Screenshot of Glock switch from News 3 WREC coverage.

A recent news report out of Tennessee shows us that not only is media continuing to be hysterical about guns, but also that gun control continues to fail as technology outpaces the core idea behind it.

Let’s start by watching the emotionally-laden scare-coverage:

Right off, the newscaster tells us that a “switch” can turn a handgun into a “weapon of war.” So, you know pretty fast what kind of reporting we can expect for the rest of the segment. Those of us who have studied history and know anything about warfare know that any weapon can be a weapon of war if used in warfare.

The report quickly gets handed off to another stage performer who tells us that the experts are calling for “stronger state laws” and police who are “willing to enforce”, warning us that the plague of spraying bullets will only get worse if that doesn’t happen. Somehow they managed to forget that converting a Glock pistol to fire full auto is already illegal at the federal level and that there’s no shortage of willing enforcers of this law should one be caught with one.

The report goes on like this, talking about a “city stunned and unable to grasp” before telling us about dead cops. They almost had a point about the guy who fired the gun, who had been let go instead of being held before trial when he had been caught with a modified Glock weeks earlier, but this was a clear example of police who were willing to enforce the law, only to find a judge who wasn’t willing to require bail or hold without bail. So, no number of laws or different cops would have prevented that outcome without better judges.

They are also totally right to show that a full-auto pistol is tough to control, but this makes them more of a weapon of terror than a weapon of war. In the hands of some idiots who are likely to practice a “spray and pray” shooting method, these could create a bigger risk to the public than a normal unmodified Glock. But, are we really going to pretend that gang bangers with guns are safe as long as they don’t have full-auto? That still stretches reason pretty far.

They then go on to show that federal prosecutors are taking this seriously, and are taking people into federal court when caught with switches. So, the laws already exist and mechanisms already exist to put people behind bars for having and misusing these devices. But, despite this, they bring on an “expert” from an anti-gun organization and a prosecutor who call for higher class felonies for this offense.

Why Suddenly Going “Tough on Crime” Won’t Work Here

What the newscast won’t tell you is that these criminals get out of a revolving door court system easily thanks to the very same people who are calling for tougher handling of switch possession cases. But, when it comes to guns, they suddenly want to push “tough on crime” propaganda. If they really wanted to keep these guys behind bars, they had plenty of opportunity to do that.

The other thing they’re not considering is that technology has outpaced the ability for laws to cope. But, instead of seeing the futility of gun control, they’re quick to gun control harder. When these devices can be made at home using online instructions and a 3D printer, there’s no real way to stop criminals from getting ahold of them.

Instead of agitating and dishonestly pushing for more gun control, the media and politicians should instead be putting that energy into alternative approaches to fighting crime. Addressing the root causes of gang violence would be far more effective than slapping the band-aid of harsher gun control laws on this.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

40 COMMENTS

  1. Shall not be infringed.

    Everything else is window-dressing.

    Sic Semper Tyrannis

  2. It not about the machine pistol. It never has been about the machine pistol. The machine pistol is not a threat or danger to anyone.

    It about the undisciplined children who have them. And the people who hate the traditional family of one man and one woman. They are really the ones who have helped to create the chaos, that is in the inner cities now.

    H.om.sexu.als destroyed the rifles teams in the public schools in SF. The atheists destroyed them in the other school systems. You have activists who are working to stop children from learning about their civil rights and responsibilities.

    The enemies of Liberty in the United States are atheistic in nature. They believe in the supremacy of the State. The atheist worships the State.

    The more atheistic a state becomes. The less and less freedom the citizens have in that state.

    Tennessee is part of the bible belt. And the atheists who run Memphis don’t like it, when the christians make permitless carry the law of the land. Even in atheistic Memphis.

    • Try not to make every post about gays / atheists / libertarians. These generalizations are dangerous on multiple levels.

    • Strongly agree👍

      I do have to point out that traditional (Biblical) families include one man with multiple wives, as well as one man with one wife. The Bible does not prohibit traditional polygamy. I’m not saying it is advisable. I don’t think it is. That said, it isn’t adultery, or sexual immorality. Our fathers Abraham, Jacob, Gideon, David, Josiah, and many other righteous men of old had multiple wives, and also pleased God. King David had at least 17 wives, and is never ever criticized for it.

      “because David did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.” (1st Kings 15:5 NASB)

      David committed adultery with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba, but the other sixteen marriages were righteous in the sight of God.

      Yes, my Southern Baptist Pastor gets a little nervous when I point out unpopular truths like these. 😉

      • For many years now I have called ho.m.osexu.als and anyone else, who didn’t support plural marriage

        “intolerant racist bigoted pigs”.

        And for those that don’t know it, Polygamy is quite common outside the United States, in much of the world.

        The West doesn’t support plural marriage. But much of the rest of planet earth actually does.

        And most of planet earth does not support h.om.osex.ual marriage.
        In fact I’ve observed that the supporters of g.ay marriage are also big supporters of gun control.

        And they are also against het.erosexu.al marriage and are big supporters of single motherhood. Using the government welfare industrical complex that they support.

        • What you say about gays and marriage may or may not be true.
          Just like commenter Debbie W and her fixation on racist origins of gun control, You seem to have no other topic of conversation.
          You might try to talk about some other topic besides gays all the time.

    • The people who really killed rifle teams nationwide were the politicians who shit themselves because of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

    • Just look at the “citizenry” of Memphis Tn. and you’ll find the problem…gang members fighting drug wars.

  3. If you watch the video, you’ll know what the problem is. It ain’t the switches.

    • I assume that you are referring to the common demographic of all of the arrested thugs that were using these devices.
      The other part of the problem is the system coddling these criminals. If they went back to the three strikes, you’re out law, things would be better. What we have now is absurd.

      • Certain demographics are OVER represented in jails/ prisons. I can’t say which, but LOOK!

  4. Curious if the courts (judges) won’t require bail for felony laws that are potentially violated, what they will do when someone is found to have violated a safe storage law too.

    I’m guessing they will throw the book at them… Just one more law.. then those pesky criminals won’t criminal anymore.

  5. A reminder to everyone.
    Democrat run Memphis is where four city cops pulled a man out of his car and beat him to death.

    All because the driver was in some kind of relationship with one of the police officers girl friend.

    At the end of the day. The gun grabbing atheistic leadership who publicly hates the police. They will always use the police to disarm you. And kill you if they choose to.

  6. Now will the “great white savors” fly into Memphis???
    And decry the over crowded Memphis city jail, filled with mostly black men from single mother homes???

  10. It’s all about the inanimate object and none about criminal misuse. Like an ordinary motor vehicle and many other everyday things can be criminally misused and wreak much more havoc than a switch…What they would like to do is order everyone with a Glock to turn it in or go to prison…Think not? Think again.

  11. The Atheist Democrat controlled cities like Memphis are finished. They are on an irreversible path to total destruction. Because the elected leadership only cares about staying on office. And drawing a paycheck as an elected official.

    And they will continue to pass out “free” stuff to the voters.

    Denver, San Francisco, Austin TX, Portland Oregon. They have a little more time than Memphis does.

    And Making drugs ille.gal again as they have done in Portland, will not help them. It will only delay their complete downfall.

    But the drug leg.aliz.atio.n crowd certainly did get everything they wanted. Now all of a sudden they finally realize, there really are consequences, to the things they’ve been wishing for. And finally being made real.

  13. For all of US Attorney Kevin Ritz’s words about doing something the “Task Force” is obvious BS. The BATFE is not adopting many cases from Memphis P.D. and the defendants are not being detained pending transfer to federal custody.

    So situation is SNAFU.

    • Is it because the defendants vote Democrat and the ATF see them as fellow “good ol’ boys”? If the defendants voted Republican they’d get an o-dark-thirty dynamic entry visitation.

  14. Well duh, of course a full auto handgunm is going to be a hard to control.
    That’s why it should be legal to add a stock to them.
    Laws

    • Say my marsupial buddy does anyone “know” if all the glock clones out there can be “switched”??? Sorry debbie hates you now…

      • Friend of a friend that lives in international waters said if it uses a glock or genetic upper, you should be able to switch it up.

  15. I totally support “switch” ownership.
    But the “gun community” totally agrees with this federal DA.
    And we will see just how many in the “gun community” will come out to defend machine guns ownership, in the general population???

    Hint. Maybe 5 or 6 individuals. The rest forget it.

    The “gun community” doesn’t want to address the real cause of this problem. Because they don’t want to offend hom.osex.ua.ls and the rest of the Left.

    • It’s because all these previously “oppressed” groups (including the alphabet soup crowd) are the newly appointed “nomenclature” or new ruling class. Us newly designated kulaks are to receive s0.cial justice and collective punishment for the alleged crimes of others in the past.

    • You are just another dishonest person. But we can certainly have a conversation. Respectfully.

  17. My opinion is if someone wants a full auto pistol, let them have the damn thing. considering they are nearly uncontrollable and highly inaccurate, as well as expensive to feed.
    So, sure, go hose down the neighborhood while completely missing the fellow thug 15 feet in front of you that was your intended target. Haul around an extra 20lbs. of ammo in hopes of doing a couple mag dumps trying to actually hit anything. Beg, borrow, or steal a couple C-notes worth of ammo in order to load the extra mags you will need to tote around.
    Now, there are legitimate uses for full auto weapons. Mostly military or defensive situations. And I would include militia uses if the weapon is compatible with GI supply.
    But, just as with any other implement or object, such tools can be used or misused for criminal intent. As can an automobile, chainsaw or baseball bat. What needs to be done is the local and state DA’s etc. need to prosecute and convict those committing the crimes and the judges involved to actually sentence the violent criminals to real hard time or if needs be capital punishment.

  18. Communist clowns never learn, and always try to create hysteria regarding gun rights. Moreover, the media are nothing but whores for gun confiscation.

  19. I would say prosecute them for violating federal gun laws – NFA – but they would call that racist.

  20. Try, just once, acting against known criminals, as opposed to acting against devices. By the way, devices, absent the human hand, do absolutely nothing.

  21. Background checks are a pretty good deterrent to illegal firearm purchases. There is one MAJOR flaw. Criminals are constantly having felony charges reduced to misdemeanors. In most states they can still legally purchase a firearm, even with multiple felony charges being reduced to misdemeanors. Change the court system!!!! The criminal MUST be charged with a felony if there is a good case. NO plea bargains on the “charge”. BUT, let them plea bargain to the sentence. This way the felony will be on their record, resulting in purchase denials. This is also a good way to help reduce prison populations. Society and the law MUST work together in a fair way, fair to society, and fair to the criminal.

Comments are closed.