Bob Costas Attempts Walkback, Displays Ignorance

How does one man pack so much stupid into such a short little body?

“For a long time, I’ve been wanting to get off my chest my disgust with this idea that every time something tragic happens, no matter what it may be, that in any way touches sports, there’s a chorus of people saying, ‘you know, this really puts it in perspective.’ Which is a bunch of nonsense, because if that was true, we wouldn’t have to have that perspective adjusted every time the next tragedy occurs. It’s a bunch of nonsense,” Costas said.

Well that part I agree with. But did Costas want to go on to discuss domestic violence, or substance abuse, or violence in the culture? It sure doesn't seem so, since he leaped straight to the left's go-to kneejerk excuse that blames violence on an inanimate object.

Cut to the chase:

“Here’s where I stand: I do not want to see the Second Amendment repealed. … People should be allowed to own guns for their own protection. Obviously, those who are hunters. … Access to guns is too easy in some cases. I don’t see any reason a citizen should be able to arm himself in some states in ways only police or military should — to have a virtual militia [by] mail order or gun shows. Why do you need a semi-automatic weapon? What possible use is there? … Whitlock wrote about a gun culture. That’s what I was focusing on.”

The ignorance on display there is staggering and concentrated, but let's try to unpack a little of it.

First, he seems to believe that there's a thriving mail order industry for modern firearms where, I guess, Amazon ships AR-15s and AK-47s to your house without a background check. In reality, when a modern firearm is purchased from an out-of-state dealer by an individual, it goes through a dealer-to-dealer transfer process if the sale isn't over-the-counter, and it is subject to all applicable federal laws as well as all state laws applicable to the transferee. This is part of the Gun Control Act of 1968, fer chrissakes.

Generally, a firearm may not lawfully be sold by a licensed dealer to a non-licensee who resides in a State other than the State in which the seller’s licensed premises is located. However, the sale may be made if the firearm is shipped to a licensed dealer whose business is in the purchaser’s State of residence and the purchaser takes delivery of the firearm from the dealer in his or her State of residence. In addition, a licensee may sell a rifle or shotgun to a person who is not a resident of the State where the licensee’s business premises is located in an over-the-counter transaction, provided the transaction complies with State law in the State where the licensee is located and in the State where the purchaser resides.

[18 U.S.C. 922(b)(3)]

And gun shows? This again?!

A gun dealer doesn't have some magical power to evade applicable laws if he sells at a gun show. And non-dealers at gun shows are just that ... non-dealers. They're conducting private sales, no different than if they ran an ad in the classifieds. Additionally, in Massachusetts where I live, a private sale is subject to virtually every rule that a sale from a dealer is anyway.

Finally, he brings up the semi-auto bogeyman, which, again, is just ignorant. A Colt 1911 .45 is a fine semi-auto. It's also been around for over 100 years, hence the name.

It isn't like this type of action on a repeater is inherently more dangerous than a revolver, pump, or lever action. It's just that the left has been taught that semi-autos are something new and bad and inherently more powerful and dangerous than non semi-autos, so they have to drop the buzzword.

Costas says he wants new gun laws, but he doesn't know a damned thing about the ones that are already on the books. And he knows even less about guns themselves. Color me shocked.

posted by Andy at 05:38 PM

| Access Comments