As some congressional Republicans began to signal openness to reviewing bump stocks, conservatives have made it a point to bring up that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives decided during the Obama administration that it would allow the sale of the devices.
No. Wrong. Thatâs the wingnut-friendly framing. Or âlieâ as sane people call it.
ATF decided during the Obama administration that it lacked statutory authority to ban them. Because turns out the executive branch can only execute laws that Congress passes and, back in those days, rule of law was still a thing.
Of course it was Obamaâs fault. I hear he was also responsible for Katrina, the energy crisis and Pearl Harbor.
The same folks who decry the overreach of Obamaâs Executive Orders now try to blame his administration for underreaching. Hypocrites.
Thank you! Please, TPM, pay attention!
Also 9/11.
Itâs becoming obvious that the rethugs, with the permission of the nra, have decided to make bump stocks the issue. Not military grade hardware. the nra is willing to give-up the bump stocks, not the weapons. Itâs a diversion.
But in the meantime these damned things are selling out because, even if youâd never wanted one before, now that they might be banned you gotta stockpile 'em.
Yeah, because they can always modify a semi automatic to be fully automatic, not legally or anything, but since when does the rule of law matter to the GOP?
Meanwhile, high powered assault rifles like the AR-15 are legal to buy. What they do with them in the privacy of their own home, well, States Rights!!!
A career person in the firearms technology branch wrote a determination letter saying the âbump stockâ was a part, not a firearm, and thus unregulated. Was probably a simple and correct determination. Doesnât mean congress canât or shouldnât decide otherwise. Itâs still funny that everyone - left and right - is willing to let the bump stock take the fall here. This is an orchestrated plan by the right to do SOMETHING as everyone is crying for, by banning an obscure âpartâ that few gun owners own or give a sh*t about. And the lefties are falling over themselves since they finally get to ban something. The gun debate is stupid - on both sides.
Place ALL firearms under the purview of the National Firearms Act. Anyone who wants to can own whatever the F they want, as long as they pay the $200 tax stamp and undergo a REAL background check (the ATF knocks on your neighbors doors and your local police chief signs off on it).
Someone the other day mentioned a âshamingâ campaign to basically embarrass gun owners. I like that idea. Doesnât require any legislation at all.
You better hire another 50,000 ATF agents then.
There are over 400 MILLION guns in the US right now. Over 150 MILLION gun owners (20% of owners purchase 80% of the guns.)
The logistics are just not possible, ESPECIALLY because nobody will ban PRIVATE SALES or require background checks for them.
You cannot put the toothpaste back in the tube without draconian enforcement (like Australia did) that would never, EVER be allowed by our grandstanding politicians.
You want to get REALLY depressed? Go to a local Gun Show some time and see what is available and what you can buy for CASH, no questions asked, or worse, what you can purchase over the Internet.
The NRA arenât stupid - they know bump stocks are basically toys, designed for haphazardly spraying rounds in a general direction, probably while yelling âyee-hawâ. They just want to sell them, not be anywhere nearby while theyâre being used.