Anti gun extremist named as new head of BATFE

[RSillsbee]

http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-st-louis/obama-names-anti-gun-extremist-as-next-batfe-head

This guy is on record as opposing privately owned "assault rifles." He's also a prominent member of the rabidly anti gun International Association of Police Chiefs.

Who's up for another gun run?

ETA works better w/ the right link

[Pholus]

1. Doesn't this guy have to get in line behind Obama? I thought he was grabbing the guns.

[RSillsbee]

3. BATFE can't "grab" guns

But I'd say this appointemnt is convincing proof that The President is no friend to the second amdenment

[Katya Mullethov]

25. You didnt buy an Akins did you .

They grabbed those . But only after the mortgages were signed .

http://www.georgiapacking.org/docs/akins/Complaint_with_exhibits.pdf.
I'm waiting to see if the rightobearamo guys are for real with their bumpstock , or if it is just a clever marketing hoax .

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. Will he get confirmed?

IIRC Head of the BATF requires Senate confirmation

[RSillsbee]

5. You make a good point

That said, his appointment doesn't speak well of the current administration's regard for RKBA

[safeinOhio]

7. The new governor elect of Ohio

not only came out against AWs, he voted for the ban while in the House and got a B ratting from the NRA and won. I also believe that the Bureau is an enforcement agency and not a policy agency. As Obama has not interfered with RKBA while in office, only signed a bill allowing CCWs in national parks, I think you live too much the world of fear. Grit your teeth and try to be brave until you have something to fear.

[X_Digger]

8. They are a regulatory agency.. they decide the policy, then enforce it.

If they decide a shoestring is a machine gun, then they only have to justify that decision to themselves. They have broad discretionary power.

Google 'atf ruling' or 'atf letter'. The rules come down from on high via letters ruling such and such. The next technical branch director might send out a new letter (see the thompson contender debacle.)

[safeinOhio]

9. If you read the link to the blog

it looks like the author is a paranoid crackpot that just hates Democrats. I wouldn't trust a thing he writes. Not what I would call a reputable source and would think an inappropriate source for posting on DU. Looks like the guy is dressed up like a wantabee white power militia member pushing fear to the Beck type crowd.

[friendly_iconoclast]

10. That's a lot of words for the genetic fallacy. Is what he writes accurate, or not?

I agree and prefer to stay away from RW sources, but if they're the ones with accurate info not available elsewhere- use them, if

necessary while looking for better sources.

[Historic NY]

11. He declared just about every police chief as anti-gun too....

IACP is devoted to professional administration of police agencies around the world. I'd bet some of the big high profile GOPers belong to it too.

[lawodevolution]

16. Lots of police chiefs are anti gun. I never heard of one who is not.

Police chiefs are not elected by the people so the government can advance their long term goal of controlling all the guns by having anti gun folk placed at any position they can..

[RSillsbee]

12. I'm sorry

I was never given the list of Brady approved sources to post from could you please forward it to me?

[X_Digger]

13. .. which has nothing to do what I said in response to you. n/t

[Kennah]

17. If you peruse all the links ...

... there are several from legit news sources indicating Traver--who is from Naperville, graduated from Northern Illinois University, and worked as an ATF agent in Chicago--does appear to be rather committed in his antigun views (AKA the Chicago Way).

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/Assault-Weapons-Surge-in-City-69620227.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/25/AR2010102505823_3.html

[Katya Mullethov]

21. The links are totally unnecessary .

All one need do is listen , and he will eloquently make his own case .

[DissedByBush]

14. The BATFE just decided pistol grip shotguns aren't shotguns

So since they have a caliber greater than 1/2 inch they are now illegal destructive devices.

Pistol grip shotguns are extremely popular for home defense.

The question is whether the BATFE will correct this stupidity or start going after the millions of owners.

Now answer that question with a rabid anti-gun nut heading the agency.

[one-eyed fat man]

20. Andy Traver

Using machine guns as stunt doubles for semi-automatics

The "expert" who enabled and coordinated that deliberately deceptive demonstration was the Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the ATF, Andrew Traver. While the reporter is talking about semi-automatic weapons it is Traver who hands her a machine gun.

While we get to see the reporter firing wildly "off the hip," it should be painfully obvious with her technique she is not responsible for the technical inaccuracies of the clip. Certainly, SHE did not direct the action. That brings us back to Agent Traver, a former Naval gunnery officer. How better to give 'credibility' to a lie than to have an expert carefully stage what you get to see?

It should come as no shock as Agent Traver has also been a shill for the Joyce Foundation, the VPC, and the Brady Campaign. He contributed to a report a report, which recommended, in part:

* A total ban on private gun sales by requiring that all gun sales take place through Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders.

* Enacting a ban on military-style weapons and ammunition, .50 caliber sniper rifles and other weapons not deemed suitable for hunting.

* Destroying all guns that come into police possession once their law enforcement use has ended. Lost or stolen guns not be returned to their owners.

* Mandating safe storage of firearms in government facilities where private gun owners must store their weapons

* Develop a best practices protocol for voluntary gun surrender programs

His record does not inspire confidence.

[Historic NY]

6. He is already a ATF Special Agent.

[DissedByBush]

15. And from what I hear, not a very good one n/t

[ProgressiveProfessor]

19. That has no bearing on if Congress will confirm him

Most political appointees are not from the same department. I could make the argument that it is a bad idea to do so.

[ileus]

18. Looks like I'll have to buy my newest AR sooner.

I was going to wait until spring to pick up a 6.8 upper and new lower, but it looks like I'll have to accelerate that purchase. I also wanted to pick up a AK variant while they were still cheap.

[benEzra]

22. Here's the Joyce Foundation report he apparently helped write (his name is on it)...

that was published under the imprimatur of the IACP:

http://www.theiacp.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=fdvruxYEhXg%3d&tabid=328

The part that really raises eyebrows are the call for outlawing the most popular civilian rifles in the United States, the call for expanding the ban on AP handgun ammo to include a lot of currently legal non-AP, the call for the destruction of all firearms that enter police custody (even for innocent reasons or via theft recovery), and so on. The writers of that report are stuck in a time warp to 1992 or something.

And BTW, the claim that we don't have data on so-called "assault weapon" use in crime is bunk. Sure we do:

http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/data/table_20.html

Total murders...........................13,636.....100.00%
Handguns.................................6,452......47.32%
Firearms (type unknown)..................1,928......14.14%
Other weapons (non-firearm, non-edged)...1,864......13.67%
Edged weapons............................1,825......13.38%
Hands, feet, etc...........................801.......5.87%
Shotguns...................................418.......3.07%
Rifles.....................................348.......2.55%

And if you add that with the outright lying to the press that he was involved in as late as 2009, again in order to build support for outlawing some of the most popular and least misused firearms in the nation, I believe there is a great deal of cause for concern. I believe the administration would be FAR better served by someone else.

[one-eyed fat man]

23. He wasn't alone.

Such gun control notables as Gary Wintemute, Nina Vinik, Robyn Thomas, David Hemenway, Tom Diaz and Kristen Rand all helped put that together for the IACP with Joyce Foundation money.

[Katya Mullethov]

24. It was quite the suprise

You coulda stuck 40 dollars wortha jawbreakers in my mouth .