost two years old now . I am starting to believe that some of the Anti-gun news editors are running low on new ways to attack us so they are recycling their material in-order to push their personal agenda. Personally I am going to see about leaving feedback to call out the lie and I hope a few others will chime in and at least help expose this authors false truth.

 

[Kreyzhorse]

Granted the 90% number is skewed, but at least she reported that the NRA and Fox News believes the number is more like 17%.

That report isn't a total smear job like some of the others I've seen.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

How does someone with a blanking Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University write such nonsense?

First of all, the new report doesn't contradict the earlier reports. The new report measures Mexican crime scene guns traced[/i] by ATF. The report it supposedly contradicts measures U.S. guns found at Mexican crime scenes. Of course those numbers are going to be wildly different. If Mexico finds a crate of Chinese grenades at a crime scene, are they going to call up the ATF to find out where they came from?

And the bit about ATF being unable to even fine dealers who sell guns illegally? Either the NRA has been a lot more active this year than I've given them credit for or that is just blatantly, factually wrong. Any FFLs here want to start selling firearms illegally and see if all that happens is you lose your license?

I appreciate that she at least tried to include other points of view; but that is still extremely shoddy journalism. It looks like she just summarized her 10 minute Google search and is passing it off as "news."

 

[Tom Servo]

New trace data provided by ATF to Mayors Against Illegal Guns show that from 2006 to 2009, nearly 19,000 traced crime guns were originally sold in the U.S. and recovered and traced to Mexican crimes.

Maybe MAIG would care to share their exact source for that. I have spoken directly with the ATF, and the data I got a year ago suggested a number "well below" 10%.

Bear in mind that it is largely illegal for civilians to own firearms in Mexico. Therefore, possession of a firearm can lead to criminal charges, and the Stevens side-by-side that Jose's family has kept in the house for a couple of generations is now an American Crime Gun.

As Bartholomew pointed out, the ATF is generally only sent guns for tracing that originated in America. Never mind the ~500,000 missing FN M16s that have been stolen from the Mexican army. Never mind all the Chinese and Russian rifles and explosives.

If the Mexican police raid a drug house, none of that stuff gets reported, but the nickeled S&W 60 from 1978 is proof that gun dealers are funneling guns across the border by the thousands. Sheesh.

And the bit about ATF being unable to even fine dealers who sell guns illegally? Any FFLs here want to start selling firearms illegally and see if all that happens is you lose your license?

Hey, easy money! Why did I ever waste my time following regulations! Hold on, someone's knocking on the




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[maestro pistolero]

Good thread here

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/...highlight=miltary+ak47+cartel+mexico+calderon

"Can there be any doubt that the cartels, who are the worlds experts at moving contraband through international borders, will always have exactly as many weapons of any type that they wish?

Even if we could instantly stop the 17% of the weapons in his country that allegedly come from America, the cartels would simply begin getting shipping containers full of AK-47s through their heroin contacts in the Middle East.

By the way, we now know that the full-auto American weapons are being corruptly sold out of South American military and police agencies, not US gun shops, but then Calderon and Obama know that. No reason to let mere embarrassing facts get in the way of a good propaganda strategy.

The US government supplied the South American military and police for dozens of years, so even the 17% of weapons that do apparently originate in the US, aren't coming from stateside gun shops. Let's not forget that even the 17% figure was adjusted from the inflated 90% number originally reported in the media.

Wants it both ways:
When it comes to drugs, Calderon wants to blame the demand-side of the problem (America). But with weapons, it is the supply side who is responsible. Guess whose fault he thinks that is, too? Right, America's.

Isn't it fascinating that neither solution involves him accepting any responsibility for the worst internal problems in Mexico? It all America's fault."

-Christopher J Hoffman on CalGuns
See post #37 at link for references to claims.