Just a short post today--Independence Day isn't for blogging.
Well, apparently the BATFE's outrageous abuses at a Richmond, VA gun show in August, 2005 were perfectly fine after all--at least according to the "Justice" Department (Orwell would be proud of that organizational title). Keep in mind that even the BATFE stormtroopers eventually admitted that this kind of operation was a bit over the top, but now the Justice Department has absolved them.
Wait a second, though--isn't the BATFE part of the Justice Department? Are we to consider a vast (and vastly powerful) government agency investigating one of its own subsidiaries to be independent oversight? Are we truly that gullible?
Happy Independence Day.
BATF is part of the treasury dept
ReplyDeleteBATF is part of the treasury dept
ReplyDeleteNot anymore--they moved to the Department of "Justice" as part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
the "just us" department..."only ones" mentality to be sure.
ReplyDeleteJust Us Department--I'm going to have to start using that.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't had a justice department for years now. We have a legal department, with no justice.
ReplyDeleteThe Gun Guys are trumpeting this report, because, you know, if they made a lot of arrests, then whatever they did must be justified, right?
ReplyDeleteThis is the same logic used by a committee of the Illinois legislature that once considered the question of whether Illinois weapon laws infringed on a right of self-defense. They concluded (in writing!) that although Illinois laws as written prevented a lot of self defense, they could not be changed, because if they were, fewer people would be arrested on weapons charges.
No kidding. I need to try to find the binder with that in it.
This is the same logic used by a committee of the Illinois legislature that once considered the question of whether Illinois weapon laws infringed on a right of self-defense. They concluded (in writing!) that although Illinois laws as written prevented a lot of self defense, they could not be changed, because if they were, fewer people would be arrested on weapons charges.
ReplyDeleteNo kidding. I need to try to find the binder with that in it.
If not for my (tragic) familiarity with this state, I might have trouble believing you, Don--as it is, though, that sounds just about par for course.
A bullet wound cannot be absolved by an administrative action. I predict that if the sonsabitches don't dial it back, they will be finding the hard truth of it.
ReplyDelete