Shut down ATF before more Americans die - #FuckThePolice
Thirty years ago the US Senate called Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) enforcement tactics “constitutionally, legally and practically reprehensible.” (US Senate, 1982)
And, for nearly forty years, ATF has been harrassing and killing non-criminal Americans.
In 1982 the Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution “received correspondence from two members of the Illinois Judiciary, dated in 1980, indicating that they had been totally unable to persuade BATF (ATF) to accept cases against felons who were in possession of firearms including sawed-off shotguns.” (US Senate, 1982)
The 1982 Subcommittee also reported, “The Bureau’s own figures demonstrate that in recent years the percentage of its arrests devoted to felons in possession, and persons knowingly selling to them, have dropped from 14 percent down to 10 percent of their firearms cases.” (US Senate, 1982)
“The Subcommittee received evidence that BATF has primarily devoted its firearms enforcement efforts to the apprehension, upon technical malum prohibitum charges, of individuals who lack all criminal intent and knowledge. Agents anxious to generate an impressive arrest and gun confiscation quota have repeatedly enticed gun collectors into making a small number of sales—often as few asfour—from their personal collections. Although each of the sales was completely legal under state and federal law, the agents then charged the collector with having “engaged in the business” of dealing in guns without the required license.” (US Senate, 1982) Sound familiar?
At Ruby Ridge in 1992 ATF killed a 13 year old boy and a woman with a baby.
At Waco in 1993 ATF triggered an unnecessary siege that killed 82 Americans.
Now we have Operation Gunrunner (Fast and Furious) killing Federal Agents.
Leaders of ATF have admitted allowing nearly 2000 combat weapons to be smuggled to Mexican criminals. Those criminals used some of those smuggled weapons to murder ICE Agent, Jaime Zapata and Tucson District Border Patrol Agent, Brian Terry - not to mention hundreds of Mexican law enforcement and military…
Carlos Canino, ATF Attaché to Mexico, testified before the House Oversight Committee last month,“It infuriates me, that people – including my law enforcement, diplomatic and military colleagues – may be killed or injured with these weapons.” He added, “Sinaloa cartel may have received as many guns as needed to arm the (US Army’s 75thRanger) regiment. Out of these 2,000 weapons, 34 were .50 caliber sniper rifles…approximately the number of sniper rifles a Marine infantry regiment takes into battle.” (Klein 2011)
What has ATF really accomplished since it separated from the IRS in 1972? Do we need a $1.12 billion Federal Agency to regulate our smoking, drinking and guns?
Congress should defund - and shut down - ATF before more guiltless Americans die.
Klein, P. (2011). The Examiner. Beltway Confidential. ATF Official in Mexico “infuriated” by Operation Fast and Furious. http://www.sfexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/07/atf-official-mexico-infuriated-operation-fast-and-furious
US Senate (1982). US Government Printing Office. Report of the Subcommittee on the Constitution of the Committee of the Judiciary. 97thCongress. http://www.atfabuse.com/senate1982.html
