9/06 Breaking The Law In The Name Of The Law
by
Larry Pratt
Politicians frequently promise even the moon. What is bad is when they believe they can actually deliver same, or at least jump over tall buildings in a single bound. What is worse is they then conclude that they can break the law because they are different from normal, sinful, stupid mortals. You know, the ones who vote them into office.
Such is Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City.
Bloomberg thinks that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) is soft on crime. He’s ignorant to the fact that the agency has been harassing and persecuting honest gun owners and dealers quite a bit lately. So, he did what any billionaire elitist might do.
Bloomberg bankrolled a team of vigilante investigators to poke their nose into the supposed gun running of a number of firearms dealers. In the process of the investigation, the Vigilante-in-Chief stumbled into 18 separate BATF investigations in process (one of which involved his own police department). Some of the BATF investigations were even being conducted with the help of the stores targeted by Bloomberg.
A firearms industry group, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, has issued this challenge to the vigilante mayor: “Mr. Bloomberg should release the videotapes and other ‘evidence’ he purports to have demonstrating illegalities of firearms dealers. If he continues to obstruct federal law enforcement from investigating these very serious charges, ATF should subpoena this documentation.”
Perhaps we can understand why Mayor Vigilante is reluctant to have his videos “speed up” the BATF investigations when we see what happened to a couple of busts that he ordered in his very own Gotham.
Bloomberg ordered the Big Apple Police Department to confiscate guns from two stores earlier this year — Woodhaven Rifle and Pistol Range and DF Brothers Sport Center. They were supposedly dirty guys selling guns to criminals. Oops, no case! The city’s own lawyers realized that the Mayor had overstepped. All guns had to be returned.
But, true to his Mafia style, Bloomberg has grumbled that the dealers will be “subject to heightened scrutiny by the NYPD….” Sounds a bit like: “You be careful or I’ll have cousin Vito visit you.”
Well, here is a first. Gun Owners of America would like to see the BATF target some suspected criminal activity involving obstruction of justice… in New York City… in the Office of the Mayor.