BATF Scandal - Project Gunrunner

BATF Arms Drug Cartels, 

Aids Arms Flow to Mexico

In one of the most boneheaded plans to ever come out of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) the agency allowed known straw-man purchases to cross the border into Mexico.  This means the BATF has armed the drug cartels with almost 2,000 firearms.  

Dubbed Project Fast and Furious inside the BATF, the plan was to allow straw purchasers to acquire weapons and the BATF could track them to Mexican drug cartels.  In theory, the BATF was responding to an inspector-general report that criticized the agency for focusing on "small time straw purchasers" and not major gunrunners.  The operation was supposed to lead them to major players.  

Instead of being fast and furious, the operation bogged down and continued for  fifteen months.  Local agents protested that weapons were crossing the border and they were told to let it happen. By the time word of the operation leaked out, BATF had let almost 2,000 firearms disappear into the hands of questionable buyers. 

The accusations first arose on a BATF-insider Internet forum called www.CleanUpATF.org, where suggestions of these possible misdeeds were characterized as rumors, speculation and "word on the street." The forum is a gathering place for current and former BATF employees frustrated with BATF management and aimed at rooting out waste, fraud, abuse and managerial malfeasance.

Accusations against the BATF officials consist of four separate but connected events.

1. That BATF intentionally arranged to have hundreds of firearms "walked" across the U.S. border into Mexico.
2. The BATF instructed U.S. gun dealers to proceed with questionable and illegal sales of firearms to suspected gunrunners. 
3. BATF intentionally withheld information about U.S.-sanctioned gun smuggling from the Mexican government. 
4. One of the guns BATF allowed or helped to be smuggled into Mexico was involved in the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. 

Many field agents questioned the decision by their supervisors. At times, the discussions became heated, with one agent reminding his superiors that the guns could be used to kill U.S. law enforcement officers. Still, the project was continued, despite the risks to civilians and L.E. personnel.

There is the remote possibility that the BATF was allowing guns to enter Mexico so that when they were recovered, they could bolster their claim that "90 percent" of the guns recovered come from American sources.  Whether that was really the managerial goal or not, allowing vicious drug cartels to acquire firearms smacks of the Machiavellian tactics the BATF has long been known for.

History of Abuses

The BATF has a long history of abuse and legal deception. Repeated examples of botched raids, raids on wrong addresses, bad shootings and wrongful prosecutions were brought out in congressional testimony in the late 1970s, resulting in budget cuts from outraged members of Congress. 

The BATF was also responsible for the twin tragedies of the Branch Davidians in Waco and the death of Vicki Weaver and 14-year old Sammy Weaver at Ruby Ridge.

BATF is now in damage-control mode as evidenced by their PR memo to their field offices. They want to play up positive stories about the agency and point to their successes.   

Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) is investigating the claims even though he's been "blown off" by not only BATF directors, but also by Attorney General Eric Holder.  The CCRKBA, Gun Owners of America and NRA (albeit a bit slower) are calling for investigations.  Arizona papers are describing the current BATF responses to queries as a "cover-up".  

What to do:  Call your elected officials and ask them to support Senator Grassley's investigation.  We can not afford to have a federal agency so lacking in oversight that it is actually allowing arms to be delivered to vicious drug cartels. 

This is outrageous.  Those who approved and managed this plan must lose their jobs, even if that includes the Attorney General. How many people will die for some boneheaded idea?  How many innocent Mexican -- or American -- citizens will die in terror because of BATF incompetency?

Follow this link for a journalist's guide to the scandal.

Search the web with keywords ATF, Gunrunner, Gunwalker and scandal to find lots more.  

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21st Century Crime

Flash Mobs

Have you head the term "Flash Mob" yet?  If not, you soon will.  It's one of the latest fads.  It is also the latest in crime. Strangely, they're not both.  And right now you're wondering if I'm nuts.

Flash mobs originate by teens and young adults using Facebook and/or Twitter to meet at a certain location. The legitimate groups meet at the location at a specified time and then.... break out into song, dance, pillow fight or some other innocuous activity. A good example is shown in the video from Chicago in 2010.

But not all Flash Mobs are equal. It now seems the less savory elements in society are using the same technology to commit crimes.  Texts are sent to meet up at an area and then the youthful offenders all enter a store at the same time.  Convenience store, department store it doesn't matter. In a few minutes they can push over merchandise displays and disrupt the store, intimidating the patrons and staff while they steal merchandise. Worse, as shown in the video below, they can create an "instant riot" in the streets.

Even what starts out to be something "playful", such as a snowball fight, can turn into a violent or destructive mob.  That scenario played out at a Philly Macy's when the youths ran through Macy's, spilling merchandise on the floor, throwing shoes and signs and creating general mayhem.

The primary concern for all of us, of course, is self-defense in these situations. I wonder how long it will be before some "flash riot" in the streets involves a citizen getting pulled from his car by a mob and he opens fire with his CCW.  Or someone inside a store who gets beaten and resorts to self-defense against a "mob".

I'm certain we'll hear from teary relatives that their deceased child was "gunned down in cold blood" because he'd never do such a thing (despite being involved).  Or city leaders claiming that shooting someone for "minor theft" isn't appropriate. Of course they won't tell you about the thousands of dollars of hospital charges the unfortunate beating victim.

Modern technology is a wonderful tool.  Just like your firearm.  But it can be misused by those with greed or anger.  Our response should be heightened awareness of our surroundings (sound familiar?) and getting out of the danger zone quickly.

And if you're a parent, watch your child's texting and notify authorities if you see something suspicious.  You might save a life.

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