Gun crime prosecutions up
The NRA, who endorsed George Bush despite his support for extending the assault weapons ban, is happy that gun crime prosecutions are up under this administration:
The data, obtained by TRAC from the Department of Justice, show that federal prosecutions are up across the board in the Bush Justice Department, and that cases filed on gun charges are a primary reason for the increase.
In 2000 there were 5,490 such prosecutions. In 2004 there were 10,937. That increase in gun crime prosecutions makes up almost one-quarter of the total increase in federal prosecutions in that period. The data suggest a significant change in priorities between a Janet Reno vs. a John Ashcroft-run Justice Department: the latter went after criminals who misuse firearms, not law-abiding citizens.
Assuming that gun crime prosecutions are up for actual gun crimes and not technical violations of arbitrary laws, that is good news.
October 10th, 2005 at 4:43 pm
I agree…if these are prosecutions for things like felon in possession, illegal interstate trafficing (i.e, moving guns across state lines to sell to criminals), firearms theft, and the like-this is good.
If they’re increasing they’re numbers for paperwork violations by FFLs or not having enough US parts in kit-build AKs, it’s a bad thing.
October 10th, 2005 at 5:24 pm
Since I have yet to see any gun law beyond the 2nd amendment that seems moral and constitutional, I’m a little sceptical that this is a good thing. Murderers ought to be tried for murder, not murder WITH a gun.
And I bet its just more of a general crackdown on guns and gun owners. All the New Orleans confiscations are probably raked into this pile.
Government. It’s not just the expressed will of the people anymore…it’s its own thing!
October 10th, 2005 at 8:51 pm
A felon in possession could be a patriot who defied an unconstitutional ban.
I also can’t seem to find that clause in the Constitution that delegates this authority to the feds…