Mayor of Boston Suggest Summit, Searches to Stem Flow of Illegal Guns

[dasmi]

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=111391&format=text

Mayor suggests summit, searches to stem flow of illegal guns
By Kevin Rothstein
Thursday, November 10, 2005 - Updated: 08:14 AM EST

Pointing to the rising number of shootings in Boston, Mayor Thomas M. Menino is calling for a “handgun summit” in New England and raised the possibility of random police searches of cars crossing into the state to intercept illegal weapons.
The summit would be a meeting of the minds to try to figure out ways to stop more guns from flooding the region’s urban streets.
“Somebody’s got to take the lead. You can’t just say we have a problem,” Menino said. “I will be looking to meet with public safety officials in the next several weeks to try and put a plan in place to bring a summit together to meet with public safety officials over the summer, whatever it takes.”
Menino, speaking a day after his landslide re-election over Maura Hennigan, said guns are no longer just coming to Boston from the South. Weapons are filtering in from New Hampshire and other abutting states, he said.
He raised the potentially explosive issue of random searches as a remedy.
“How are guns transported across state lines? We have to spot-check the cars that come across state lines. What’s the mechanism? I’m not a public safety official but I think we have to get these folks together,” Menino said.

Constitution? What's that?

 

[ElTacoGrande]

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=111391&format=text

Constitution? What's that?

I actually support the idea of searches at state borders. If states are sorvereign they should be able to control their own borders with other states. For example, if State A wanted to end the drug war, and its neighbors didn't, then it would be reasonable for State A's neighbors to search vehicles coming in.

 

[Camp David]

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=111391&format=text

Constitution? What's that?

The U.S. Constitution is rapidly becoming irrelevant; perhaps Americans need to travel to.... Iraq... to experience democracy!

If San Francisco neutralized the 2nd Amendment, what's to prevent a ballot item next on the 1st Amendment?

 

[dasmi]

As long as I can refuse the search, and not be hassled about it, fine. No probable cause, no search. Have a nice day, officer.

 

[Devonai]

Just put the big signs back up, Mumbles.

 

[shermacman]

Mumbles Menino is one of the biggest idiots on the planet.
I would like to respectfully ask if he has has seen the MA/NH crossings on 3, 93 and 95 on a Friday afternoon.

There aren't enough cops on this planet to handle one border crossing, nevermind the 95 into Rhode Island, 90 into NY, 91 into Vermont and Connecticut. It is already illegal for us MAss Wholes to buy alcohol and fireworks in Seabrook.

 

[Lupinus]

how bout instead of pushing for the violation of the rights of american citizens how about we just stop all crossing at the mexican boarder?

Oh right, can't cause the only people invading our country and innocent people looking for work

 

[El Tejon]

Did not work in 1775, Mr. Mayor. Will not work now.

Of course, as long as you are controlling your subjects, who cares about crime.

 

[ArmedBear]

Let M???????s carry concealed, and stop worrying about it.

Do you EVER hear about the "problem of illegal guns" flowing into Arizona? Idaho? Montana? People just shoot back, or rather, they don't have to, because they're not legally-designated crime targets, like Bostonians are.

Of course, if Boston, San Francisco, and other places make it even MORE difficult and unpleasant to live there, hell, they'll get what they deserve, which is an economic slowdown. Nice towns, both, before the moonbats took over.

 

[Henry Bowman]

Constitution? What's that?

Some scholars have argued that the Constitution clearly states that people have the right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures. However you can get around that with the legal technique of taking the word "constitution" and adding the word "schmonstitution" to the end of it.

 

[ArmedBear]

Vehicle searches are a gray area. I don't agree with it, but I think courts see vehicles as different from houses.

I keep falling back on something: originalism, with an emphasis on amendments when necessary, like when cars were invented. I will admit that one's car on a public highway is not the same as one's house, but I don't want the courts just arbitrarily deciding just how they differ. I'd much prefer a written amendment.

 

[sumpnz]

At least to my untrained eye, it would seem that cars would fall under the catagory of "effects" in that clause.

 

[oweno]

Searching cars coming into the state?

Do ya see? It's those pesky words like "probable cause" and "articulable suspicion". If only we could get rid of that Constitution thing, we could search every car and things would be ever-so-much safer and we could put on a show and Grandpa would let us use the barn and ....

sigh...

 

[stevelyn]

Vehicle searches are a gray area. I don't agree with it, but I think courts see vehicles as different from houses.

I keep falling back on something: originalism, with an emphasis on amendments when necessary, like when cars were invented. I will admit that one's car on a public highway is not the same as one's house, but I don't want the courts just arbitrarily deciding just how they differ. I'd much prefer a written amendment.

Exactly how are cars any different than horse drawn buggies/coaches? At least modern vehicles are registered in a manner that allows them to be tracked. Never knew of ox carts having that same requirement back in the day.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Give him twenty minutes, and that self-appointed genius mayor will think up the bright idea of tattooing serial numbers on undesirable people's forearms.

 

[mpthole]

Sounds like something right out of EFAD.

 

[4v50 Gary]

San Francisco needs to be turned over to Mexico. They're too immature to govern themselves and proved it by banning handguns this past election. As for Boston, their mayor proved that they like clowns and can't govern themselves. We don't want to give Boston back to the Crown, but we can restore it to the survivors of whatever tribe occupied the land first. All Bostonians would then come under Tribal Law.

 

[neoncowboy]

I have an idea!

The .gov could just repeal the laws that make guns illegal...-poof- no more illegal guns!

Seriously, it is totally beyond me that people can justify spending so much time, energy and resources to criminalize morally neutral acts..instead of just focussing on eliminating real, evil crime (like...shooting people).

 

[beerslurpy]

I actually support the idea of searches at state borders. If states are sorvereign they should be able to control their own borders with other states.

Bzzzt, wrong. This is why Congress received the power to regulate interstate commerce, and every state is bound to recognize the contracts and public acts of other states. To prevent the sillyness that happened during the articles of confederation with tariffs and inspections at the state borders.

Full Faith and Credit Clause and the Interstate Commerce Clause both forbid states from engaging in this sort of trickery. It is an area of legislation specifically reserved to Congress.

I dare say that this may even provide Congress with a justification for forcing states to recognize other states' concealed weapon permits.

 

[Manedwolf]

This is so painfully ironic that it's stupid.

It is VERY hard for law-abiding citizens to get legal firearms in MA. And concealed-carry? Forget it.

All these shootings are being done by people who ALREADY were breaking the law by carrying illegally...therefore, they had no respect for the law to begin with, as is always the case.

In neighboring New Hampshire, where a concealed-carry is easy to get...guess what? There is NOT A PROBLEM with gun violence on a level anywhere approaching MA's. Even in just-over-the-border adjoining cities like Nashua, NH and Lowell, MA, there's a sharp difference in violent and gun crime levels, MA's being much, much higher.

Because..(gasp) criminals don't know if their victims might be armed and shoot back!

In MA, only criminals can carry guns. And this is what happens. :banghead:

 

[Manedwolf]

I actually support the idea of searches at state borders. If states are sorvereign they should be able to control their own borders with other states. For example, if State A wanted to end the drug war, and its neighbors didn't, then it would be reasonable for State A's neighbors to search vehicles coming in.

The hell? Dude, go move to China. That sentiment is in NO WAY anything any American ought to be expressing.

That's scary that you'd even consider that okay. Please go read a copy of the Constitution, okay? Specifically the bits about "unreasonable search and seizure".

And BTW, the "drug war", you're just regurgitating the administration's talking points. The whole "drug war", failure as it is, is now just a business model for keeping a surplus of bailiffs, court clerks, judges, small prison personnel, etc, etc....employed, busy processing people who had one joint, while far more dangerous criminals run amuck.

 

[Manedwolf]

I have an idea!

The .gov could just repeal the laws that make guns illegal...-poof- no more illegal guns!

Seriously, it is totally beyond me that people can justify spending so much time, energy and resources to criminalize morally neutral acts..instead of just focussing on eliminating real, evil crime (like...shooting people).

Well, MA had just been holding hearings to ban the FN FiveseveN, because it can "defeat armor vests." (So can a relic-class CZ-52, guys).

All that will do is insure that criminals in MA who had never heard of it will now want to aquire one, now that it's gotten free publicity.

 

[boofus]

The gun grabbers have NEVER been on the side of law enforcement. Just look to San Francisco. Even off-duty cops will be required to turn in their personal handguns.

The cops are just 'useful idiots' to the hardcore commies running the left.

 

[Henry Bowman]

If any of you have crossed the border from the United States into California in the last couple of decades, you have been stopped, questioned, and subject to search of your vehicle for contraband. The contraband in question is homegrown fruit or vegetables that could be carrying a disease or pest that could threaten their agricultural industry.

One would think that possessing and carrying food would be a fundamental right and that interstate transport regulation would be reserved to the federales, . . . but it appears it's not.

Also, if these California agri-rangers happen to find a banned AR or substance in your car, do you think that they just wave and say "Have a nice stay"?

This has already been tried and proven on the other coast.

 

[outofbattery]

This is so painfully ironic that it's stupid.


In MA, only criminals can carry guns. And this is what happens. :banghead:

No,only criminals in towns and cities with recto-cranially inversed CLEO's carry guns.I'm not a criminal,habitual speeder I'll give you,but can and do carry each and every time I venture into Mumbles' village.