A Crying Shame

[NDLawyer]

Below are links to 3 articles that have been published in the Wichita, Kansas paper within the last week.

 

The first article discusses the seizure of about 260 firearms, including about 60 automatic weapons (two Thompsons amoung them) from a local man. If you weren't aware, Kansas is NOT a full auto friendly state. Instead of prison, he was sentenced to 3 years probation and a $7,500 fine. He was one lucky man.

 

The second article points out that the defendant was lucky to get probation and it could have been a lot worse.

 

The last aticle discusses destruction of all of the firearms by the ATFE, including the two Thompsons.

 

http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/news/local...rts/7063538.htm

 

http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/news/local...rts/7070756.htm

 

http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/news/local...rts/7080448.htm

 

 

 

[Brickyard]

Thanks ND. It think. Sometimes we can't see the forest for the trees ....

[full auto 45]

It's people like that, that gives law bidding people like myself and all others on this board a bad reputation. Living in a Kommy state like Kansas(sorry kansas people) it won't get much publicity but wait until the Kommies in Kommyfornia read about it and then, well f*ck fire fuzzy the shit will be all over the anti-freeamerican nightly news. Hell I can picture Dan Rather with a freakin' torch in his hand now! AAAAGH! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif I think I should say thanks for sharing this with us, but I feel a little qeezy ( i usually feel sleezy) right now. http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/ph34r.gif

[Walter63a]

ThanksND. http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/blink.gif What struck me in the third article was that the local agent in charge stated that they (BATFE) "does not make it a practice to donate seized guns after seizures." 'We The People' are in charge of our government and BATFE is an agency of the Federal Government and all members of this agency are public servants (serving the will of the people). Therefore, said agency should not be given the latitude to make policy regarding what happens to seized guns. It should be codified in law. After all, just about everything else seems to be codified into law in the USA. (Guns seized in violent crimes could be destroyed or sold to museums. Those not involved in violent crimes could be donated to museums or sold at auction to law abiding citizens who can legally own them, for example. The money raised could be used to defray costs to the Federal Government.) That said, igornance of the law is no excuse and this guy was treated more than fairly, under existing laws. Unfortunately, existing gun laws tend to produce a 'witch hunt' mentality. The BATFE is now looking for all his known associates, throughout the United States. I think existing laws should be change so that all adults over 18, who have not been declared mentally defective and are not felons, should be allowed to possess and use all of the things this person possessed. People need to take responsibility for their actions! We seem to have lost that in America! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/sad.gif Murder should be punished by death, manslaughter with life in prison, period. Call me a crank, a reactionary, a gun nut, or someone who wants to turn this nation's laws back to the Eighteenth or Nineteenth Century (I don't care). http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/cool.gif

[John Jr]

Who would vote for this policy??

 

All confiscated MGS are registered and sold at BATFE public auctions to the highest bidder.

 

I would vote for it!

 

Jr

 

[Murray]

We had a case down here not long ago (about 2 years ago)when an old Vet died and his family was cleaning out the Garage and discovered a fully loaded 1928A1 with two "L" drums, six 30 rd mags and 1000 rounds of 45. The family called the cops!!!! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif . Of course he was not a gun collector.

Do you want to know what our "Police people" did with the "MACHINE GUN!!!!!? http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/mad.gif

They put it up for tender to the local "C" cat., collectors and a local collector got it for NZ$2500.00. The money was given to the Vet's widow. http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/smile.gif

It also turned out that the gun had a really interesting history. The Vet had been issued it just days prior to the fall of Singapore to the Japanese and he had escaped and carried it all through WW2.

That my friends is a true story. That is how it happens down here. Not every time, but on most occasions. Even confiscated guns are sold by public auction, so long as they have not been used in a crime.

Please send your applications for imigration to me . http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif

[Tman]

I spoke with the supervisor from that office about donating the WWII guns to the Admiral Nimitz National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, TX and he told me that the TSMG's and most of the others were rewelds from parts kits or real bad conversions.

 

If you know of anyone who comes into possession of unregistered WWII machineguns, the museum will gladly take any and all of them. The musuem is a state operation and can register them on a F10 and display them for all to see. My office has donated 2 MG's, an MP44 and an 08-15 and our Corpus Christi office sent them a WWI Hotchkiss and a Beretta 38/44.

[ftc3906]

"Monday's sentencing culminated a yearlong investigation that started with a tip from a concerned citizen, U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren said."

 

Hats off to the blabbermouth concerned citizen. A Golden Stool Pidgeon awardee for sure.

 

Lets see, 66 machineguns plus 5 sawed-off shotguns equals 71 illegal guns divided into the $7,500 fine equals $105.63 per illegal gun. This menace to society wasn't even fined the equivalent of the $200 transfer tax per illegal gun.

 

 

"But Ball sometimes fired machine guns in secluded, rural areas of Butler and Sumner counties, said Tom Atteberry, Wichita resident agent in charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

 

One of the machine guns is designed to fire lethal, .50-caliber rounds from a mount atop a military vehicle.

 

"He had an arsenal that could have held off a SWAT team for months," Atteberry said."

 

Yeah, sure. One man hold off a SWAT team for months? To end such a confrontation quickly, BATF could use the Fed's favorite tactic of calling in tanks from the nearest army base to handle the situation as was previously done at Waco.

[Mike45]

I am sure that there are plenty of govt employees who are good civil servants (although I dont know any like that) but the problem Is they are not issued or allowed to use COMMON SENSE. http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/laugh.gif

[hawksnest]

I know many civil servants who have plenty of common sense and do their best to serve the public and go out of their way to be helpful. Read tman's post above. The man violated the law. His punishment was decided by a judge who had far more information (not to mention the sentencing rules the Gov't adopted and that the judge MUST follow) than is contained in the newspaper articles. If we don't like the law then we should work to have it changed but we must obey the law until it is changed or suffer the consequences. My .02. P.S. Hey BATF how about another amnesty period for WWII vets who brought back war souvenirs? They are dying like flies and their spouses and children should not be put in the position of telling on their departed loved ones.

[john]

Sounds like Agent Atteberry is bucking for a Senate seat or???

We have an Attorney General in Minnesota who is getting into all sorts of high profile stings and busts.....makes me think he is aspiring for higher office also.....