NY DA doesn't want CCW reciprocity… because ISIS. For real?
K	Bad Science & Logical Fallacies, Gun Control	 August 24, 2017 August 24, 2017 4 Minutes
CNN took a break from being complete garbage to allow New York District Attorney Vance a chance at bat:
Manhattan DA: This bill could turn your city into the Wild West
Blood will RUN in the STREETS!!!! Where have we heard that before? Oh yeah, every single anti-gun argument since CCW reform began in the late 80s.
I'm proud to say that New York remains the safest big city in the nation, at least according to the Economist's Safe Cities Index.
But this progress could come to a screeching halt if the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, known as CCRA, passes Congress. Every state has had the right to craft its own firearms licensing laws. In New York, we have crafted our laws to consider unique factors like our state's population density, culture and history. The CCRA would override our state's restrictive concealed-weapons permitting system and force New York to honor concealed-carry firearms privileges issued in other states, even though many other states have much looser standards.
Simply put, this means that the gun laws of Arkansas, for example, could be forced upon New York by federal mandate. I can only imagine how angry citizens of Arkansas would be if Washington politicians forced them to follow laws from New York.
Without a hint of irony, he manages to ignore how hated the NY SAFE Act is outside of NYC itself. Hilarious!
Consider this: Eleven states grant concealed-carry privileges to individuals who have not undergone any safety training. Twenty states grant permits to people who have been convicted of violent crimes. And 12 states do not require any kind of permit or license to carry a concealed firearm. The CCRA would make it legal for someone to carry that concealed, loaded firearm into New York or anyplace else, regardless of local law.
How awful. Why, the concealed carry holders of those states must be wanton criminals and those states are awash with violence committed by them, right? Strange that the DA couldn't summon any information supporting that unspoken assumption, probably because as the Texas Department of Public Safety shows, CCW holders are much more law abiding than the general population.
So police officers are against this bill.
Uh, no, they aren't. Looking at that letter, it's signed by the following organizations:
Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association (HAPCOA)
International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA)
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA)
National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE)
National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)
Police Foundation (PF)
Missing from this is an endorsement of the largest police group, the Fraternal Order of Police, not to mention huge numbers of other organizations populated by rank & file officers. In fact, I notice that this endorsement list is heavy on Command level endorsements, and scant on support from line officers. This isn't surprising, since police executives, administrators, and command staff are largely politically appointed & reflect the politics of their mayors.
In fact, when PoliceOne asked their members about their thoughts on armed citizens, the officers uniformly responded that they believed CCW was a good thing and helped reduce crime:
More than 91 percent of respondents support the concealed carry of firearms by civilians who have not been convicted of a felony and/or not been deemed psychologically/medically incapable.
A full 86 percent feel that casualties would have been reduced or avoided in recent tragedies like Newtown and Aurora if a legally-armed citizen was present (casualties reduced: 80 percent; avoided altogether: 60 percent).
Now that the 'cops support a ban on CCW reciprocity!' nonsense is debunked, let's return to Vance's fearmongering:
Who would actually be for this bill? I can offer one answer: ISIS.
According to George Washington University's Extremism Tracker, New York is the top ISIS terror target in America. Meanwhile, ISIS is increasingly recruiting radicalized attackers to murder as many people as possible, using any means available.
Let's not kid ourselves: ISIS is following the gun debate. Look no further than Rumiyah, its official magazine and how-to guide for terror. In its May 2017 issue, under a section titled "Just Terror Tactics," ISIS specifically told aspiring terrorists how to exploit America's lax gun laws to commit mass shootings on our soil:
"In most US states, anything from a single-shot shotgun all the way up to a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle can be purchased at showrooms or through online sales — by way of private dealers — with no background checks, and without requiring an ID or a gun license."
The CCRA is a gift to these terrorists.
Let's break down how mindbogglingly stupid this argument is.
Right now, Europe is in the midst of a terror crisis, with automobiles being used to murder & wound dozens at a time. After the latest attack in Barcelona, responding officers shot 5 terrorists who reportedly were wearing suicide vests. A single van killed 13 and injured at least 120 people. No word yet if NY DA Vance is going to call for banning motor vehicles within city limits, or banning driver's licenses from other states.
Despite New York's draconian firearms laws, somehow crimes are still being committed there. There's no magic barrier at the city or state line that prevents a firearm from coming in, so pretending that a ban on CCW reciprocity will prevent ISIS from smuggling in firearms is absurd, especially when a group of jihadists can use credit cards and rent a few moving vans from Budget or U-Haul and plow them through pedestrians.
Or using them as VBIEDs.
Thanks for the laugh, Vance. I hope you do better prep work on criminals because this was weak.
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