dagblog - Comments for "Targeting Gun Dealers"

How many gun shops have you

Lue — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 20:49:18 +0000

In reply to Thanks for your blog post.

How many gun shops have you personally been in??? Heeding Gods call has intentionally misrepresented the facts and doesnt do thier homework. In April HGC protested outside of a gunshop in Philadelphia The Shooter Shop that had been awarded many certificates for its help in the community and a letter from the Philadelphia Gun Task force DA, stating the shop has helped with providing information that led to arrests for straw purchases. But HGC still insisted the Shop sign their "Code of Conduct" when the owner refused on the advice of his attorney and the Philadelphia gun task force, they used extortion tactics to try and bully the owner into signing. HGC is backed by Mayor against illegal guns which another group that loves to misrepresent the truth. If HGC were to target the law makers and the judges who enforce the laws, They would find Pro 2A supporters standing next to them. According to my records they have had 1 rally in Harrisburg, they rest have been infront of small gun shops. The Code of Conducts want Gun shops to create a database, which has been deemed illegal by the Tihart amendment. But HGC choses to ignore that fact.

Heeding Gods Call = Extortionist plain and simple

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RS22458.pdf

To be honest, few of us like

Donal — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 02:41:21 +0000

In reply to Thanks for your blog post.

To be honest, few of us like outside scrutiny when we're doing our jobs - but that doesn't mean it isn't a good idea. I think these sellers are a much larger source of crime weapons than the so-called gun show loophole. Since the ATF won't bear continuous scrutiny, citizens have to demand it.

Thanks for your blog post.

Jim McIntire — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 18:25:55 +0000

In reply to Targeting Gun Dealers

Thanks for your blog post. As an active member of Heeding God's Call in Philadelphia I'm glad that you took a look at our Website and have reviewed what we're actually asking. Many pro-gun activists will immediately conclude that we are attacking the Second Amendment -- we are not; many will assume that we are forcing new laws on gun owners or sellers -- we are not; many will go on the offense by telling us we're after the wrong people, that we should work to change laws and the justice system and go after the criminals -- and we do advocate there as well since our primary goal is to end gun violence however possible. But what we have found is that approaching the place where the initial sale takes place is the best way for communities to get united against gun violence.

Let me address two points that you make: "So Clyde's may have a lot of bad customers. But again, how much responsibility does Clyde's have once a weapon is sold?" "How can a small businessman do any more to stop misuse of guns than follow the rules (and be careful who they hire)?

What we argue is that Clyde's and any other gun retailer's responsibility is not simply once a weapon is sold, but it is BEFORE it is sold. We are asking gun retailers to commit to a VOLUNTARY Code of Conduct (not a LAW) that makes the seller decide whether the buyer is a legitimate buyer. Often the "buyer" signs the paperwork and gets the approval but the person next to him or her hands over the money and when they leave the store the person who, because of a criminal record couldn't actually purchase the gun, gets the gun. Being careful about who you hire is great, but we're asking that that businessperson be also very careful about who is buying as well and make decisions for the good of the community, not just the profit margin.

This is about good business practice. Imagine an upstanding citizen being able to buy legitimately from a gun shop which he or she knows is limiting itself voluntarily and is being a good citizen by helping restrict the gun violence which plagues all of us! One would think gun retailers would be clambering to sign on ...

I'd say that it makes sense

Donal — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 23:35:12 +0000

In reply to Donal, I would like to think

I'd say that it makes sense to be armed in a clearly dangerous environment, and makes sense not to bring guns into a reasonably safe society. But when criminals find it relatively easy to obtain weapons due to lax gun dealers, and average people start carrying guns around town in response, it starts a cycle of escalation.

In cities, that cycle is short-circuited by bans on legal weapons, but it leaves most law-abiding people completely dependent on city police and government to keep the armed criminals at bay and provide that safe society. If the ATF is taking almost a decade to shut down these lax gun shops, then how safe is the society?

Donal, I would like to think

cmaukonen — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 23:02:56 +0000

In reply to Targeting Gun Dealers

Donal, I would like to think it is the availability of guns that is the problem and I am no advocate of guns, believe me. I think it is this attitude that all arguments can/should be settled with violence. The domestic equivalent of our military foreign policy.