Plans for the North American Leaders summit:
Mexico also wants more gun control in the U.S., particularly when it comes to assault weapons.
“I would like to see the assault weapons ban reinstated – it’s not philosophical, it’s because of what we have seen on the ground…There is a direct correlation between the assault ban and expiring in 2004 and the numbers – simply the sheer numbers – of assault weapons that we seize in Mexico…We are both cognizant of what can and cannot be done right now – we will softly, diplomatically…continue to say that this is an important issue for us but I think the real perspectives of this moving on Capitol Hill these days are slim to say the least,†the official said.
““The Mexican government is not about challenging the Second Amendment. That’s a sovereign decision of the United States. It’s a sovereign decision of the U.S. Congress. That’s up to you guys. But the Second Amendment wasn’t adopted by the Founding Fathers to allow transnational organized crime to illicitly buy weapons in the Unites States and be illicitly cross them over international borders into countries where those calibers and types of weapons are prohibited,†the official said.
So they expect me to believe that because in 1994 we banned flash hiders and bayonet lugs, that Mexican drug cartels just couldn’t abide by dealing with post-ban features, and went without. You know, if the people pushing these issues weren’t so dishonest, our jobs would be a lot harder. Trust me, the last thing Mexican officials want is for us to actually listen to them. As long as they can blame the United States for their inability to control their own border, and control their own crime and corruption, they don’t need to answer for their own failing. They blame our gun laws for the same reason New Jersey and New York blame the gun laws in the rest of the country; to pass the buck. The alternative is admitting to your own people that your policies are a failure, and no politician will ever do that.
I think the stupidest part about Mexico blaming our gun laws (and NY, NJ or DC, etc) blaming their gun crime on their neighbors is this: Why don’t your neighbors have the same problems?
After all, if firearm availability is the main causative factor, then your neighbors where firearms are so easy to procure would be experiencing the same problems, but WORSE.
If they are not, then it ain’t the guns, Brainiacs—it’s you. It’s something about the way you are running your shit.
Mexico is a joke that has gone beyond even being funny. Corruption breeds distortion, dishonesty, and lies (something we have seen with the current administration). This should come as no surprise from the same type of hideously corrupt politicians that currently rot our republic. We have the advantage of at least having some honest people still in it.
From what I could find online the Mexican murder rate dropped after the AWB expired.
I feed it to Uncle a while back.
http://www.saysuncle.com/2009/03/27/clinton-didnt-get-the-memo/
Lets see at the end of the year which causes more deaths in Mexico , H1N1 or “assault weapons. My money is on H1N1. And I don’t consider it a super flu ether.
To Guav:
Colloquially put, but absolutely accurate!
You make an unbeatable argument about why neighboring States are not experiencing the violence that all these strict gun control States/countries are. Thank you for that! I shall use it in my next debate with my liberal “friends.” Thanks!!
– Arnie
Arnie, and you can tell ’em a liberal said it :)
I agree that from the Mexican standpoint, the percentage of guns they’re getting from the U.S. is not high enough to justify blaming us and our laws. I was one who for a while bought that 90% idea, but I’ve since become convinced that it’s more like 20%.
From our standpoint, however, the 20% is too high and we should clean up our act by preventing that flow of guns, which although much smaller than originally stated, is still too much.
simple two part solution mikeb
1) Start getting serious about patrolling the border . Forget the ” virtual fence ” and put up a REAL , electrified one at least 12 feet tall and 3 feet below ground . Interspace seismic sensors at what ever interval they can still detect tremors from tunneling efforts . Place Forward Operating Bases along the border for the Border Patrol and include helicopter pads/drone capability to patrol the full length of the border . Finally , place non lethal claymore type mines filled with either a fould smelling but safe liquid or ” sting balls ” in a mine field at least 100 feet deep from the fence. Once a few people get nailed by them , thats a huge deterrent for the rest that just watched it happen . An alternative would be LRAD systems linked to motion sensors .
2) Legalize pot , apparently this is the United States of Amnesia , we have learned nothing from Prohibition . Pot accounts for something like 2/3rds of the Mexican Cartels income and is NOT the ” gateway drug ” everyone likes to claim it is . Theres even a growing group of Law Enforcement Officers , DEA Agents and Judges that have all said the current ” war on drugs ” is a sham , it hasnt worked and it never will . But legalizing , regulating and taxing it here , treating it like alcohol will immediately remove the profit motive for the cartels and free up prison space for the truly dangerous criminals . Its pretty much inevitable at this point .California is on the verge of legalization , and once California goes , the other States wont be far behind .
But since both my ideas are politically incorrect , we as a Nation wont have a serious discussion of the merits and just continue to beat our heads against the wall and quite possibly facilitate the next 9-11 style attack .
Dan, I’d be hesitant on the 1st suggestion but totally in agreement on the 2nd. But as you say, it’s not happening any time soon.
I have to agree with Dan on both counts. Now that the Mexican violence is spilling over into America (note grenade thrown into Texas bar) it is time to seal the border. We don’t want Mexico’s war here. We don’t want Mexico’s criminals here.
Also, in my opinion, it is way past time to legalize pot, tax it, and stop wasting billions of dollars for law enforcement and criminal detention of people who just want a little high. We could also really use the additional tax income from this to help us recover from the big giant hole that President Unicorn is digging for us.
Not sure how much sealing the border would do to stop guns or drugs from passing back and forth. Can’t seal the air or the ocean, after all. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Would cut down on the people flow more though … one small boat or plane can carry a lot of drugs and guns, but not that many people at a time.