Alphecca

Just when I thought Suck Chumer couldn't be anymore stupid, he goes and does something like this...

"He said police can only "trace certain guns after a crime is committed" "

He says that like it's a bad thing.

There already is a national database of stolen guns, called NCIC. I used to check 'em all the time.

"Liberals never learn from the past"

How could they? To those blockheaded twits, modern history began yesterday, ancient history last Tuesday afternoon, tops.

How about a national registry of criminals? We can pass a law requiring all criminals to sign up, and there we are!

And if they don't sign up, then we fine 'em! Yeah!

We've already got a registry of stolen guns. It is called the NCIC (National Crime Information Center) and all agencies put identifiers of stolen property into the NCIC. Boats, cars, guns, jewelry, it can all be put there. If an item is found, it can be returned to the rightful owner. If your local agency isn't using NCIC, they should.

Even with the existence of the NCIC, I'm a bit unclear on the concept. Say I live in North Carolina, and my gun is stolen, so I report it. The make/model/serial number shows up on the NCIC.
The case, like all too many burglaries, is never closed.

Next, the stolen gun shows up in NYC where it's used in the commission of a crime and then discarded at the scene. The police trace it back to my stolen property report via the NCIC.

SO WHAT????? I'm completely missing the benefit the detectives could possibly get from knowing that I, down in NC, used to own it. Somebody please enlighten me here...

Let me hasten to add, I'm quite clear on the benefit to me: they might send my stolen property back to me. Well, ok, I wouldn't actually expect that if was found in NYC, but any civilized jurisdiction would probably do that.

What I'm missing is the crime-reduction benefit here.

Given - Almost all crime guns are stolen (Well, with the possible exception of places like NYC, where effective self-defense is itself a crime)
Given - There is no WAY NYC is going to return a stolen gun used in a crime.
Given - There is already a national 'stolen gun' database.
What Schumer and Bloomberg want is national gun registration, period. Hey, it worked for NYC!

"Liberals never learn from the past."

You are running on the presumption that their motive for gun registration is crime reduction. That is not their goal at all. Their ultimate goal is not crime reduction, but rather gun confiscation. And that is going very well indeed in places like England, at least from the confiscators point of view.

Never take what a liberal says at face value.

Kirk Parker doesn't understand the benefit of having a national database for stolen guns.

I'm completely missing the benefit the detectives could possibly get from knowing that I, down in NC, used to own it. Somebody please enlighten me here...

Criminals are caught with stolen guns on them all the time. It's yet something else to charge them with.

Besides, as other readers have pointed out the NCIC has more than just pilfered guns. What about stolen cars? Run a VIN or license plate and pull the perps over who are driving the stolen car. It wouldn't be possible without a national database. Without the NCIC, you could remain almost perfectly free from arrest as long as you frove across a State line.

James

James,

No, I do understand that: I just don't think that's what Schumer and Bloomberg are trying to sell. What you're talking about is merely after-the-fact tidying up. "Until Congress gets serious about shutting down the flow of illegal guns, it is only a matter of time before another tragedy occurs," sure sounds to me like somebody claiming something preemptive.

read it and weep

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20051207.wguns1207/BNStory/National/

....it is only a matter of time before another tragedy occurs...Yeah, well I'm hoping for another 'tragedy' to occur. Such as the removal from office of TRAITORS whom subvert and pervert our Constitution/Bill of Rights! Eh, wait a minute, that wouldn't be a tragedy would it - except to the tyrants!

ao inferno com tyrants!
(To HELL with TYRANTS!)

Current Fact: NYC has the lowest crime rate of any city in the US. (And when I say city I don't mean town)

History Fact: NYC has had draconian gun laws since 1911 (google for the Sullivan Law).

opinion: The residents of NYC would not vote for removal of the local gun laws. (Many polls)

Opinion: NYC is different than the rest of the US - it has a population that is ~25% foreign born, that's 2 million people I'm talking about - 3 x more people than in the entire state of Vermont. These immigrants did not grow up in a gun owning society where one's father taught gun safety, then sight picture and trigger control. NYC may not be a great place to remove gun control laws.

Opinion: As stated above, I agree that Chuck and the Mayor would prefer to remove guns from citizens entirely. And they have zero chance of making it happen outside of thier jurisdiction.