Bloomberg Tries to Profiteer Politically From Fort Hood Shooting
While most of us were gorging ourselves on outsized portions of turkey, ham, and pie on Thanksgiving, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean were making the final edits on a joint editorial being readied for publication. Last Friday, that editorial — ominously titled “Enabling the Next Fort Hood?” — ran in the Washington Post.
Bloomberg and Kean mention Major Nidal Hasan’s rampage and then transition to the Little Rock military recruiting station shooting carried out by Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, a Muslim convert. It seemed as if Bloomberg and Kean were about to blame Islamic extremists for these attacks — but that would have been both far too logical and far too brave.
Instead, they used these attacks against American soldiers by militant Muslims to attack a series of laws first passed in 2003. These laws kept confidential law enforcement data and the private information of American citizens from being obtained by the public.
I wish I was kidding, but I’m not. They write:
A full investigation will reveal whether other red flags should have resulted in preventive action, but here is one thing we already know: A federal law repeatedly supported by Congress interfered with the FBI’s ability to find out about Hasan’s purchase of a handgun. Knowledge of that purchase might — and should — have triggered great scrutiny. And it could have saved lives.
During the Clinton administration, the FBI had access to records of gun background checks for up to 180 days. But in 2003, Congress began requiring that the records be destroyed within 24 hours. This requirement, one of the many restrictions on gun data sponsored by Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), meant that Hasan’s investigators were blocked from searching records to determine whether he or other terrorist suspects had purchased guns. When Hasan walked out of Guns Galore in Killeen, Tex., the FBI had only 24 hours to recognize and flag the record — and then it was gone, forever.
Contrary to what Bloomberg and Kean claim, law enforcement has never been without access to gun trace data.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) keeps records of all gun trace data, which typically includes the name of the law enforcement agency submitting the request, the site from where the firearm was recovered, the name of the commercial dealer that sold the firearm, and the name of the original buyer. All any law enforcement agency needs to do is contact the ATF, and they will run a gun trace.
I have personal knowledge of this. I’ve been part of the process myself, digging through boxes to locate a specific Form 4473 for ATF agents.
The ATF and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) both support the Tiahrt amendment (as the laws are collectively known) as a matter of record, with the FOP declaring:
The FOP has supported this language since the original version was first enacted several years ago because of our concern for the safety of law enforcement officers and the integrity of law enforcement investigations. For example, the disclosure of trace requests can inadvertently reveal the names of undercover officers or informants, endangering their safety. It may also tip off the target of an investigation, as appears to be the case in New York City.
Yes, you read that correctly.
I have an idea for a new gun law: arrest people for being outspoken jihadists.
Isn’t NYC the place where there are thousands of guns running around in the pockets of criminals who could care less about mayor Mikes rules? He better take a wall of protection guys with him every where he goes before one of those disaffected constituents puts a hole in his billionaire head! What good is all that money when your dead Mike?
“The simple fact of the matter is that Mayor Mike fancies himself the mayor of America.”
No, he’s much more parochial than that. The simple fact of the matter is that Mayor Mike fancies himself as the Head Nurse of New York City.
It’s been clear for some time that Mike Bloomberg is no friend of freedom. It’s equally clear that he belongs to that group of privileged persons who, because they can buy security from their own pockets, are unconcerned with the security of the rest of us.
There’s no security in their sort of paternalism — for anyone. let things get bad enough, and they’ll learn this on their own hides…as they deserve.
Idiot. The jihadi was a member of the US Military- what exactly was a gun trace going to show?
The jihadi deliberately picked a gun free zone where there were numerous US military to inflict the maximum casualties. Gun traces wouldn’t have helped. However, less restrictions on carrying of weapons would have since the victims would have been able to defend themselves. The exact opposite of what idiots like Bloomberg work for.
(Most US bases ban any private firearms – other than transport to-from range if there is one on base- and tightly control duty weapons. I.E. they are in the armory or on the range, not carried around in condition 1 or 2)
Ft. Hood already has a “gun control” policy (I use the term in the lefty sense). It was precisely because of this general “no open carry on base” policy, enacted under Clinton, that Hasan was able to murder as many as he did. Nobody in the room was able to answer deadly force with equal force.
I sort of pity New Yorkers for having to endure his making a laughing-stock of them. But then I remind myself, they elected him.
gus3 is correct. If Clinton hadn’t disarmed the troops back in the early ’90′s – most of those slaughtered might be alive today.
Why would you deliberately (try to) disarm those who abide the law – so they can’t defend themselves from those who ignore it?
Looks like most have nailed it, they’re idiots. The gun control policy on bases should make the members of the services carry weapons not ban them. Fewer lives would have been lost. These two idiots have some of the tightest gun control laws in the country and one of the largest number of truly illegal guns; those are the ones in criminal hands. New York and New Jersey elected the jerks, thus deserve them. Absolutely braindead.
Bob, you have a typo in your second sentence. I think you meant to type “Fort Hood”. What you have is “Ford Hood”, which is an auto part.
When I look at where many of these massacres take place, I find one factor that is similar in all cases. They take place in “gun free zones.” Even military personnel on a military base, cannot carry their guns w/ them. If they had been armed, the Major probably would have tried elsewhere, or not tried at all. But he knew he could have a field day w/ a large group of unarmed people contained w/in a confined space for him to target & kill.
The Mayor & many others have their own protection while the rest of us must depend on police who cannot be everywhere all the time & by court rulings, are not obligated by law, to protect us.
The Chicago case the Supreme Court will hear, is important. However, it is painfully obvious these gun control nuts will keep this up & try to bankrupt gun owners, while also trying to drive us to distraction. Perhaps they secretly hope a gun owner will go off their rocker & harm someone where the gun control folks could then say, ‘see, they are after us & we need to take away all guns.”
Anyway, we must keep fighting & we must demand our courts adhere to our constitution. If not, we need to become seriously legal & drag those who would attack our freedoms, through courts until they understand we are not giving up our rights.
Let us see how fast mayor Bloomberg would get a gun if we strip him off of his police protection. In fact, let us craft a law that will make it illegal for all elected officials and their families to avail themselves with armed protection and make it a federal offense for elected officials as well as government bureaucrats to buy and carry a gun, a knife or any weapons and to use them to defend themselves and their families. It will also mean that bomb detectors will be removed form all local,State and Federal buildings. There will be no armed police presence in City halls, State Capitols and Federal buildings. The same security that they want normal Americans have, they will have.
It’s rather obvious that Bloomberg is a fascist,no different that Dianne Feinstein, is it not?
The comments here are all spot-on. Just to a note to Everett Littlefield @ #2: New York City actually has the lowest homicide rate of any major city in the country, but it comes at a high cost. New York City has about 450-500 policemen per hundred thousand inhabitants. Walk around Manhattan and it feels somewhat like an armed camp.
Will @ #11: I think you have hit on a great idea.
Bloomberg has the psychological needs of any man who has made a towering pile of money and has proven to himself many times over how wonderful he is. He must take on the ultimate proof: his ability to control large swathes of PEOPLE. Having achieved the first, the second is his new frontier. During the early winter of 2007, NYC experienced a sudden ice storm. It took the city by surprise and there was no preparation. The streets were humped with ice and traffic could barely move. What was the mayor carping about? TRANSFAT in foods. Yes. People could hardly navigate the streets for fear of personal injury and he was scolding the citizens about menu choices. Many had hoped that with term limitations he would be out of their hair. Nope. He has too much money to heed the laws put in place DEMOCRATICALLY. Generalized resentment was so pervasive about this petty martinet that after spending ONE HUNDRED MILLION of his PERSONAL FORTUNE, he almost lost to a third rate bumbler who most assuredly would have screwed things up. Bloomberg’s problem is that he believes he is what he thinks he is. Ha cannot control his desires to inflict his way on all and sundry. Smoking, eating, protected sex, gun control, the list goes on and on. Most of which is NONE OF HIS FRIGGIN’ BUSINESS and he should be told often and loudly to P— OFF! And New Yorkers for all of their self proclaimed toughness, are led around by the nose by this miniature despot. With each succeeding dictate one thinks, this is it! He’ll never get away with this now. And he does. Maybe the tactic of the population in general is just to let him blather on and continue to live their lives. Why bother. But it has emboldened him to the point that he meddles in areas that really he has no place being in. He enjoys a wall of protection, his wealth will always insulate him from the worst of human elements and yet he wants to leave the rest of us defenseless. He really is the personification of the out of touch government official who lives a far different life than those whom he purports to represent. And he really couldn’t care less. He’s a …TRANSFAT HEAD.
The larger question is how can anyone quickly counter people who mislead or just right out lie like this.
These people succeed in their aims through lying.
I recall reading a while ago that someone submitted argued a case before the Supreme Court by lying about the outcome of other cases. The brief contained falsehoods. They won their case.
Then there was the Law School group that discovered the SCOTUS placed serious weight on articles in Law Reviews. So they salted law reviews with their message I believe the argument won the day.
Legislation is so designed to elicit a favorable report from the CBO about cost, even though the true cost is far higher.
Now we have scientists cooking the data and lying about those with contrary opinions (If you read the e-mails it is hard to believe there is a benign answer).
“the FBI had only 24 hours to recognize and flag the record — and then it was gone, forever.”
It seems that Bloomberg is talking here about the NICS, not the gun trace system. NICS gives law enforcement the opportunity to stop a gun transfer. Was there some reason to stop Maj. Nidal’s acquisition? Obviously, simply being Muslim is not a reason to deny a firearms purchase.
An opportunist never misses one. Sadly, Bloomberg is just slime due to his own weird political calculations from Democrat to Republican to Independent to his 3rd term as governor. Enough already Mr. Statist. Just Go Away:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-KH2WI4Gzw
I mean Mayor Bloomberg.
Actually, the reason why so many people were killed and wounded at Fort Hood is precisely because of gun control; every one was disarmed, except for the shooter and the one police officer. By the way, how is that two faced diversity thing working where it’s OK to be a Muslim first and an American officer and gentlemen in name only?
Maybe what is needed is a BAN on BLACKS not on guns after all although only 13% of the population of the USA is Black they commit 59% of the VIOLENT crimes. A Black man is statistically TEN TIMES more likely to commit murder than a WHITE guy. The most common cause of death for Blacks under 30 y.o.is MURDER by another BLACK.
And don’t forget 96% of Blacks voted for Obama and 92% STILL support him now.
Bet the MSM never tells you that hey.
How about a Muslim control Law. I remenber one of those going crazy on a train with a big knive a few years ago. If only some one had been carring a gun.