Boston.com article calls for stricter gun control

[SkydiveGuy]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/ma...wed_state_laws_remain_inconsistent/?page=full

I love how they fudge the numbers:

1737 firearms were used in crimes last year in MA
of the 1020 they were able to trace the state of origin to, just 351 originated in MA. while 250 came from "nearby states with less strict laws" (NH=133, ME=79).

1) The number separating traceable and untraceable are way far apart (they conveniently gloss over that fact). 1737-1020= 717 are not even traceable. That number is the one they should be focusing on correcting if they really want to make a difference.
2) 250-133-79= 38 that they claim came from "nearby states with less strict laws" well, where exactly did those 38 come from? I'm not sure about VT, RI, CT, NY gun laws but I can assume they they left them out because they are less-free than NH and ME (easy targets for them to knock down).
and the best one:
3) 351 is a very large number for a state that has "some of the toughest gun laws in the nation".

If they are trying to prove that gun laws reduce crime, they did a horrible job in pointing that fact out. If they restrictive laws "worked" that number should be much less.

 

[ShadeWPI]

How's about how the guns that were tracable to NH and ME were obtained?

Were these purchased by the criminal?
Stolen from a law abiding citizen?
Given to the criminal by the purchaser?

 

[Silversnake]

and the best one:
3) 351 is a very large number for a state that has "some of the toughest gun laws in the nation".

If they are trying to prove that gun laws reduce crime, they did a horrible job in pointing that fact out. If they restrictive laws "worked" that number should be much less.

That's the problem though. They are trying to prove that obviously a state with "some of the toughest gun laws in the nation" doesn't have gun laws that are tough enough. Remember, to the average non-gun-owning anti-gun person, the MA gun laws make it laughably easy for us to just wander in to our local bait shop and stroll out with a "machine gun" or something even more deadly. That may not be the directly stated thesis of this article, but you can believe that it's what the article feeds into.

 

[LittleCalm]

So far, the comments are over-whelmingly pro-2A. Somethng like 40 to 3.

 

[Horrible]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/ma...wed_state_laws_remain_inconsistent/?page=full

I love how they fudge the numbers:

1737 firearms were used in crimes last year in MA
of the 1020 they were able to trace the state of origin to, just 351 originated in MA. while 250 came from "nearby states with less strict laws" (NH=133, ME=79).

1) The number separating traceable and untraceable are way far apart (they conveniently gloss over that fact). 1737-1020= 717 are not even traceable. That number is the one they should be focusing on correcting if they really want to make a difference.
2) 250-133-79= 38 that they claim came from "nearby states with less strict laws" well, where exactly did those 38 come from? I'm not sure about VT, RI, CT, NY gun laws but I can assume they they left them out because they are less-free than NH and ME (easy targets for them to knock down).
and the best one:
3) 351 is a very large number for a state that has "some of the toughest gun laws in the nation".

If they are trying to prove that gun laws reduce crime, they did a horrible job in pointing that fact out. If they restrictive laws "worked" that number should be much less.

How many of them were LEGALLY obtained? How many of those crimes were commited by LAWFUL gun owners or those with an FID/LTC?!?!

Funny how those stats are mysteriously missing from the article.

 

[rep308]

They are interested in 'restarting the conversation'. This is a common tactic of the Glob, to interject their bias into a number of related stories and make it seem like a trend. See what's on boston.com:

Guns used in Bay State crimes often from nearby
Variation in gun laws from state to state may be complicating law enforcement efforts in areas like New England, where states are split on gun ownership. (Globe)

-Strength of N.E. gun laws
-No push for new gun laws
-Brown, Warren divided on gun control in Mass.

I predict a series of these little vignettes being mixed in over the next couple of weeks 'heroic' profiles of Schumer, 'all powerful' NRA and another interview with Rosenthal..wait and see

 

[gene]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/ma...wed_state_laws_remain_inconsistent/?page=full

I love how they fudge the numbers:

1737 firearms were used in crimes last year in MA
of the 1020 they were able to trace the state of origin to, just 351 originated in MA. while 250 came from "nearby states with less strict laws" (NH=133, ME=79).

1) The number separating traceable and untraceable are way far apart (they conveniently gloss over that fact). 1737-1020= 717 are not even traceable. That number is the one they should be focusing on correcting if they really want to make a difference.
2) 250-133-79= 38 that they claim came from "nearby states with less strict laws" well, where exactly did those 38 come from? I'm not sure about VT, RI, CT, NY gun laws but I can assume they they left them out because they are less-free than NH and ME (easy targets for them to knock down).
and the best one:
3) 351 is a very large number for a state that has "some of the toughest gun laws in the nation".

If they are trying to prove that gun laws reduce crime, they did a horrible job in pointing that fact out. If they restrictive laws "worked" that number should be much less.

The State will be a better place when they finally shut the doors as a result of their slanted and unreliable news stories in the past and present.

 

[JoseyWales]

As always, the article concentrates on the inanimate object rather than the criminals involved.

Assuming that there were people involved with these "1737 firearms were used in crimes last year", I'm wondering how many times Bartley-Fox law was enforced and the violent criminals were put in jail so us law abiding innocent people can live in peace?

Ironic that last week the Liberal-Soft-on-Crime-Governor" Deval Patrick just vetoed the "Melissa's Bill" / "3 Strikes Bill" that would put violent people in jail without parole.

 

[BOBKATT]

I'm not sure about VT, RI, CT, NY gun laws but I can assume they they left them out because they are less-free than NH and ME (easy targets for them to knock down).

VT is actually the most-free when it comes to gun laws. With the exception of sound supressors, they pretty much do not have many additional laws above and beyond federal law. NH has a permit system for ccw, and so does Maine.

 

[Mark from MA]

As always, the article concentrates on the inanimate object rather than the criminals involved.

Assuming that there were people involved with these "1737 firearms were used in crimes last year", I'm wondering how many times Bartley-Fox law was enforced and the violent criminals were put in jail so us law abiding innocent people can live in peace?

Ironic that last week the Liberal-Soft-on-Crime-Governor" Deval Patrick just vetoed the "Melissa's Bill" / "3 Strikes Bill" that would put violent people in jail without parole.

The article is just more sour grapes that commuchusetts cant legislate beyond its borders. Boo hoo.

Deval vetoing the 3 strikes bill is pretty much my response to any idiots that propose more gun control. If anything shows that the fxckin liberal hypocrites are soft on crime and its all about restricting law abiding freedoms its that.

 

[Baystatesuks]

I am all for more gun control in the Northeast - that much less resistance when the South takes the North in the next civil war.

 

[Baikal49]

As always, the article concentrates on the inanimate object rather than the criminals involved.

Assuming that there were people involved with these "1737 firearms were used in crimes last year", I'm wondering how many times Bartley-Fox law was enforced and the violent criminals were put in jail so us law abiding innocent people can live in peace?

Ironic that last week the Liberal-Soft-on-Crime-Governor" Deval Patrick just vetoed the "Melissa's Bill" / "3 Strikes Bill" that would put violent people in jail without parole.

That is precisely the problem with this article. No analysis of who used the guns to commit crimes, their backgrounds, how or where they obtained the weapons.

It was good to see the Vermonter quotes about Vermont's saftey record being related to gun ownership. Sadly, the reporters did not ask the representatives from the Suffolk DA's Office or the Brady Foundation to comment on the statistics Jacoby raised a few weeks ago in his op-ed piece in the Globe. Friends of mine in law enforcement echo what a criminal law clinic director told me years ago, there are only two things violent felons fear, prison and that their intended victim is armed.

Growing up in NY, I recall that NYS had a three strikes law that worked quite well. There needs to be, IMO, clear definitions to determine which crimes apply and whether or not a judge has discretion in applying the third strike. It's an expensive proposition to house someone for a lifetime. Maybe the third strike life sentence should come with an offer from the state to allow the felon the option of assisted suicide anytime during the first 5 years of incarceration with a one time payment of say $25K to a designated beneficiary as an incentive.

 

[Sibb]

Best quote so far.

Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it more difficult for sober people to own cars.

The gun laws in MA are ridiculous and one of the reasons why I moved to NH.. Where exercising my 2nd Amendment rights is not a bad thing.

 

[DarrenL]

I notice how all of these criminals who allegedly obtain weapons in states "with weak laws" always seem to come back to MA to commit crimes. That never gets mentioned. I wonder why that is?

 

[Baikal49]

I notice how all of these criminals who allegedly obtain weapons in states "with weak laws" always seem to come back to MA to commit crimes. That never gets mentioned. I wonder why that is?

They go where the money is and where there's less of a threat to them meeting an armed victim. That's a generalization. You need to look at each case to see where they were from. Many criminals commit their career crimes very close to home.

 

[gene]

I notice how all of these criminals who allegedly obtain weapons in states "with weak laws" always seem to come back to MA to commit crimes. That never gets mentioned. I wonder why that is?

Because we have Deval looking out for their best interest