Some expert
An alleged foreign policy expert:
There are nearly 7,000 gun shops along the southern U.S. border, about three for every mile. They sell thousands of hand grenades, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, AK-47s, and “cop killer” guns and bullets that cut through Kevlar body armor. The weapons quickly flow south, again with barely a nod from U.S. Border Patrol.
Stuff made up out of thin air emphasized. You’d think an expert would know how to do some research and conclude that those items are illegal to sell in the US.
But, that doesn’t matter, Mexico needs a scapegoat.
January 15th, 2009 at 10:17 am
Wish I could find one of those gun shops. An RPG would sure shut those 7mm Mag guys up at the deer camp…
MC
January 15th, 2009 at 11:05 am
3 gun stores per mile? Really? Selling RPGs, grenades, and bullets that “cut through” Kevlar armor? (Almost any rifle round will PIERCE standard Kevlar armor…)
This is the best sort of PSH we could imagine, because it’s the easiest to expose for what it is. Take this ‘info’ to your gun-fearing associates (along with the truth), let them see which side is the more rational, and then for added fun, take them to the range (or at least one of those ‘death-dealing’ gun stores) for a REAL lesson.
Repeat for maximum effect.
January 15th, 2009 at 11:13 am
I lived on the southern US border for sixteen years. The only thing that you’ll see three of per mile is cactus.
January 15th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
ASSAULT CACTUS???
January 15th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
What a giant steaming pile of academic fudge-fiction.
January 15th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
It’s not Mexico that needs the scapegoat, it’s our own bureaucrats and politicians setting us up for new gun restrictions on law-abiding owners.
January 15th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
How ignorant is this so called foreign policy expert, let us count the ways:
1. As stated, the items listed are illegal to sell or purchase to private citizens in the US.
2. She obviously hasn’t been to the Southern border or she would know, as Rustmeister states, for most of the border there is only cactus.
3. While their are several agencies responsible for weapons and exports from the US, the Border Patrol is only ancillary. The BATF has responsibility, US Customs has responsibility, the State Department Directorate of Defense Trade Controls has responsibility and let’s not forget about the FBI. The Border Patrol would only be involved when the person was crossing the border and their job would a damn sight easier it their were a gun store every 3 miles on the border.
4. All but the hollow point and sporting rounds for the so called “cop killer” gun are illegal for private ownership or use.
One might think a Latin America foreign policy “expert” would have at least a Google Earth understanding of the geography and environment of the US southern border and a vague idea about US export laws. But you’d be wrong apparently.
January 15th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Sadly, even Gen. Barry McCaffrey perpetuates this erroneous perception. See his AAR at http://www.michaelyon-online.com/mexico-aar-december-2008-general-mccaffrey-ret.htm.
January 15th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
After reading the post, I was all excited about taking my 2008 tax refund and heading to the border area to shop for my 2009 Buy a Gun Day purchase. Those unidentified stores sound a lot more interesting than the ones around Austin, Texas, and are much thicker on the ground, apparently.
Well, McBride’s Guns does have some nice items, but no RPGs (and even less ammo for them). So this year’s purchase will have to be less exotic for me. Darn those anti-gun folks, getting my hopes up….
January 16th, 2009 at 2:04 am
Yeah, I sent McCaffrey’s colleagues at the Academy a li’l note about his new life as a fiction writer.