Dragon brings up an interesting point regarding the recent Long Island pharmacy murders:
Regardless, this latest killing does NOT help our cause as supporters of the 2A. [Shooter] was legally allowed to own handguns, in complete accordance and adherence to NY laws. He had no prior criminal history. He was, in all respects, a legal gun owner.
I would, however, like to take a moment to flip that paradigm on its nose. As Dragon says, the alleged murderer in this case has apparently abided by all of the various and sundry New York state laws associated with firearm ownership. What are those laws, you ask?
Firearm registration. The alleged shooter’s firearm was registered with the state, as it was supposed to be. This did not stop the alleged murderer from using them in his crimes.
Firearm owner permits. To own a firearm lawfully in New York, the alleged shooter had to have a permit from the state. This did not stop the alleged murderer from killing people with his firearms.
Magazine capacity limitations. All post-AWB firearms, such as the XD apparently used in this shooting, are limited to 10-round magazines. This did not stop the alleged murderer from shooting four people.
In short, almost every single one of the pipe-dream laws so monomaniacally sought after by anti-rights cultists failed.
"Gun control" failed.
And, speaking more generally, given the arcane and draconian laws New York has implemented to keep law-abiding citizens from bearing arms, those four victims at the pharmacy never stood much of a chance, if any, of defending themselves. Chalk up another failure (this time through "success", since the victims were "successfully" disarmed) for "gun control".
That is how we should be approaching any anti-rights cultist who attempts to exploit these murders in some disgusting, blood-dancing attempt to enact more useless and ineffective laws – in this single microcosm, "gun control" laws completely and totally failed to prevent, or even slow, the murder of four innocent citizens. We do not have to – and should not – let the anti-rights cultists redefine the terrain of the debate to suit their blatantly bigoted and intolerant desires. We can – and should – hang that failure around the necks of anyone who would propose compounding this disaster by throwing even more pointless laws at the situation.
One more thing, which I address in a post about a week prior to the shooting…
Along with NY State’s onerous laws on handguns, there is, buried in Penal Code 270 which concerns Fireworks and Explosive Powder Products, a prohibition of the purchase of any manufactured product with explosive powders (ie: Fireworks). Section (4) states that the prohibition does NOT apply to firearms ammunition, then Section (5) goes on to declare that because ammo is not prohibited, it is hereby regulated, and only a Licensed Handgun Owner can by handgun ammo. Class B Misdemeanor for violation.
Since there isn’t a license required for longarms, no proof of licensure is required for longarm ammo. Which means that GangBanger Big Bobby Blowhard can get an illegal 9mm, go to ANY ammo seller, ask for 9MM ammo, the clerk says *Can I see your license*, GangBanger says *Oh, its for my carbine*, and he gets all the ammo he wants.
That, my friends, is the penultimate definition of Unintended Consequences, highlighting just how stupid NY laws are, and how smart NY criminals and gangbangers are.
One more failure of gun control: the idea to just “give them what they want” and no one will get hurt.
@ Dragon: Wow. I am simultaneously amazed at the stupidity of that law, and the creativeness of the criminals who can work around it… “Empire state” indeed, I suppose…
@ TS: Indeed. The perpetrator allegedly shot all four people in the store just because he could – two were customers, and one was just a cashier. And, in the end, all he stole was the drugs…
And NY is #4 on the Brady Rankings.
@ John Hardin: There is, as I am sure you are aware, an interesting correlation between Brady rankings and firearm-related crimes, but not the kind of correlation the Brady Bunch would be eager to publicize…
[...] control has failed, time and time again, and it takes a special kind of person to return to the scene of an abject failure, [...]