AG Gonzales endorses more US gun control...?!

[Manedwolf]

Apparently, one can easily buy 50-cal machine guns in the US and ship them to Mexico. Where?

To me, this sounds like a backdoor effort for more gun control, period. Read the bits about "more control" on the purchase of "assault rifles" in the US. Now, how would they go about that? Hmmmmmmm.

Can we get rid of this guy already?

Gonzales: US eyeing gun flow into Mexico

06/08/2007

By MARK STEVENSON / Associated Press

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Friday that Washington is taking steps to address Mexican concerns the U.S. is not doing enough to stop illegal weapons from being smuggled across the border and into the hands of brutal drug gangs.

A meeting here of attorneys general from the U.S., Mexico and six other Latin American countries focused on Mexican complaints weapons from the United States are fueling a wave of cartel-related executions and violent crime that is battering the nation.

"We are concerned about the number of weapons coming into Mexico and Central America illegally from the United States," Gonzales said. "There is more that we can do, and we are looking to do, to try and stem the flow of illegal weapons into Mexico."

Gonzales, who is embroiled in a controversy over the Justice Department's firing of eight federal prosecutors last year, said that officials engaged in "very frank, sometimes tough discussions."

Mexico is battling drug cartels responsible for a recent spate of executions, and has sent thousands of police and troops to several states. Nearly two dozen people were gunned down in separate incidents — many apparently drug-related — across the country on Thursday, local media reported.

Mexican officials have repeatedly complained that the U.S. must do more to stop the flow of potent weapons — including assault rifles and even .50-caliber machine guns — that drug gangs often purchase in the United States.

"The firepower we are seeing here has to do with a lack of control on the (U.S.) side of the border," Patricio Patino, Mexico's top anti-drug intelligence official, said last month. "What we have asked the American government ... is that they put clear controls on the shipments of weapons."

The two-day meeting that ended Friday also laid the groundwork for a future security plan to fight drug trafficking and street gangs in the region. The attorneys general agreed to call on experts to propose concrete actions on violent street gangs known as "Maras," human trafficking, money laundering and drug trafficking.

Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora argued that combatting violence was a cross-border issue, saying: "We recognize that we can't confront this problem alone."

Gonzales agreed, and said he and President Bush were "committed to collaborating in the development of a regional security and law enforcement strategy."

 

[wingman]

Gonzales agreed, and said he and President Bush were "committed to collaborating in the development of a regional security and law enforcement strategy."

Isn't that just precious. Perhaps they could also work from this side to stop drugs and illegals.....

 

[Eghad]

Dear AG Gonzales,

its the unsecured borders stupid!

The Secure Fence Act of 2006

he Secure Fence Act Builds On Progress Securing The Border

By Making Wise Use Of Physical Barriers And Deploying 21st Century Technology, We Can Help Our Border Patrol Agents Do Their Job And Make Our Border More Secure. The Secure Fence Act:

* Authorizes the construction of hundreds of miles of additional fencing along our Southern border;
* Authorizes more vehicle barriers, checkpoints, and lighting

to help prevent people from entering our country illegally;
* Authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to increase the use of advanced technology like cameras, satellites, and unmanned aerial vehicles to reinforce our infrastructure at the border.[/QUOTE]

Enforce the laws! we don't need no steenken new legislation.

 

[SecDef]

I thought he was being kept in meetings with congressmen so he wouldn't have time to make stupid statements like this...

 

[MrApathy]

Gonzales is La Raza wth do you expect?

 

[applesanity]

— including assault rifles and even .50-caliber machine guns —

Yeah, because you can just hop over to the local hunting and firearms store to pick up one of those.

Mark Stevenson, you're a genius!

 

[Wildalaska]

Before y'all start really yammering and yowling, can someone in the class point to something specific Mr Gonzalez is doing that entails that nebulous concept known as 'gun control"

Or is it just a slow news day on the gun front ;0

WildzzzzzzzzzzzzzAlaska

 

[applesanity]

not I. I just thought the article was dumb. I wouldn't be so sarcastic if it was a serious concern. I'm not being sarcastic now.

I want a .50 cal machine gun too!

 

[Slugthrower]

"We are concerned about the number of weapons coming into Mexico and Central America illegally from the United States," Gonzales said. "There is more that we can do, and we are looking to do, to try and stem the flow of illegal weapons into Mexico."

"Mexican officials have repeatedly complained that the U.S. must do more to stop the flow of potent weapons — including assault rifles and even .50-caliber machine guns — that drug gangs often purchase in the United States."

Sounds like Mr. Gonzales is a representative of Mexico. Mexico doesn't have a problem with illegals crossing the border, they just don't like what those people are purchasing and bringing home. A case of wanting their cake and eating it too. Maybe if Mexico would clean it's act up it wouldn't have a drug infested, gang ridden, POS country that only exports and imports more of the same to itself and other countries.

Border control on both sides is definitely the answer. The idea of "regional security" sounds good and in the same instance would be a worthless idea, as you know who will have to contribute the most tax dollars to fund it. We can also expect that there will be no effort to stop the importation/exportation of illegal immigrants into the US by this "regional security".

If Mexico wants to have help from the US, it is time to become the 51st state. When they are under the US Constitution and we are collecting taxes from there backsides, we will help clean up their droppings. Until then they can deal with it themselves on their side of the border, as it is a problem that they have created for themselves. We can fix our problem, let's see if they can fix theirs.

 

[publius42]

can someone in the class point to something specific Mr Gonzalez is doing that entails that nebulous concept known as 'gun control"

I'm curious as well. The article just says that Gonzalez says they are "taking steps" so I wonder what those steps are.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Friday that Washington is taking steps to address Mexican concerns the U.S. is not doing enough to stop illegal weapons from being smuggled across the border

Whatever steps they are, I'd probably nullify them.

 

[wayneinFL]

"The firepower we are seeing here has to do with a lack of control on the (U.S.) side of the border," Patricio Patino, Mexico's top anti-drug intelligence official, said last month. "What we have asked the American government ... is that they put clear controls on the shipments of weapons."

I'm as outraged as she is with all this unhampered border crossing. Tell her we'll put up a fence and have armed guards watch it to make sure those awful guns can't get over there.

(BTW, how do you put "clear controls" on illegal transactions?)

 

[DD698]

As long as you have money, rogue governments and corrupt officials you can buy arms. Many years ago a street peddler in Naples Italy asked me if I wanted to buy a British Sten or Bren machine gun. I thought he was joking until he got it out of the rear seat of his Fiat. It was one of those sub machine guns with the mag on the side. Very crude looking with a wire stock. In those days it would have been no problem sticking it in my sea bag and bringing it back to the states. The price was right 100 US.

 

[WeedWacker]

Sounds like some finger pointing. "The violence isn't our fault, it's the US for allowing people to freely buy weapons!":barf:

 

[obxned]

What a horse's butt!

 

[209]

Well, I figure our AG will get Congress to pass a bill that will stop the influx of weapons into Mexico. Of course, the bill won't actually solve anything and it will probably have an amnesty clause built in which will make all of the weapons already present legal. And the law will be just as toothless as most of the laws they are passing these days and won't accomplish anything. :barf:


But, people will feel good about it.

 

[MeekAndMild]

One important thing to remember here is that the US government has itself directly contributed to the increased flow of illegal guns into Mexico by some recent changes in its laws. Has anyone noticed that there is now a requirement that airline passengers must label any checked baggage which contains guns? There has also been a change of shipping rules so guns shipped via UPS, et cetera must be labeled as such.

This allows dishonest baggage handlers to more easily steal the guns and pass them along the line to get put onto a flight to Mexico...

 

[Eghad]

Before y'all start really yammering and yowling, can someone in the class point to something specific Mr Gonzalez is doing that entails that nebulous concept known as 'gun control"

I am yowling because Mr. Gonzales seems to be more concerned with the Mexican government than the citizens and country he serves...perhaps if he put that effort into securing the border he might put a dent into the smuggled guns situation.

 

[Wildalaska]

Maybe controlling the flow of illicit stuff back and forth across the border is a worthwhile task?

After all, the laws should be enforced shouldnt they?

So when the AG plays hands across the sea to make some nebulous beuraucratic or intelligence plan to control the illicit flow of arms from one country to another its bad? O wait, he's not doing enough thats it...no wait he's doing to much...no wait we are trying to help those bad Mexicans..no wait they are pointing the finger at us for being at fault, the meanies...its THEIR fault...no wait they are DEMONIZING WEAPONS thats it..no wait........


de minimus non jurat lex should apply to everyday life

WildyepslowdayonthegungrabfrontAlaska

 

[Waitone]

Since gun control as a political club for use in this country is dead for the time being, it is reasonable to assume anti-gun pressure will come from some other source. "Lemme think here, where oh where. . . " 'I've got it! International pressure." And since USFed.gov is in the business of making kissie-kissie with Mexico one could expect that kind of movement from there as well as from various trade agreements, international NGO's, and international rules bodies like the UN, or international parliment, or international court.

Is it a problem now? Don't think so. Besides if guns are a part of the working groups toiling away deep in the bowels of commerce, justice, state, or HS in support of the SPP we'd never hear about it until it was well matured.

 

[oldbillthundercheif]

I'm no isolationist, but I think the real problem is coming in the other direction.

When I lived in Chicago I would hear full-auto fire in the night every once in a while and I was once offered real-deal AKs and hand grenades by a shady character.

I don't think the bad guys were getting them from Canada.