After Shooting, MA Gov Seeks Limits On Machine-Gun Ownership

What are the chances that the Governor will get this legislation through now that he is tying it to the recent killing of a young teenager?

If the bill were already passed, would it have prevented this tragic event?

thecrimereport.org


Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said the senseless shooting death of a teenage Boston honors student this weekend should prompt lawmakers to act on a stalled measure that would target machine gun ownership, the Boston Herald reports.

Jaewon Martin, 14, was gunned down Saturday as he and a friend were playing at a basketball court at a housing project.

more here:

Deval Patrick implores gun law passage

[edit on 5/11/2010 by JacKatMtn]

I agree with him.

Nobody but a soldier on a battlefield needs an automatic weapon. There isn't a justification for having one.

reply to post by Miracle Man


Screw that, If you want a machine gun, you should be able to get one. Look its a senseless death. There our gang bangers who are better armed and equiped then most COPS.... I think I will keep my AK-74 and dare you to take it away... I am willing to die for my rights and freedom, I am also willing to take yours if you try to impose your ideas of "freedom" on me.

I like how the details o the shooting are left out of the article.

Given that machine guns cost as much as a Buick i have my doubts that a machine gun was used in this crime.

If a machine gun was used was it a legally owned machine gun or some ghetto gun?

Was the shooter a legal owner or just some ghetto trash idiot with a black market gun?

And finally. Murder is already illegal. Did that law work to prevent the crime?


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Of course this law wouldn't have prevented the shooting. Laws don't prevent anything; the death penalty doesn't prevent capital murder.

The only thing this law will help, is to fill our prisons with with people who have yet to commit a violent crime.

I'd say 99% of our elected officials, police higher ups, and various powers that be are heavily vested in the prison business, the more beds that are occupied for a prolonged period of time, the more their stock is worth.

Even if this law was passed and some idiot killed a person with an automatic weapon--they wouldn't even pursue an automatic weapon charge; they'd only worry about hitting the perp with a murder charge--concurrent sentencing ensures only the steepest convictions get attention.

Singling out the gun type seems like a waste of time and money; a do-nothing endeavor--if these people can't find an automatic weapon, do you think they are just going to stop shooting? Hell no.

Originally posted by Miracle ManThere isn't a justification for having one.

Look around your home, brother.

Think of all the things you have that would be taken away if you didn't have a 'justification' for. Carpeting, that 2nd television, track lighting (of course I'm being presumptive, but I'm just trying to get my point across).

Think creature comforts and common conveniences.

Also, remember this "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". That is my justification for having things.

I like things. I do not need to justify my ownership to anyone.

Was the student killed with a legally owned machine gun? The article doesn't say.

As far as the stalled bill goes, it's already illegal to have an unlicensed machine gun. How much more illegal can we make it?

Like it or not, the 2nd amendment is the law of the land and the 1 gun per month limit probably will not fly. Neither would a 1 book per month or 1 opinion per month or 1 church service per month.

Machine guns are already highly controlled. There are approx a quarter million legally owned machine guns in this country. Those legally owned firearms have been used in 2 murders since 1934.

I think we have more pressing things to worry about.

Good points being presented

The biggest surprise for me was that it was still legal to own an automatic weapon in MA. They are somewhat restricted in Virginia where I live.

I also doubt that if this law were already in place, that it could have prevented the recent tragedy there.

However, could the Governor, by pointing to this one crime, get the votes he needs to pass this?

Will he get the votes, I am not familiar with the MA legislature, I just hope they don't act like the folks on Capitol Hill who seems to thrive on passing legislation based on emotion, which seems to be the key factor in this latest push for passage.

I've looked a little more and unless I'm missing something the bill Patrick wants passed doesnt have anything to do with machine guns.

He's using the incident with the irresponsible father and staff at that machine gun shoot resulting in the death of that CT kid and the shooting of this kid on a field to justify limiting legal gun purchases to one per month.

Machine-guns have nothing to do with the bill and regarding these gangland shootings as motivation to limit legal gun purchases is absurd.

Patrick is just lumping all of these events into a singular "tragedy ball" and trying to use it to guilt passage of anti-gun legislation that has nothing to with any case in his "tragedy ball."

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


Thanks, that lends alot of clarity to this push to get this bill passed.

First off an AK47 is NOT a machine gun, these idiots in suits and ties really need to educate themselves. It is an assault rifle. Second the versions that can be bought legally by MOST gun owners WITHOUT a class 3 license or at the very least a Tax Stamp through the ATF is a semi-automatic version, UNLESS you know what your doing and file a certain part to make it ILLEGAL and full auto. So either there was some tinkering (if this was even a full auto), or it was bought on the streets AS IS...but due to the media and politicans lack of knowledge on said subject, it is impossible to know.

Either way the shooting deaths of people will NEVER stop no matter what ban is imposed. You have to be an outright fool to think you can stop people from killing each other. You can rid the entire planet of ALL firearms tomorrow...not a one to be found anywhere, and within the first few hours you will have another murder...by knife, by hands, by car, by bat, etc, etc, etc...

There are 200 MILLION firearms in the United States owned by people...on average there are 10,000 murders a year using firearms and 7000 to 8000 more using other methods......so the argument that guns kill people is outright silly....it is a tool that sits on a shelf, in a rack, in a safe, propped up against the wall, etc...and NEVER hurts anyone, until some jerkoff gets his/her hands on it....so again, who is to blame?



[edit on 5/11/2010 by rcwj1975]

Originally posted by Miracle Man
I agree with him.

Nobody but a soldier on a battlefield needs an automatic weapon. There isn't a justification for having one.

hey dude...you cant have a automatic weapon in the united states. only semi-auto.

Originally posted by tauempire

Originally posted by Miracle Man
I agree with him.

Nobody but a soldier on a battlefield needs an automatic weapon. There isn't a justification for having one.

hey dude...you cant have a automatic weapon in the united states. only semi-auto.

Actually you can own a machine gun in the US. THOUSANDS of people do. Everything from M60 Machine Guns to Gatling Guns, but your a Class 3 license holder at that point and HEAVILY regulated by the ATF. Hell just go to the annual machine gun shoots in Nevada or Arizona....

Originally posted by tauempire

Originally posted by Miracle Man
I agree with him.

Nobody but a soldier on a battlefield needs an automatic weapon. There isn't a justification for having one.

hey dude...you cant have a automatic weapon in the united states. only semi-auto.

You can. You just have to cough up $5K for a POS Uzi receiver and get your $200 BATF tax stamp for the transfer.

Here are the types of prices you're looking at for a machine gun: www.impactguns.com...

reply to post by rcwj1975


Actually you dont even need to file down the part your talking about, you can buy a certain part that allows you to place it in the trigger mech, that will allow it to be full auto... That part is also illegal but easy to make... if you know what your are doing which I dont =)

They'd have to ban bullets. Anyone with the materials, tools, and skill can make a machine pistol. I saw a video of a homemade machine shotgun on utube!

There should be a basic psych test for anybody who buys these kinds of military-grade weapons to see if they have the capacity to control themselves from using these weapons for the wrong reasons,but even then anybody with the right connections can buy these weapons from the manufacturers or the black market, sidestepping any regulations.

I don't think these guns should be banned, due to the necessity for a military-civilian balance of power.

By the way,

Both murders that were committed with legally owned machine guns were committed in Ohio. We obviously need a law making it illegal for people in Ohio to own firearms.

Of all the murders that were committed with legally owned machine guns (2), 50% were committed by police officers. We must have a law keeping machine guns out of the hands of law enforcement officers.

/END SARCASM

Originally posted by rcwj1975

Originally posted by tauempire

Originally posted by Miracle Man
I agree with him.

Nobody but a soldier on a battlefield needs an automatic weapon. There isn't a justification for having one.

hey dude...you cant have a automatic weapon in the united states. only semi-auto.

Actually you can own a machine gun in the US. THOUSANDS of people do. Everything from M60 Machine Guns to Gatling Guns, but your a Class 3 license holder at that point and HEAVILY regulated by the ATF. Hell just go to the annual machine gun shoots in Nevada or Arizona....

You are correct except for the Gatling Gun part. It is not a machine gun or a controlled firearm. To be considered a machine gun a firearm must fire more than 1 shot with a single pull of the trigger. You have to crank a Gatling Gun to keep it shooting, so it is not a machine gun.

REPLY TO poedxsoldiervet

I am also willing to take yours if you try to impose your ideas of "freedom" on me.



This is exactly why i am glad that where i am from we do not have the right to bear arms.A limited range of registered, purpose specific hunting/recreational guns are permitted.
and do you know how many people are shot in a year?
Usually about 10 in an average year and almost all of them by criminal gang members.Who operate OUTSIDE our rights as citizens.

I cannot imagine living in a world where "trying to impose ideas" on someone has me threatened with a fire arm......Views this extreme are why people from other countries think that you shouldn't have the right to bear arms, if you are that immature, petty and self righteous that some one else "imposing their ideas" on you gets a death threat. How can a person with that attitude be trusted with a gun?

I'm in OZ FYI.

[edit on 11-5-2010 by mumma in pyjamas]

reply to post by poedxsoldiervet


If you're talking about the drop-in auto sear those are very illegal unless you have one that was registered with the BATH as a class 3 device before they were banned.

Getting one is the same as getting a real machine gun.

As far as those "easy modifications" go there really isnt such a thing. There are a lot of plans and stories and myths but when it comes to making a real functional conversion it's nigh impossible unless you have a machine shop and machining knowledge by which point you may as well machine your own gun from a block of raw material.

I read somewhere from a head of the police chiefs union or something like that a statement regarding the "converted" weapons. At the time of the statement they hadnt confiscated a single converted firearm in all of their confiscations.

With all of the information all over the internet you'd think every hick and ghetto trash thug would be churning out full-auto guns in their basements daily. It just isnt happening.