Comments on: 90% of guns in Mexican drug war come from US… or not http://stash.norml.org/90-of-guns-in-mexican-drug-war-come-from-us-or-not The Growing Truth About Cannabis Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:08:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: "Radical" Russ Belville http://stash.norml.org/90-of-guns-in-mexican-drug-war-come-from-us-or-not/comment-page-1#comment-74206 "Radical" Russ Belville Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:52:38 +0000 http://stash.norml.org/?p=9334#comment-74206 Well, first of all, even the military rarely uses "full auto". A thirty-round clip is expended in a couple of seconds and recoil makes it inaccurate. Full auto is used mostly as suppression fire. "Semi-auto" is what the public thinks of as "machine gun" since one can squeeze off many rounds quickly. "Semi-auto" is also more than adequate for Mexican drug organizations. To deny that a significant number of American guns make it into criminal Mexican hands is to exhibit the worst "see no evil" impulse in the service of pro-gun personal sentiment (and not criticizing that sentiment - I share it!) One need only look at the concentration of large gun shows, gun stores, and gun sales withing 100 miles of the US/Mexican border to figure that out. You don't see massive gun stores in the middle of nowhere South Dakota near the Canadian border. Well, first of all, even the military rarely uses “full auto”. A thirty-round clip is expended in a couple of seconds and recoil makes it inaccurate. Full auto is used mostly as suppression fire. “Semi-auto” is what the public thinks of as “machine gun” since one can squeeze off many rounds quickly. “Semi-auto” is also more than adequate for Mexican drug organizations.

To deny that a significant number of American guns make it into criminal Mexican hands is to exhibit the worst “see no evil” impulse in the service of pro-gun personal sentiment (and not criticizing that sentiment – I share it!) One need only look at the concentration of large gun shows, gun stores, and gun sales withing 100 miles of the US/Mexican border to figure that out. You don’t see massive gun stores in the middle of nowhere South Dakota near the Canadian border.

]]> By: Justin from New Jersey http://stash.norml.org/90-of-guns-in-mexican-drug-war-come-from-us-or-not/comment-page-1#comment-74193 Justin from New Jersey Mon, 28 Feb 2011 06:34:05 +0000 http://stash.norml.org/?p=9334#comment-74193 ".....according to ATF's National Tracing Center, 90 percent of these weapons that ***could be traced*** originated from within the U.S." (emphasis added) This number is absolutely meaningless. It certainly does not mean that 90% of firearms in Mexico came from America. All this number tells us is that of the ones that are traceable, 90% of those came from the United States. What percentage of firearms seized in Mexico COULD even be traced at all? While there are certainly some number of firearms smuggled into Mexico from the United States, it is highly doubtful that that these guns make up a significant portion of the total. Why? Because it doesn't make much sense for a drug cartel to do so. It is extremely difficult to purchase an actual assault rifle in the United States. I'm talking about select-fire, fully automatic machine guns, not the semi-automatic rifles commonly available here in the US. Why would drug cartels spend over $1000 on one semi-automatic version of an assault rifle, when they could by several REAL assault rifles (fully-automatic machine guns) from the black market for that same price? It just doesn't make sense. “…..according to ATF’s National Tracing Center, 90 percent of these weapons that ***could be traced*** originated from within the U.S.” (emphasis added)

This number is absolutely meaningless. It certainly does not mean that 90% of firearms in Mexico came from America. All this number tells us is that of the ones that are traceable, 90% of those came from the United States. What percentage of firearms seized in Mexico COULD even be traced at all?

While there are certainly some number of firearms smuggled into Mexico from the United States, it is highly doubtful that that these guns make up a significant portion of the total. Why? Because it doesn’t make much sense for a drug cartel to do so. It is extremely difficult to purchase an actual assault rifle in the United States. I’m talking about select-fire, fully automatic machine guns, not the semi-automatic rifles commonly available here in the US.

Why would drug cartels spend over $1000 on one semi-automatic version of an assault rifle, when they could by several REAL assault rifles (fully-automatic machine guns) from the black market for that same price?

It just doesn’t make sense.

]]> By: FOX News questions Calif. Board of Equalization $1.4 billion estimate on marijuana taxes | NORML Daily Audio Stash http://stash.norml.org/90-of-guns-in-mexican-drug-war-come-from-us-or-not/comment-page-1#comment-32988 FOX News questions Calif. Board of Equalization $1.4 billion estimate on marijuana taxes | NORML Daily Audio Stash Sat, 25 Jul 2009 00:06:13 +0000 http://stash.norml.org/?p=9334#comment-32988 [...] Googling.  This is the same “news” organization that is trying to convince you that only one out of six guns used in the Mexican drug war come from America, when it is probably closer to six out of ten.  Who here really thinks that legalization and [...] [...] Googling.  This is the same “news” organization that is trying to convince you that only one out of six guns used in the Mexican drug war come from America, when it is probably closer to six out of ten.  Who here really thinks that legalization and [...]

]]> By: Radical Russ http://stash.norml.org/90-of-guns-in-mexican-drug-war-come-from-us-or-not/comment-page-1#comment-27419 Radical Russ Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:27:42 +0000 http://stash.norml.org/?p=9334#comment-27419 Was your dad Norman Whitfield or Barrett Strong? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Heard_It_Through_the_Grapevine People say believe half of what you see, Son, and none of what you hear. I can't help bein' confused If it's true please tell me dear? Was your dad Norman Whitfield or Barrett Strong? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Heard_It_Through_the_Grapevine

People say believe half of what you see,
Son, and none of what you hear.
I can’t help bein’ confused
If it’s true please tell me dear?

]]> By: Big D from WA http://stash.norml.org/90-of-guns-in-mexican-drug-war-come-from-us-or-not/comment-page-1#comment-27288 Big D from WA Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:25:20 +0000 http://stash.norml.org/?p=9334#comment-27288 Ha Russ. A Big gotcha - You relied on information from politicians. You should know better. My dad used to tell me 'believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see.' And when it comes to marijuana, you can reduce those numbers considerably. ;-) Ha Russ. A Big gotcha – You relied on information from politicians. You should know better. My dad used to tell me ‘believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see.’ And when it comes to marijuana, you can reduce those numbers considerably. ;-)

]]> By: Missippi Hippy http://stash.norml.org/90-of-guns-in-mexican-drug-war-come-from-us-or-not/comment-page-1#comment-27282 Missippi Hippy Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:27:19 +0000 http://stash.norml.org/?p=9334#comment-27282 Gun control = one shot, one kill Gun control = one shot, one kill

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