It’s good to see the Brady Campaign’s young, energetic new face is learning their old misdirections and deceptions like a seasoned expert:
“In 2004, 11,344 people in the U.S. were killed by gun violence,” said Goddard, who was an ROTC student at Virginia Tech. “In New Zealand, it was five.”
Yes, and the U.S. has 300 million people, and New Zealand has 4 million. But it looks more dramatic when you don’t use rates.
Goddard bought automatic 9-mm. handguns and an AK-47, which, if he hadn’t given it to police, could be headed for your neighborhood.
He gave it to police because he would have been committing a felony had he transported it back to his home state or transferred to it someone else without going through a federally licensed dealer.
“Most of the criminals in New York City don’t get their guns in New York,” says Goddard, who’s in town for the screening. “They go down South, where there aren’t many regulations.”
It’s all totally legal – and that’s what Goddard wants to stop. He’s pushing a bill before Congress to require background checks on private sales.
Except that buying a gun out of state and bringing it back to your home state, or transferring it to someone else who is not an FFL, is a felony already. Or are we using Joan Peterson’s standard that if it happens, then it must be legal.
A quibble:
“Except that buying a gun out of state and bringing it back to your home state…is a felony already.”
This is only true for handguns. I can go to Kittery Trading Post and buy any AWB-compliant long arm I like and bring it back to MA.
Now, the crucial fact that they’re omitting is that you have to be eligible to own that firearm in your home state – if you’re a felon and therefore ineligible to own a firearm, no FFL who values his license is going to sell you a firearm no matter where you are.
I should have said in a private sale. It’s legal from an FFL out of state but not a private seller.