CNN Story on .50 Caliber 'Assault Weapon'

[alan]

Monkeyleg:

I haven't the proverbial clue as to whatever Texas law might say on the sale of rifles or other frearms, however as I recall, FEDERAL LAW that being GCA'68 originally forbid the purchase of ANY firearm outside the state of residence of the purchaser. Casual sales between unlicensed individuals were a different story, INTRA STATE, but there were other "problems" re that sort of thing.

Later on, sales of long guns to the resident of a CONTIGUOUS STATE came to be allowed. Nowadays, sales of long guns across state lines, from a licensed person to the private citizen are ok, I believe. Casual sales across state lines, between unlicensedindividuals is something I'm not sure of either.

If you see any error in the above, give me a shout.

 

[peeniewallie]

CNN: The New Terrorists

I'm glad that you guys are on top of this issue. MSNBC did a similar hit-piece on the mythical ".50 caliber militia" a while back, before the blogs became a focal point for a grass-roots type of outcry. Of course, the ".50 caliber militia" doesn't exist, but the average viewer doesn't know that. In any event, I suggest that we really need to pour on the heat to get CNN and their employees prosecurted for their actions. Y'all know that if it had been private citizens like us that tried this stunt, we'd be underneath the Texas State Penn at Huntsville hoping to get to make a phone call. I have a post on my website with contact information for the BATF, NRA, and CNN. Let's make sure to keep the heat on until the BATF officially says that they will, in fact, prosecute these criminals, to the full extend of the law, and beyond. Just like they'd do to us.
CNN: The New Terrorists

 

[SUE ROVR]

Here is Drew Griffin's resume. He is clearly not, nor has ever been, a resident of Houston.

We really need to nail the ???? out of him. I will offer $250 to the original owner to come forward (anonomously to a lawyer if need be, I will even help you find one to defend you because I am fairly certain you did nothing illegal) if it will result in the conviction of this felon.

Lets start a fund for this.

"Drew Griffin

Drew Griffin is a correspondent for the investigative unit of CNN/U.S. Based in CNN's world headquarters in Atlanta, Griffin joined the network in May 2004 after working as an investigative reporter for CBS 2 News in Los Angeles for 10 years.

At CBS 2 News, Griffin worked as a reporter and anchor and helped create the station's investigative reporting team.

Griffin's work as an investigative reporter has taken him across the world enabling him to cover a famine in Somalia, illegal drift net fishermen in Singapore and Los Angeles gang members in El Salvador. He has interviewed U.S. and Russian presidents. Griffin reported from New York City for CBS 2 News after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and from Israel to cover the war on terrorism.

Griffin's series of stories on the breakthrough research being performed in reversing Alzheimer's Disease, earned him the Associated Press Television-Radio Association Bill Stout Award for Enterprise Reporting. Griffin has also won three Emmys, nine Golden Mikes, an Investigative Reporters and Editor's award for exposing an underground medical network in Los Angeles, a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for exposing fraudulent soliciting at Los Angeles International Airport and numerous other investigative reporting awards from the Associated Press, the L.A. Press Club, and the Radio and Television News Directors Association.

Griffin began his reporting career as a reporter/cameraman for WICD-TV in Champaign, Ill. Since then, Griffin has worked in Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina and Washington. He became an investigative reporter when he joined KIRO-TV in Seattle. He joined CBS 2 News in Los Angeles in January 1994.

Griffin earned a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign."


EDIT: I fired off an email to the US Attorney for the SD of Texas, hopefully the law.edu will help it move along.

 

[Sleeping Dog]

You cannot buy a gun--privately or from a licensed dealer--in a state you don't reside in.

Buying from a licensed dealer is no problem. Yellow form, NICS check, the usual stuff, and you're transaction is legit. No federal problem.

It's just the out-of-home-state private sale that's illegal.

Regards.

 

[Monkeyleg]

alan, I called the BATF and spoke to an agent just to get clarification, since it's been so long since I purchased a gun out of state.

You're right. It's illegal for a resident of one state to purchase a gun in another state, unless the gun is shipped to an FFL in the buyer's home state, and he goes through the usual background check, etc.

It's also legal for someone to purchase a long gun from an FFL in a contiguous state, but not handguns.

And it's absolutely illegal to purchase a gun in another state through a private transaction.

Near the end of Drew Griffin's story, he mentions that the gun was purchased by a Texas resident. My question is whether that resident went back to Atlanta with Griffin, or whether he stayed in Texas. If he didn't go back, then it sure seems like a straw sale.

Either way, Griffin is guilty of lying to the public. Nothing new there, though.

 

[CentralTexas]

Ack!

Wish we could use RICO on the criminal enterprise that is CNN! This is the second time by fraud or criminal behavior CNN has attemted to deny our civil liberties under the Second Amendment. Remember last time before the AWB came up to sunset? Florida cop shown firing AK full auto into cinder blocks etc and they said this is what a semi auto is....
Ack,
CT

 

[alan]

Central Texas:

With regard to this latest CNN anti-gun propaganda stunt, and your suggestion that RICO Law might be applicable, who do you think it would be that would prosecute such charges? If thought of DOJ comes to mind, forget it. Just look at all the political influence and plain old-fashioned money that CNN could bring to bear.

Remember those anti-abortionists that traveled INTERSTATE and committed ACTS OF VIOLENCE against LEGAL ABORTION PROVIDERS. At one point, application of the RICO was mentioned, and might have served quite well. Interestingly, there was BUGGER-ALL in the way of RICO prosecution, and CNN has a great more money, power and political influence that a relatively small number of religious nut cases had or have.

Your idea is quite interesting, though I believe, unfortunately racking in the quality of realism, which is perhaps a great pity, but that is the way it looks to me.

Additionally, I submit that the dodge that the ATF will likely use, aside from simply STONEWALLING, is the following. Lack of Criminal Intent on the part of our miscreant, the CNN Reporter, and most certainly with CNN itself. The possibility that this is, would be or might be that proverbial RED HERRING matters not. The fact that Mr. Ordinary Citizen, entrapped into violation of law, or having violated the law out of ignorance would not likely get the benefit of so generous an analysis matters not. When was the last time, in-so-far as you remember, that government admitted error, ANY ADMINISTRATION THAT IS?

Finally, in-so-far as you can remember, see previous posts of mine, when was the last time that the Federal Gun Fuzz actually acted against a media person, or entity respecting violations of federal firearms laws they had actually committed? It hasn't happened!!! Of course, at some point, perhaps here and now, it could happen, and it certainly should happen. I simply don't think it will happen, and given that blue is not my best color, I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for it to happen. I may be saddened by the facts of the situation, however I simply call them as I see them, and life goes on, one hopes.

Best.

 

[CentralTexas]

We need to raise the roof over this!

If the BATFE does nothing I will ahve to ask for the same pass if I'm ever in erroe accidently. I wish the NRA and my due's would flog the folks for action over something like this....
CT