Here is a copy of my email to Bill O’Reilly of Fox News:
Mr. O’Reilly,
As a regular viewer of Fox News I am astounded at the mistakes made in your Talking Points Memo tonight.
You started off with commentary about the ignorance of Bill Moyers (and other Hoplophobes), correctly calling their comments “so dumb it hurts”. I have been attempting to get the same message out for decades. The ignorance and irrationality about firearms is painful to any critical thinker.
Your second point about passing more laws not making a difference in criminal behavior was also correct. Criminals by definition don’t obey the law. Strict gun laws, and private property gun bans like Cinemark Theaters, allow a criminal to feel safer because they have less chance of meeting ANY resistance to their anti-social activities.
Now to the mistakes on your part –
You start off on your commentary about heavy weapons without defining light vs. heavy. Firearms are already divided under federal law and only ‘light’ firearms are in current channels of civilian firearms sales. ‘Heavy’ is defined in ATFE regulations as a caliber larger then ‘.50’, which means ‘.50 inches’ in bore diameter for rifles and handguns and can only be sold under the Special Occupational Tax status that includes select-fire(machine guns), suppressors and anti-tank(over .50 caliber). These have been the standard since the National Firearms Act of 1934 became law and you can’t buy a ‘destructive device’ at a regular gun shop, these are tightly controlled and usually only available to Military/Law Enforcement end users or civilian users that meet VERY stringent criteria (noted below from the ATFE website).
By the way, the ammunition for the AK-47, designated 7.62x39mm, is the ballistic equivalent of the .30-30 Winchester. Designed in 1894 and originally chambered in the Winchester lever action rifle. The .223/5.56mm cartridge used in the AR-15 is not even legal for deer hunting in many states due to its low power. How would you consider that ‘heavy’? Semi-Automatic rifles are not machine guns and only fire one round with each pull of the trigger but are commonly, and incorrectly, called Assault Rifles to stoke the public perception of danger from the inanimate object. In fact, I don’t know of a single crime ever committed with a legally owned NFA Firearm since it’s passage in 1934.
You state that “right now, some gun dealers do background checks….”. It is currently a federal law (Felony – 10 years) that all firearm transfers done by a licensed dealer have a background check performed (and government approved by a search of the FBI database) prior to transfer of the firearm.
You state, with enthusiastic hyperbole, that “terrorists could move in here and buy bazookas and the FBI doesn’t know about it”. You couldn’t be WRONG in a more blatant way!!
Per the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives website:
- ATF Form 4 (5320.4) must be completed, in duplicate. The transferor first completes the face of the form. The transferee completes the transferees certification on the reverse of the form and must have the Law Enforcement Certification completed by the chief law enforcement officer.The transferee is to place, on each copy of the form, a 2-inch by 2-inch photograph of the transferee taken within the past year (proofs, group photographs or photocopies are unacceptable). The transferees address must be a street address, not a post office box. If there is no street address, specific directions to the residence must be included.If State or local law requires a permit or license to purchase, possess, or receive NFA firearms, a copy of the transferees permit or license must accompany the application. A check or money order for $200 ($5 for transfer of any other weapon) shall be made payable to ATF by the transferor. All signatures on both copies must be in ink.Fingerprints also must be submitted on FBI Form FD-258, in duplicate. Fingerprints must be taken by a person qualified to do so, and must be clear and classifiable. If wear or damage to the fingertips do not allow clear prints, and if the prints are taken by a law enforcement official, a statement on his or her official letterhead giving the reason why good prints are unobtainable should accompany the fingerprints.Forward the completed application and appropriate tax payment to the Bureau of ATF, National Firearms Act Branch, P.O. Box 530298, Atlanta, GA 30353-0298.Transfer of the NFA firearm may be made only upon approval of the ATF Form 4 by the NFA Branch. If the application is approved, the original of the form with the cancelled stamp affixed showing approval will be returned to the applicant. If the tax application is denied, the tax will be refunded.Upon approval of the ATF Form 4, the transferor should transfer the firearm as soon as possible, since the firearm is now registered to the transferee.
[26 U.S.C. 5812, 27 CFR 479.84-86]
So, after paying the dealer for the item you wish to purchase, filling out the required paperwork, paying for the processing and fingerprints, getting the signature of your Sheriff/Police Chief, paying a $200 fee to ATFE to accompany the paperwork when you send it in. You get to wait 3-6 months while the FBI investigates your background for approval. Really, the FBI knows EVERYONE that owns a ‘Class III’ item. Additionally you must keep a copy of the government ‘permission’ with the firearm at all times and cannot travel to another state with the item unless you have another ‘permission’ from the government. ATFE also has the right, by your acceptance of their rules of approval, to inspect your paperwork and ‘item’ at ANY time/place/circumstance they deem appropriate to insure continued compliance with federal law and ATFE rules. Even failure to keep that piece of paper handy is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Items covered by the National Firearms Act include:
- Machine guns;
- The frames or receivers of machine guns;
- Any combination of parts designed and intended for use in converting weapons into machine guns;
- Any part designed and intended solely and exclusively for converting a weapon into a machine gun;
- Any combination of parts from which a machine gun can be assembled if the parts are in the possession or under the control of a person;
- Silencers and any part designed and intended for fabricating a silencer;
- Short-barreled rifles;
- Short-barreled shotguns;
- Destructive devices; and,
- Any other weapon.
A few examples of destructive devices are:
- Molotov cocktails;
- Anti-tank guns (over caliber .50);
- Bazookas; and,
- Mortars.
A few examples of any other weapon are:
- H&R Handyguns;
- Ithaca Auto-Burglar guns;
- Cane guns; and,
- Gadget-type firearms and pen guns which fire a projectile by the action of an explosive.
These items are only legal for civilian ownership with government permission, so your idea of ‘heavy weapon reporting’ is already in place. Secondly, I do believe most firearm crimes have mandatory minimums……….. unless they are plea bargained down or reduced by liberal judges. Maybe the judges should be held responsible for the reduced sentences and have some liability for any crimes committed by recidivist criminals.
Yes, criminals will always get guns. Look at other countries that have ‘gun bans’ for easy examples. Compare that to the reductions in criminal activity (violent crimes statistics from the FBI) in EVERY state that has made individual firearm possession and concealed carry easier.
You then state “The authorities can’t protect you; they respond after you’re shot.” and “The Founding Fathers firmly believed that you should have the right to protect yourself.”………….. without any support or validation for these statements. Thanks for leaving the law-abiding American citizen twisting in the breeze. Without re-hashing all the original intent and second amendment arguments I will point out that the SCOTUS has previously ruled that law enforcement has no duty to protect the individual citizen, only to investigate and prosecute crimes.
Supreme Court ruling in TOWN OF CASTLE ROCK, COLORADO v. GONZALES
(there is another case I can’t find at the moment. Both had similar outcomes, the Individual is responsible for his/her own well being)
Norway massacre – another example of a monster taking advantage of an unarmed target area.
I find it unsettling that you would air such an UN-prepared, UN-researched and emotionally charged commentary. While I know from your previous statements that you are not a solid conservative or second amendment supporter, I would expect to hear your Talking Points Memo aired (and offered up for a Pulitzer) on ABC…………… Not FNC. Of course, maybe Bill Moyers will cheer the second part since you offer solutions no less offensive than his hoplophobia.
Thank you Sir for your time in reading this. While it is notably too long for the email section, I could not allow the mis-information (I call it “Spin”) to stand unchallenged.
(Ransom)
Quick Bio:
W/M 49yo Conservative Never missed a chance to vote
Retired Paramedic/FF
Shooter since before I attended school
Firearms Dealer and Gunsmith since 1984
Firearm Instructor since 1984
Currently make a living teaching responsible and effective use of firearms (Small business owner that Obama won’t claim to have helped)
From Wiki-pedia:
Hoplophobia (from the Greek ὅπλον – hoplon, meaning amongst others “arms”[1] and φόβος – phobos, “fear”[2]) is defined as the “fear of weapons”[3][4][5] and as the “fear of armed citizens”.[6]
Popular use of the term
Firearms authority and writer Colonel Jeff Cooper coined the word in 1962[7] to describe a “mental disturbance characterized by irrational aversion to weapons.”[8] Although not a mental health professional, Cooper employed the term as an alternative to slang terms, stating: “We read of ‘gun grabbers’ and ‘anti-gun nuts’ but these slang terms do not [explain this behavior].” Cooper attributed this behavior to an irrational fear of firearms and other forms of weaponry. He stated that “the most common manifestation of hoplophobia is the idea that instruments possess a will of their own, apart from that of their user.”[9] Writing in an opinion piece, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review columnist Dimitri Vassilaros asserted that the term was intended by Cooper as tongue-in-cheek to mock those who think guns have free will.[10]
The meaning and usage ascribed by Cooper falls outside of the medical definitions of true specific phobias. For example, specific phobias require that the person be aware and acknowledge that their fear is irrational, and usually causes some kind of functional impairment.[11] True medical phobias of firearms and other weapons can exist, but are unusual.[4]
We are surrounded by ‘useful idiots’. Even the ones most people view as intelligent and trustworthy can make mistakes. Question Everyone!!!!
Read and study, get good information, contact your representatives and senators.
Educate yourself and VOTE!!!!