Say Anything Blog

I’m fascinated by the Obama administration’s mentality that the fact that violent Mexican drug cartels are raising hell just over the border doesn’t justify additional border security or a fence, but it does justify making it harder for American citizens to own a gun.  (Jim Geraghty)

So the latest reason why we American’s must give up our right to protect ourselves is because things are so out of control in Mexico.  The theory is that all of Mexico’s drug violence can be blamed on the fact that the US is still a free country where you can legally own a gun.  Mexican drug gangs supposedly exploit that by obtaining guns in the US and exporting them to Mexico.  (Sounds like a reason to close the border to me.)

But what is the reality.  If they couldn’t get guns in the US would their problems just melt away.  Of course not!

Semi-autos, some very high-end Sigs and other European handguns were not uncommon along with piles of old revolvers.  I thought I had seen everything in the states, but in Mexico it’s not uncommon for people to own full-auto military rifles.  Everything from an M16, UZI machine pistols and the most popular, select-fire AK47 military rifles.  These are not the so-called “assault weapons” you can buy at the local gun shop in the U.S., but full select-fire military-issue rifles.  Now, I know you want to know and are dying to ask; Did I see any U.S. military-issue weapons stolen from the U.S. military?  Not a single one was marked with U.S. military markings.  Everything was marked with additional foreign markings on the receiver, including M16 rifles, or they had nothing at all.  I saw firearms manufactured in Europe, China, Russia and South America along with U.S. manufactured weapons.  I saw rifles that looked familiar with no place of manufacture, no serial number or manufacturer’s logo.  The information was not removed, it was never there to begin with.  I can only assume they came from illegal arms manufacturers in India or Pakistan that produce copies of weapons.  It was obvious that none of these firearms came from a U.S. gun shop in Tucson or San Diego.  You couldn’t buy them from a gun shop in the states if you tried.

The important thing here is that it doesn’t take all that many guns to terrorize the population, if the criminals have guns.  And of course the Mexican drug gangs will be able to get guns no matter what happens to the US supply.  They’re already getting machine guns made in unregulated foreign markets.  Those kind of sources will ALWAYS be available.

Now I suppose that it’s not impossible to reduce the amount of guns coming into Mexico enough to raise the price over what an (otherwise) honest person can afford.  But all that does is make that person an easier victim to roving criminals whether or not they were armed.

The right of Self Protection doesn’t come from a constitution.  It’s something that we all have.  Rogue governments can try to take that away, but when they do they are criminals themselves. 

The corrupt Mexican government is responsible for their problems.  They need to quit blaming law abiding Americans.