Mayor Bloomberg loosens gun laws
Realizing that they likely were on the top of the list after the McDonald case, NYC changed it’s rather draconian gun laws by relaxing them a bit. I’m guessing they realized that the laws were easy targets after McDonald, which everyone seems to think will go for the good guys. Paul Helmke agrees:
“If I were working for the mayor in New York, in the legal department particularly, I’d be saying: ‘Are we sure we can defend these laws? Are there things to do, ahead of time, that will make it easier for us to defend them?’ ” said Paul Helmke, the president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “I would be surprised if that were not the thinking.”
May 17th, 2010 at 9:23 am
Side note: I went to Bill Goodman’s Gun & Knife Show in Cincinnati yesterday, and I noticed some new anit-Bloomberg measures.
First a larger than life “Don’t lie for the other guy” sign is the first thing you see when you walk in the door.
Second cards where passed out with the tickets with Firearm Rules & Guidelines printed on them. These included: Demand ID on all firearms sales, and rules for residents and non-residents.
All in all I can support these changes as long as they are voluntary.
May 17th, 2010 at 9:34 am
Smoke and mirrors…. Make no mistake, when the time is right Bloomy will step on the accelerator
May 17th, 2010 at 10:32 am
God, I hope we are next.
May 17th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
From the original NYT article: “A spokesman for the mayor said on Friday that despite Mr. Bloomberg’s continuing fight, he had never taken issue with legal gun ownership…” I laugh so hard at that I think I wet myself.
Calling the process “byzantine” is insulting to the Byzantine Empire. The system is nakedly designed to discourage and prevent lawful gun ownership. It’s so complex there are law firms and consulting companies in NY that handle nothing but guiding people through the licensing process and paperwork. In a city that can take hours to traverse, with official outposts of the city government scattered about the boroughs, there is ONE office in the entire city where the paperwork can be submitted, and interview done. In person. Multiple times. This is cosmetic window dressing BS that Bloomberg hopes will enable him to continue to screw the minority out of their rights. He isn’t easing shit.
Still wildly subjective “might” issue. Still have to demonstrate “need”. They’re considering reducing the NUMBER of in person visits, and opening the office ONE evening a week. Fees may rise, surprise surprise.
I love a lot about NY, but I refuse to live there because of crap like this. In PA, filled out the app for my CCW on the way downstairs from jury duty, got it in the mail a couple weeks later.