Violence Policy Center Blames NRA

[Kyle Brown]

I found this story at Foxnews.com.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Hundreds of criminals were able to obtain concealed weapons permits in Florida because of loopholes, errors and miscommunication, a newspaper reported Sunday.

An analysis of state records show the roughly 410,000 Floridians licensed to carry hidden guns included 1,400 who had pleaded guilty or no contest to felonies, 216 with outstanding warrants, 128 named in active domestic violence injunctions and six registered sex offenders, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.

"I had no idea," said Baker County Sheriff Joey Dobson, who sits on an advisory panel for the state Division of Licensing, which issues permits for carrying concealed weapons. "I think the system, somewhere down the line, is broken. I guarantee you the ordinary person doesn't know (that) ... and I'd venture to guess that 160 legislators in Florida don't know that, either."

The newspaper obtained the names of people on the state's concealed weapons permit list shortly before state lawmakers sealed it from public scrutiny July 1.

Marion Hammer, a Tallahassee lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, blamed law enforcement gaps, "bleeding-heart, criminal-coddling judges and prosecutors" for missteps that put guns in the hands of criminals.

Critics, however, say the NRA pressures lawmakers to ignore the problem.
"The people who are intimately familiar with these laws, the people at the NRA, they know exactly what's going on," said Kristen Rand, legislative director of the nonprofit Violence Policy Center. Florida's gun lobby and the program's administrators "know they're permitting some bad people, but they don't want the general public to know that."

The newspaper said it found that concealed weapons permits have soared from roughly 25,000 in 1987, the first year carrying a concealed gun was legal in Florida, to more than 410,000.

In Miami-Dade County, the number of licenses jumped from 2,200 to 42,521 as of Dec. 31, and in Broward County, which includes Fort Lauderdale, it went from 25 to 35,884.

"That's an alarming increase," Coral Springs Police Chief Duncan Foster said.

[Mithras61]

I have two thoughts on this for you:

1) The background check is only as good as the information put into the system. If 1744 people were able to get licenses when background checks should have blocked them, that suggests there may be a problem getting the info into the system. I don't think the NRA is behind this, nor does it appear to be a conspiracy to license people who should not have a license.

2) 1744 people getting licensed when they should have been blocked out of 410,000 is a 0.425% rate of failure to stop a license based on a background check. Yes, that's .425%, not 4.25%. Less than one half of one percent. That figure is actually not too bad. I'm not suggesting that I think that these 1700+ people should have firearms, should be allowed to carry or anything else, since that's a different discussion, but only 0.425% slipping thorugh isn't too shabby.

[stevie_d_64]

"That's an alarming increase," Coral Springs Police Chief Duncan Foster said.

FANTASTIC!!!

Shout this from the mountaintops!!! Leave no stone unturned!!!

Send out the alarm to everyone so that they know there are more armed people out there in Florida!!!

[erik.mignault]

Ahhhh, the article also forgot to mention that the number of crimes committed by people with valid CHL's (ex Felons or not) is extremely low! There doesn't seem to be much of a problem since individuals with CHL's are not contributing to the amount of crime in FL or any other state for the matter. The media also forgets criminals don't obtain CHL's they just carry anyway!
The lame stream media loves to saturate us with miss information.

[jrosto]

If you read between the lines of that article, none of those folks were convicted of a crime except maybe the 6 sexual offenders. With the sexual offenders, there is no explanation of the crime. They very well could have been misdemeanors.

This is not a news article, but an editorial.

[Kyle Brown]

If you read between the lines of that article, none of those folks were convicted of a crime except maybe the 6 sexual offenders. With the sexual offenders, there is no explanation of the crime. They very well could have been misdemeanors.

This is not a news article, but an editorial.

My thoughts exactly.

[HankB]

Let's take a look at what the article is actually telling us . . .

. . .1,400 who had pleaded guilty or no contest to felonies,

Without knowing what the felonies were, we don't know whether or not these people are actually a danger to the safety of others. (Note that Martha Stewart is a felon.) For all we know, some of these felons may have records based on crimes in foreign countries for actions that are perfectly legal here - anything from having a spent .22 case in the trunk in Mexico, to reading the Bible in Saudi Arabia.

216 with outstanding warrants,

Don't they issue warrants for things like unpaid parking tickets?

128 named in active domestic violence injunctions

Injunctions like these are often garbage pushed by divorce lawyers to harass and pressure their client's opponent.

six registered sex offenders,

Pervs shouldn't be running around loose - here it's the SYSTEM that's broke.

Without details, there's a whole lot less information presented than the casual reader will notice. And if the people actually lied on their applications . . . isn't that a crime in and of itself? One wonders if DAs will vigorously pursue charges.

[seamusTX]

For all we know, some of these felons may have records based on crimes in foreign countries for actions that are perfectly legal here - anything from having a spent .22 case in the trunk in Mexico, to reading the Bible in Saudi Arabia.

Not that I want to validate the VPC propaganda in any way, ...

In order for a foreign conviction to disqualify you from owning firearms in the U.S., the conviction must be for a crime that is a felony in the U.S. I think the case that established that principle was almost exactly what you said, a U.S. citizen who negligently tried to enter Mexico with ammunition in his car.

- Jim

[nitrogen]

We can learn something from the VPC.

I think it'd be neat to do some numbersmithing the way they do. Start sending out press releases in Chicago, NY, NJ, California, and other anti-CCW states. Figure out what percentage of crime in CCW states is prevented, and present those numbers to the public. Something like this: (I've totally made up the numbers btw)

For Immediate Release
HCI, Brady Campaign responsible for 55 deaths, 300 rapes in Chicago in 2005

Chicago, IL
The Brady Campaign, and their legislative action arm, Handgun Control Incorporated have a lot to answer for. Their stances on self defence cost 55 innocent people their lives in 2005. Worse still, 300 innocent women found themselves helpless at the weapon of a rapist. Their belief, that weapons of self defense should be restricted to only law enforcement ended in the violent deaths of at least 55 people, statistics show. In other large cities where people are allowed to carry weapons to defend themselves, like Dallas, Houston, Miami, etc, statistics show that an average of 10% fewer people are murdered when allowed to defend themselves. Even worse, 35% of women armed are able to repel a rapist.

etc, etc...

[casselthief]

nicely done.

[HankB]

In order for a foreign conviction to disqualify you from owning firearms in the U.S., the conviction must be for a crime that is a felony in the U.S. I think the case that established that principle was almost exactly what you said, a U.S. citizen who negligently tried to enter Mexico with ammunition in his car.

I'd read about an "ammo in Mexico" case that resulted in a guy with a Mexican felony conviction being considered a felon in the USA, but I hadn't heard anything about a court decision overturning this - if you can provide a link to an update, it would be appreciated. Hopefully, the case established a general principle, and wasn't just a decision specific to that particular instance.

[seamusTX]

I'm glad you asked, because I got it wrong. The man was actually convicted of smuggling firearms into Japan, which is real bad juju.

The case is Small v. U.S. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a foreign felony conviction of any kind did not make a U.S. Citizen ineligible to possess firearms.

- Jim

[lrb111]

We can learn something from the VPC.

You nailed it. It's the numbers on the spot where we are lacking. The entrance is steep though to get the effective numbers.

I used to attend National Press Club meetings. Out of 50 odd members locally, there were 3 conservatives. Some of the most extreme leftists, were coincidentally the most influential within their respective fields (papers, radio, tv).
For a reporter to buck the system, it takes an understanding boss, and real self discipline. Expect to be thrashed, know you have rebuttals handy, and the stability to see the red herrings and feints as what they are, and are for.

As individuals we need to reinforce our view points as the only sensible, legitimate, and legal stance there is available. Establish as many salient points that we can in our favor, then fight for everyone of them, tooth and nail.
Remember, for us it's about liberty and security.
For the Brady Bunch it's about politics, making money, and taking your security and liberty away.
[/rant off]