More

Featuring fresh takes and real-time analysis from HuffPost's signature lineup of contributors
Cliff Schecter

GET UPDATES FROM Cliff Schecter

Wayne Lapierre: Old Dog, Old Tricks

Posted: 08/11/11 02:29 PM ET

To quote Lawrence O'Donnell from his show back in February, Wayne LaPierre is "Washington's lobbyist in favor of murderer's rights, always to use the gun of their choice." There is no better summary of a man who ensures his $1.27 million salary every year by being a paid serial liar in defense of arms dealers, which groups such as the Violence Policy Center have made clear again and again.

So it should be no surprise that when faced with the rights of Americans to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, or those of Mexican Drug Cartels, he comes down squarely on the side of the latter, as pointed out by Media Matters:

Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association (NRA), has been on a media blitz trying to defend an NRA lawsuit that attempts to block an executive rule aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of cartels and criminals. The new rule would require gun stores along the border with Mexico to report to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) when a person purchases multiple long guns, such as the cartel favorite AK-47.


ATF agent and Fast and Furious whistleblower Peter Forcelli, whom the NRA has previously cited as an expert on tactics, disagrees with LaPierre. Forcelli told Political Correction that the "vast majority of ATF agents support the reporting requirement, because they know how it works."

Of course it works. It is common sense that it would work, except manufacturing doubt -- from the oil companies to the tobacco pushers to the gun runners -- is what these guys do. Common sense and science are their enemies. They might save a few lives, but then LaPierre might only make $1.1 million per annum.


Follow me on Twitter: @cliffschecter

 

Follow Cliff Schecter on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cliffschecter

 
 
  • Comments
  • 4
  • Pending Comments
  • 0
  • View FAQ
Comments are closed for this entry
View All
Favorites
Recency  | 
Popularity
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
11:49 AM on 08/19/2011
Giving serious consideration to Lawrence O'Donnell's contempt for America's 2nd Amendment is like giving serious consideration to the Chinese Communist Party's contempt for America's 1st Amendment.
photo
OdinsEye
Korean-Latino cop and combat vet
11:57 PM on 08/13/2011
Again, if the author can attack the veracity of a person and uses testimony of a specific group or person as proof, then they have opened the door for responders to attack the veracity of the group/person used by the author as evidence.

In this case, VPC and the leader of VPC have repeatedly been caught making statements which are not true. This has repeatedly occured right here on this site.
photo
OdinsEye
Korean-Latino cop and combat vet
11:11 PM on 08/13/2011
"Of course it works. It is common sense that it would work"

It, being mandatory reporting of multiple semi-auto rifle sales, will most likely not work. Anyone can avoid this with very little effort.

Instead of sending 1 guy to buy 10 rifles in 1 day from 1 dealer, all they have to do is:

A) Send 10 guys to buy 1 rifle each from 1 dealer in 1 day
B) Have 1 guy buy 1 rifle each from 10 dealers in 1 day
C) Have 1 guy buy 1 rifle from 1 dealer ever 6 days
D) Combinations of A, B, and C

Anyone buying multiple firearms will know they are being reported.

This new rule may have been enacted in amanner which violates the Constitution's separation of powers. The BATFE had tried previously to get Congress to authorize this and Congress flat out told them "No". So now the AG is trying to circumvent Congress and enact a law on his own.

Further, this new rule may violate the Constitutional concept of equal protection by enacting a rule which only applies to people of a specific geographic area.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
David Carson
01:04 PM on 08/13/2011
to Cliff Schecter--you are seriously misinformed if you think Josh Sugarman and the VPC have any credibility on the gun control issue--after all, Sugarmann admitted that he was pounding the assault weapon drum to confuse people who are unfamiliar with firearms