The NRA and the Republican Party Made It Easier For The Boston Bombers to Get Weapons

[Tx4obama]

The NRA and the Republican Party Made It Easier For The Boston Bombers to Get Weapons

America is a nation steeped in the rule of law that generally refers to the “authority and influence of law in society;” especially as a constraint on bad behavior, including behavior of government officials. Americans would expect that elected representatives responsible for creating laws would be well-versed in the ultimate law of the land, the United States Constitution, but as the past four years have revealed, Republicans are not only unaware of the Constitution’s provisions for law, they are likely to distort and ignore them when it suits their purpose. Advocates for the law and law enforcement officials however, are well-aware of the law as part of their professional standards, and they consistently adhere to legal statutes to ensure justice protects the people according to the Constitution.

On Friday, amidst the manhunt for one of the suspected Boston marathon bombers, Senator Lindsey Graham displayed total disregard for the Constitution and suggested the Obama Administration hold the alleged bomber as an “enemy combatant for intelligence gathering purposes” and implied that law enforcement should avoid reading the “Boston suspect Miranda Rights telling him to remain silent.” One expected, and witnessed, that type of comment from ignorant conservatives who immediately decided the suspect was an Middle Eastern radical fresh off the boat from Afghanistan, but Graham is a United States Senator, a trained lawyer, a colonel in the Air Force reserve, and a member of the legal arm of the U.S. Air Force’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps; Graham also swore to support and uphold the U.S. Constitution.

Although the Constitution does not cite it explicitly, presumption of innocence is widely held to follow from the 5th, 6th, and 14th amendments, and the Miranda warning requirement is an established Constitutional precedent. What Graham suggested before knowing any facts ignored that the alleged bomber is a United States citizen and was apprehended on United States soil, but Graham proffered the same advice in 2011 when he said, “an American citizen on our soil who collaborates with the enemy has committed an act of war and will be held under the law of war, not domestic criminal law.” At the time Graham suggested ignoring the Constitution, there was no proof the suspect collaborated with “the enemy” to support depriving him of his basic Constitutional rights as a U.S. citizen. However, there were intimations that the young suspect was a Muslim and for Republicans, that was enough to deprive him of his constitutional rights, and suggest scuttling debate on comprehensive immigration reform. It was more bad news from Republicans who blocked a gun safety measure that may prevent a repeat of the events in Boston this week.

On Wednesday, Senate Republicans and four Democrats shot down a bill to expand background checks for prospective firearm purchases on orders from National Rifle Association leader Wayne La Pierre. Republicans served the NRA dutifully for decades, and their unwillingness to protect Americans now, and in the past, certainly made it easier for the alleged bombers to engage in gunfights with law enforcement and detonate improvised explosive devices at the Boston marathon. With Republican support, the NRA successfully created an environment that made access to firearms easier for the alleged bombers, and tracing the gunpowder used in 0the “pressure cooker” bombs and homemade hand grenades impossible.

-snip-

Rest of article here: http://www.politicususa.com/nra-republican-party-easier-boston-bombers-weapons.html

A Good Read.

[HooptieWagon]

1. Did they abolish background checks for pressure-cookers or something?

[Tx4obama]

2. Reading the article helps...

-snip-

With Republican support, the NRA successfully created an environment that made access to firearms easier for the alleged bombers, and tracing the gunpowder used in the “pressure cooker” bombs and homemade hand grenades impossible.

-snip-

The brothers also had handguns and rifles. But regarding the pressure cookers "gunpowder" was used in those and also in the home-made hand grenades.

[HooptieWagon]

3. Since we don't know where they bought the rifles and gunpowder,

...then how can it be determined that any particular legislation or lack thereof made it easier?
And I'm not an expert on weapons purchase and ownership laws, but wouldn't being a non-citizen and having a record prohibit him from legally buying and owning a weapon anyway? If he ignores those laws, why would he follow others?
Fer chris' sake, the guy made his own bombs...I don't see how laws on gun-ownership were going to be too much for him to overcome.

[Tx4obama]

5. The NRA/GOP have made tracing gun powder untraceable ...

-snip-

With Republican assistance, the NRA lobbied, and defeated inclusion of a substance called a taggant in black and smokeless gunpowder used to identify the manufacturer and chain of custody that was not available to law enforcement after 3 people were killed and more than 170 were wounded.

Identification taggants are microscopically color-coded particles that, if added to gun powders during their manufacturing, would facilitate tracing those products after a bombing back to the manufacturer and through mandatory (but non-existent) distribution records through wholesaler and dealer to the original purchaser according to a 1999 NRA report.

Not only did the NRA block inclusion of taggants, but recently they opposed a proposal of Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg requiring “sales of explosive powder be subject to a background check,” especially large amounts necessary to create pressure cooker bombs. The suspects used gunpowder in homemade grenades against law enforcement officers during the gun battle that took the life of one suspect and wounded a police officer that Republicans have assailed for the past two years with their persistent public sector cutbacks and assault on union labor.

-snip-

Btw, the 19 year old is a US citizen.

[HooptieWagon]

9. 19 yo only a citizen for the past 6 months.

And we don't know who bought the guns, or how. For that matter they may have borrowed or stolen them.
And we don't know where or how they acquired the explosives, so we don't know whether or not any passed or failed legislation made it any easier or harder.
Its like me claiming a failed zoning law or deed restriction would have prevented your house from being in its current condition...without knowing what that current condition is.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

19. The National Academy of Sciences recommended against the 3M taggants as well

There are safety issues with them. Explosive manufacturers also worked against it.

It does not mean that safe ones could not be developed and deployed

[Bill USA]

56. I am not aware of the NAS recommending against use of taggants. They did say more research

should be done to establish the suitability of taggants "for inclusion in black and smokeless powders".

"Federally funded research on taggants in explosives has been suspended since 1981" ...guess why.


https://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=6289

Federally funded research on taggants in explosives has been suspended since 1981, leaving many unanswered questions about the compatibility of taggants with the wide variety of black and smokeless powder products currently available. Although taggants have been added to a limited number of explosives in Switzerland since 1981, no tagging system has been fully tested to demonstrate its technical feasibility for use in all types of black and smokeless powders.

Research should be conducted to develop and test taggants that would be technically suitable for inclusion in black and smokeless powders should the future threat level warrant their use, the committee said. To enable policy-makers to accurately determine the threat from bombings involving these powders, a single, national database on bombing statistics that is comprehensive, searchable, and up-to-date should be established.

[Hoyt]

6. NRA lobbied against laws that help track gun powder.

NRA - and gun owners too cheap to pay dues to the right wing NRA - is against anything that might help identify a gun owner who misuses their weapons.

[HooptieWagon]

7. OK, so that may reduce the number of possible suspects to 3 or 4 million...

...assuming they bought the gunpowder, and didn't make it themselves. The odds of finding who bought pressure cookers probably much better. Of course, this does nothing to PREVENT the bombing.

[Hoyt]

8. It does if you catch them before they bomb again.

[HooptieWagon]

10. ok, that helps catch Rudolph and unabomber maybe.

Does nothing for Oklahoma bomber, Colombine bombers, or Boston bombers.
And theres plenty of common chemicals that can make bombs...you can even scrape heads off matches.
I agree with putting chemical tracers in gunpowder...but its not a panacea that will prevent or solve many bombing cases.

[Hoyt]

11. Typical NRA response, if it doesn't work 100% of time, don't consider it.

If it helps only 5% of time, it's an improvement. Screw the gun cultists afraid of losing their access to more lethal weapons.

[HooptieWagon]

13. Its ineffective "feel good" legislation thats gotten us into the problem.

And for the record, I agreed with putting chemical tracers in powder in the post you were replying to. I guess you didn't bother reading it it before hitting your F8 "thats an NRA talking point" key. I guess theres no point in taking any more of your comments seriously. G'day.

[Hoyt]

14. If you are trying to support guns and gun cultists, you got it.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

21. Typical Hoyt response

Ignore the safety issues and the independent review by the National Academy of Science

[Hoyt]

22. Yep. Typical comment by "professor" protecting his guns and powder.

I think ATF, FBI, etc., make more sense on this than gun cultists and 2nd Amendment types.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

23. More jealousy on your part

Where are the studies that refute the NAS on the 3M taggants in small arms propellants?

Clue: you don't have one...

[Hoyt]

24. New taggants could be developed, except for you guys and NRA.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

26. Indeed they could

And I have no problem with them once they are...so how I am I preventing their development?

[Hoyt]

31. By joining NRA and gun/powder nuts in supporting legislation that prohibits them.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

32. Which I have not done

My concern is safety and safety only

[Hoyt]

33. And unfettered access to weapons, and opposing all efforts to track guns used in crime.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

36. Not true either

I support universal background check and many other improvements to current gun control laws.

Again I ask, are you even allowed to own firearms?

[premium]

48. Shut him right up,

didn't you.

[Bill USA]

57. what is your argument for not having a system which will help identify bombers some of whom do

repeat their actions? what's the reason for not having a means of tracking down idiot malcontents willing to randomly kill people?

[lastlib]

12. "HooptieWagon"--is that what you fell off of?

(Maybe--just maybe--if we had some tougher laws that covered a little more ground on the subject, which other people would follow....just maybe he wouldn't have been able to obtain those weapons. But the mighty Wayne LaPee-Error and his congressional ass-kissers said no...... )

[HooptieWagon]

15. There is some legislation which would be generally effective.

Certainly tightening up background checks will help keep guns out of the hands of some of those with felony records...enough to make a dent in street crime. However, it would have no effect on people with no criminal record...like VT, Aurora, Newtown, and recent Boston killers.

[Hoyt]

16. Some tough legislation and change in how we view people who pollute society with guns will help.

It's a long term approach, but why dick around for another decade and let yahoos purchase another 100 million guns. Sooner or later, like Australia did, we are going to have to deal with guns and those who covet them.

[HooptieWagon]

17. Good luck with that.

It would only take 13 States voting no to defeat a repeal of the 2nd A...and then where are you? Set reasonable goals, and don't resort to name-calling and bullying tactics, and possibly effective legislation can be passed. Continue curremt tactics, and nothing will...besides costing Dems elections.

[Hoyt]

18. Replace one judge on Supreme Court, or pass some restrictions that have already

been tacitly approved by SC. We don't have to allow callous yahoos to pollute society.

[HooptieWagon]

20. Cost Dems the '16 election, and lose 2 Justices.

Then R v W gets thrown out. Probably a lot of enviromental protections, too. Slashes to safety net, big cuts to OSHA etc. Say goodbye to Marrigae Equality, hello to more war and torture.

[Hoyt]

25. So you gonna vote for a rethugs to protect your guns and powder.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

27. The record indicates that many will.

Is something the NAS recommended against worth losing the Senate and possibly the Whitehouse?

[Hoyt]

30. No true Democrat would vote for a republican over guns.

[HooptieWagon]

28. I don't have a dog in that fight.

Other issues are more important to me than a wasted effort charging a windmill.

[HooptieWagon]

39. There are about 40 million more gun owners than Obama voters.

There is no way to predict how they'll vote. But, legislation and rhetoric perceived as targeting 100 million legal and responsible gun owners will probably go over with swing voters about as well as the GOP.s "legitimate rape" rhetoric did in '12. It would be really stupid for Dems to piss off 100 million voters.

[Hoyt]

41. A bigh percentage of gun owners, aren't gun nuts. They don't carry, or covet assault weapons.

They aren't opposed to strict laws, or means to track guns used in crime. They don't have a weapons cache, other than a gun or two. They don't promote more guns in society.

Again, if you vote for a Republican over guns, you aren't a Democrat and the love of guns has likely altered judgement.

[HooptieWagon]

42. First of all, many gun-owners are Democrats.

Secondly, while I don't know exact figures, I suspect that over half of all hunting rifles sold are semi-automatic...differing from semi-automatic "assault weapons" only in appearance. Fully automatic rifles are already tightly regulated, and almost never involved in a shooting.
Third, almost all new handguns sold currently are semi-automatics.
Lastly, your efforts at projection are quite pathetic. I don't love guns, I have no opinion on them one way or another. Gun deaths have been on a steady decline, according to DOJ statistics, and about 60% of gun deaths are suicides. I simply don't see it as a major problem worth losing elections over. And I'm not going to vote for republicans, but because of issues completely unrelated to gun control. But I'm very liberal...swing voting gun owners very likely would vote different than I.

[Hoyt]

46. Tell me why a sane person would buy a semi-auto with menacing appearance?

Don't just look at gun deaths -- how about wounds, use of guns to intimidate including family members, etc.

As to gun deaths have been on "a steady decline, I have a couple of comments. If that is true, why do people keep arming up. If true, think how many less deaths there would be without so many friggin guns. Do you not think that better surveillance, longer sentences, etc., have something to do with declining gun deaths. Do you honestly think that more guns cause less gun deaths.

Obviously, you do love, covet, need, want -- or whatever term you wish to apply -- guns. BTW -- do you profit from guns in any way?

[HooptieWagon]

47. Maybe same reason people get menacing tats?

Maybe why Harley riders like no mufflers? I dunno. To a certain extent, its because thats how the guns are made. Ergonomic grips are more comfortable to hold, black color doesn't reflect sunlight. Mostly, its in the eyes of the beholder. Certain trends and fashion are designed to be offensive to some people. If you are offended, then mission accomplished. If you ignore it, then the fad vanishes.
As far as "profiting from guns"...ROTFLMAO. Never owned one, don't need one, don't give a shit one way or other...except in how Dems election chances are affected.

[premium]

51. More slander by Hoyt.

You never fail to disappoint.

I would like you to point out where Hooptiewagon said that more guns cause less death, and try to do it without the slander please.

[Hoyt]

52. Time gun cultists face the truth about their bad gun habits.

[premium]

53. You're so predictable,

I just knew that you wouldn't answer the question, but I thought that I would give you a chance to be honest once, but, as usual, you failed miserably.

Let's try again, just where did HooptieWagon say that more guns means less crime?

[Crunchy Frog]

38. What if we had regulations

enabling us to trace where they purchased rifles and gunpowder?

And maybe they ignored the laws so easily because it,s so easy to purchase these things without a background check, with no penalties in place for seling or transferring to them as long as you're a "private" seller.

Hey, while we're at it, why don't we eliminate traffic enforcement and replace it with the honor system. Speeders are going to violate the law anyway.

[HooptieWagon]

40. Maybe we should find out where tjey acquired the guns and powder before drafting legislation?

Otherwise, the legislation may turn out to not have prevented anything.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

49. We do know at this point the guns they had were illegally obtained

Neither had MA paperwork. Out of state private sale is prima facie illegal so there would be penalties for buyer and seller unless they used false in state IDs where they were bought

Not sure what the restriction in MA are for smokeless or black powder. Normally not regulated other than you have to be an adult. At this time I have not seen any announcement as to what kind of explosive was used, but the consensus is some kind of powder.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

50. We do know at this point the guns they had were illegally obtained

Neither had MA paperwork according to a recent announcement. Out of state private sale is prima facie illegal so there would be penalties for buyer and seller unless they used false in state IDs where they were bought

[obliviously]

29. The pressure should be limited to 10 pounds

Nobody needs more than 10 pounds pressure to cook deer!

[HooptieWagon]

35. Cosmetic features like ergonomic handles should be banned.

Nobody needs handles on a pressure-cooker.

[Crunchy Frog]

34. Could you give us some statistics

on the number of deaths caused by pressure cookers?

If the, re truly as dangeous as guns, then yes they should be regulated.

[HooptieWagon]

37. 3 on monday alone.

And they are commonly used to construct IEDs in the ME and Central Asia.
Pressure cookers cook much faster than regular pots and pans. People shouldn't be allowed to cook fast, because 1 in a million use them to commit crimes.

[Crunchy Frog]

43. In one single incident.

How many in the past year in the United States?

Anyway, I've expressed my opinion. I don't choose to get bogged down in pointless debate with people spouting NRA talking points.

[HooptieWagon]

44. So anybody who doesn't march in lockstep with you is "spouting NRA talking points"?

Best of luck to you with that attitude. No wonder legislation is DOA. You all sound like the republican "legitimate rape" spouters...and will see similar results.

[Crunchy Frog]

45. No, but pretty much anyone

who tries to compare pressure cookers to guns. It's just such a familiar pattern by now.

And if yiu want to vote Republican because of what some anonymous poster said on a message board, you're welcome to it.

And you didn't even answer the substance of my post which makes you look like even more of an NRA mouthpiece.

Finished with you now.

[meanit]

4. But, but

the terrorists obviously could have done what they did with a spoon or a garden weasel just as effectively.

[hack89]

54. Mass has some of the toughest gun control laws in America.

It is a gun controllers dream.

[Bill USA]

55. recommended!