More on CNN Gun Story

Yesterday, I wrote a post as part of a blogswarm about a CNN reporter who probably broke the law when he arranged an interstate sale of a long gun without going through a licensed gun dealer. Many other bloggers started and continued the story and there are several links in my original post.

Now, there are personal reasons why the story resonates with me. I applied for and got a Federal Curio and Relics license to follow gun laws while pursuing my gun interests. They are easy to get and short of a full-fledged Federal Firearms License are a gun nut's best friend and a "stay out of jail" card if you don't try to buy modern guns with it. I didn't want to put my name on a government list, but realized that it's better to be on this list than a list of Federal prisoners.

Most gun-grabbers, except their leaders, have no idea what gun laws exist. I have had conversations with anti-gun people I work with. They complain about how easy it is to buy a gun and want more laws. I've asked them specifically what laws they would like passed. Well, they mentioned people could just buy a machine gun. I wish, but I explained the procedure and found they were confusing "assault weapons" with full-auto weapons. An understandable confusion given the way the press demonizes black rifles.

I could give other examples, but the upshot is most people do not know what gun laws exist. They clamor for laws already on the books.

I'm sure the CNN reporter and probably his producers had no idea they might be committing serious Federal felonies. They wanted to show how easy it is to buy a demonized .50 caliber rifle without paperwork. Well, it looks like the way they did it is already illegal. Want to pass another law and make it more illegal? Want to put a police officer on every corner to make sure people follow laws?

Another thing that chaps my hide is the number gun laws in general and the complexity with which they are written. Here is a "Table of Contents" to the Chapter that lists Federal firearm laws. Try to wade through and understand them. I guarantee you'll give yourself a migraine. When we gun nuts buy a gun we must make sure we follow these laws or look at a five to ten year stay in a Federal lock-up.

I don't like to see people prosecuted for gun laws, particularly if there was no intent to commit a violent crime. But, I want to see CNN get spanked if an investigation shows they committed a crime. Anti-gunnies in the media need to understand laws are in place and quit making it seem like they aren't.

If the government gives CNN a pass, then the Feds better not enforce this law against anyone or else repeal it. We do [should] not have two classes of people in this country, one that must follow laws and the other that can break any law with impunity if it is for a "good cause."