Armed America

For John, BLUF:  This is a two-fer, illegal immigration and gun laws.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Over on Facebook Craig Hi, borrowing an item from Doctrine Man, talks to the recent San Francisco shooting on Pier 14, wherein Ms Kate Steinle, 32, was shot and killed by Mr Francisco Sanchez.  The lawyer for Mr Sanchez says the shooting was an "accident".  Maybe accidental like Mr Sanchez's five previous convictions for re-entry after deportation.

Here is Craig's input:

So you say you're serious about gun control?  One suggestion is to start first by demanding accountability from the government and its agencies--it would likely solve a great deal of the friction you're getting from responsible gun owners who believe in the 2nd amendment precisely because of the growing imbalance caused by the militarization of our bureaucracy.  Bureau of Land Management?  Needs guns?  Really?

This is from an ABC News item:

Authorities are investigating whether a gun associated with a Bureau of Land Management employee was used in the fatal shooting of a young woman on a tourist-heavy San Francisco pier, an agency spokesperson said.

"The matter is under investigation, and law enforcement is working to confirm the origin of the weapon," the spokesperson said in a statement.

Sources familiar with the investigation say the gun belonged to a federal agent and may have been stolen recently. It is unclear whether the firearm was a government-issued service weapon or a personally owned gun.

I think Craig is spot on about concerns.  What we are being offered by the bien-pensant is the elimination of legal weapons with no plan to eliminate illegal weapons.  To borrow from Barney Frank, on what planet do they spend most of their time?

And it isn't just BLM (Bureau of Land Management) that has guns.  The Federal Department of Education issues guns. From NewsMax we have "Justice Dept to Survey Federal Agencies for Guns, Ammo".  This was in June 2014 article.  They note that a 2008 report had "about 120,000 armed officials at 73 agencies — four-fifths of whom worked within the Justice Department or for the various branches of the Department of Homeland Security."  So, a fifth are outside Justice and HLS.

Here is a 2003 GAO Report.

I expect the local Lowell National Park Service Police are armed.  Of course it is Lowell, with a recent knifing on Central Street.

But, this is America, and guns are just part of the culture.

Regards  —  Cliff