Posted on 03/07/2018 6:33:11 AM PST by MarvinStinson
IN 1998, Massachusetts passed what was hailed as the toughest gun-control legislation in the country. Among other stringencies, it banned semiautomatic “assault” weapons, imposed strict new licensing rules, prohibited anyone convicted of a violent crime or drug trafficking from ever carrying or owning a gun, and enacted severe penalties for storing guns unlocked.
“Today, Massachusetts leads the way in cracking down on gun violence,” said Republican Governor Paul Cellucci as he signed the bill into law. “It will save lives and help fight crime in our communities.” Scott Harshbarger, the state’s Democratic attorney general, agreed: “This vote is a victory for common sense and for the protection of our children and our neighborhoods.” One of the state’s leading anti-gun activists, John Rosenthal of Stop Handgun Violence, joined the applause. “The new gun law,” he predicted, “will certainly prevent future gun violence and countless grief.”
It didn’t.
The 1998 legislation did cut down, quite sharply, on the legal use of guns in Massachusetts. Within four years, the number of active gun licenses in the state had plummeted. “There were nearly 1.5 million active gun licenses in Massachusetts in 1998,” the AP reported. “In June [2002], that number was down to just 200,000.” The author of the law, state Senator Cheryl Jacques, was pleased that the Bay State’s stiff new restrictions had made it possible to “weed out the clutter.”
But the law that was so tough on law-abiding gun owners had quite a different impact on criminals.
Since 1998, gun crime in Massachusetts has gotten worse, not better. In 2011, Massachusetts recorded 122 murders committed with firearms, the Globe reported this month — “a striking increase from the 65 in 1998.” Other crimes rose too. Between 1998 and 2011, robbery with firearms climbed 20.7 percent. Aggravated assaults jumped 26.7 percent.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for gun-control activists to admit they were wrong. The treatment they prescribed may have yielded the opposite of the results they promised, but they’re quite sure the prescription wasn’t to blame. Crime didn’t rise in Massachusetts because the state made it harder for honest citizens to lawfully carry a gun; it rose because other states didn’t do the same thing.
“Massachusetts probably has the toughest laws on the books, but what happens is people go across borders and buy guns and bring them into our state,” rationalizes Boston Mayor Tom Menino. “Guns have no borders.”
This has become a popular argument in gun-control circles. It may even be convincing to someone emotionally committed to the belief that ever-stricter gun control is a plausible path to safety. But it doesn’t hold water.
As the typical anti-gunner would say “You can’t tell me...”.
Massachuttes, the state where loyalist accumulated during the westward expansion, leads the nation in pressure cooker murders
Which at the time was already Federal law.
imposed strict new licensing rules,
That only law abiding persons followed, who were also unlikely to commit crime in the first place
prohibited anyone convicted of a violent crime or drug trafficking from ever carrying or owning a gun,
Again, already Federal law and still is
and enacted severe penalties for storing guns unlocked.
Which does little to reduce crime.
Hey Mass, how about actually prosecuting those caught using a firearm during the commission of a crime, instead of plea-bargaining those charges away?
The Bartley-Fox Law (also known as the Bartley-Fox Amendment) is a Massachusetts law that sets a one-year mandatory minimum sentence for anyone found to be illegally carrying a firearm. It was passed by the Massachusetts General Court in 1974 and took effect in April 1975.
My understanding is that judges didn’t like the “mandatory” part and it goes largely unenforced.
“Massachusetts probably has the toughest laws on the books, but what happens is people go across borders and buy guns and bring them into our state,” rationalizes Boston Mayor Tom Menino. “Guns have no borders.”
No, they do not because again this is against Federal law for handguns.
Correct because it became just another reason to put young black men in prison.
Massachusetts is a state where the politicians and “do-gooders” struggle to pass laws that they KNOW will be obeyed by the law-abiding vast majority.
Later they have many reasons and explanations as to why the “SOLVED” problem has gotten worse. Naturally there are many reasons for the failure, but “THEY TRIED to DO SOMETHING!”
But, but, we must do... something!
Of course this is nonsense because the states where these guns are supposedly coming from don't have nearly the gun crime Mass. does.
Yup.
Liberals always have excuses when their policies don’t quite work out as intended.
Why does crime rocket in gun control meccas? Good question.
OMG ! NO! ,D’oh
The use of present tense caught my eye. This is a good article -- from 2013. Menino is currently dead and not actively rationalizing anything.
Undeterred by results, gun grabbing laws proliferate. They always rationalize the failure of gun laws, but are unable to predict it. Once enacted, the laws are NEVER repealed. It’s a classic slippery slope.9
Indeed. But they can buy in another state and have them transferred to a MA gunshop with an FFL. But the item MUST not be in violation of any MA restrictions; 10 round magazine max, no flash suppressors, no folding stocks, no bayonet mounts, no grenade launchers, etc.
Once the criminals run of states they will turn to the black market. Drugs have been illegal for decades and the drug trade is roaring ahead.
“Why does crime rocket in gun control meccas? Good question.”
Because those democrat controlled areas are overrun with scum.
The libtards never want to enforce the gun control they demand because, God forbid, should it work there is no further reason for gun control.
Serfs deserve no better than what their masters allow them.
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