Thread: Mexico: Why is US backing away from gun ban

After fierce resistance from the gun lobby and its allies in Congress, Attorney General Eric Holder has dialed back talk about reimposing a federal assault weapons ban to help curb the spiraling violence in Mexico.

As much as 90 percent of the assault weapons and other guns used by Mexican drug cartels are coming from the United States, fueling drug-related violence that is believed to have killed more than 7,000 people since January 2008, according to estimates by Mexican and U.S. law enforcement officials. But the political obstacles to addressing the U.S.-to-Mexico weapons flow are dramatically underscored by Holder's experience in just the last few weeks.

Speaking at a Feb. 25 news conference announcing a roundup of Mexican cartel members in the United States, Holder endorsed reinstituting the ban on assault weapons—a position that President Obama himself supported during last year's campaign. A federal ban on high-powered, semi-automatic assault weapons, originally passed by Congress in 1994, expired five years ago.

"There are just a few gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons," Holder said in response to a question from a Mexican reporter. "I think that will have a positive impact in Mexico at a minimum." Holder then ducked a follow-up question about whether he expected Congress to act on a renewed ban this year, saying, "I'm not sure exactly what the sequencing will be" on legislative issues that the Obama administration presses on Capitol Hill.

But his comments roused the gun lobby. The National Rifle Association quickly sent out "action alerts" to its members. Sixty-five House Democrats signed a letter saying they would oppose any new ban—as did Montana's two Democratic senators, Max Baucus and Jon Tester. "Senators to Attorney General Holder: Stay Away From Our Guns," read a press release sent out by Baucus's office. In addition, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid both shot down the idea that Congress would take up any new assault weapons ban this year.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/191037?from=rss

Don't mess with our guns - world or government

Originally Posted by April

As much as 90 percent of the assault weapons and other guns used by Mexican drug cartels are coming from the United States,

Then they must be coming from US military assistance to Mexico, since Americans civilians cannot buy "assault weapons".

If the politicians are so worried about the Mexicans getting guns from America...........keep the Mexican illegals out our of our country. And/or if they manage to get into our country, don't give them or their "Anchors" anything.........no education, no healthcare, no welfare.........nothing.

Let's see, we supply guns(full auto) to the corrupt Mexican military who then sell to or join the cartel's, we also allow 1000's of cartel members into our country who now reside in various cities throughout the USA.

Who is at fault here.????

I've lived and worked on the border most captured guns going south that I've seen on tv news are higher end over/under shotguns for clay pigeons or hunting, sorry DC, I do not buy the idea that full auto weapons are moving south in great quantities, I do suspect they come north to Mexico from China and other sources. Think of the logistics of supporting a 100,000+ man army(cartel) with heavy weapons and millions of rounds of ammo.

Originally Posted by Bowman

Originally Posted by April

As much as 90 percent of the assault weapons and other guns used by Mexican drug cartels are coming from the United States,

Then they must be coming from US military assistance to Mexico, since Americans civilians cannot buy "assault weapons".

We don't know where they come from because mexico refuses to give us the serial numbers on the guns they've found. Makes you want to go hmmm....

I would say that you are right oldguy. There are many places on this earth that guns can and do come from. The United States is not the only manufacturer or seller of weapons. There are a lot of people in other of areas of the world that like to make money by selling arms. And yes we do supply their Mexican Army with weapons which could get to cartel through corrupt officials or military personnel and officers.

Real sweet of Hillary to publicly blame Americans for the trouble down there.

Originally Posted by uniteasone

I would say that you are right oldguy. There are many places on this earth that guns can and do come from. The United States is not the only manufacturer or seller of weapons. There are a lot of people in other of areas of the world that like to make money by selling arms. And yes we do supply their Mexican Army with weapons which could get to cartel through corrupt officials or military personnel and officers.

Real sweet of Hillary to publicly blame Americans for the trouble down there.

I just read on Alipac in the past 2 or 3 weeks about a man who lived in mexico, whom I believe was an American citizen. He talked about how very few of the guns he saw, which many, many families there own. He said the vast majority didn't have serial numbers. He said it wasn't a matter of the serial numbers having been removed or obliterated. They had never existed. He claimed very few guns he saw were from the U.S. in spite of what Hillary says.

I think we should enact a ban on anything illegal crossing the border (guns, drugs, illegal aliens, etc). Oh wait, we already have that, we just don't enforce it...

Yes, just secure the border so no illegals head north and no guns go south. With the endless money the cartels have if they can't get guns from our country they will from another. Just enforce existing laws....what a concept eh?