I was torn as to whether I should post this particular article here or on the FIRE Coalition Blog because it has ramifications that fit the missions of both organizations, but ultimately, I decided the larger issue was a Constitutional concern related to Article IV, Section 4, the 2nd, 9th, and 10th Amendments, so I'll try to make my points fast, and maybe you'll understand why I'm furious.
In December, 2010, Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, a former Marine, was shot and killed with a gun that our own government "helped" enter Mexico. You can do a web search for his name and find countless stories with the details, but the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, (BATFE) helped straw-buyers purchase and deliver around 2,000 weapons, including numerous .50 caliber sniper rifles.
Congressman Darryl Issa, Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has been holding hearings to investigate how such lunacy could occur. Here is the testimony of Agent Terry's family on June 15, 2011, as reported by The Tucson Citizen. You can also find transcripts and the video below at C-SPAN.
Here's some background that you won't see in most articles. In early 2009, I noticed a trend that was also observed and shared by former Congressman Tom Tancredo, who wrote articles and did a variety of interviews trying to draw to attention to a charade related to illegal guns in Mexico.
The anti-gun, anti-2nd Amendment lobby were claiming that most of the guns being used by cartels in Mexico were coming from the U.S., but when initially confronted to share the serial numbers to see if they were actually purchased in the United States, the Mexican government refused. They showed scary photos of all the weapons they were confiscating, and showed the carnage, but wouldn't allow U.S. officials to confirm.
The general consensus at the time amongst some observers was that they wouldn't share the information or allow access to the weapons to verify the claims, because if they had, it would have been exposed that the assertion simply wasn't true.
Congressman Tancredo pressed the issue, and we discussed our observations that this charade was an attempt to create a crisis, wihich they would then use to create more anti-gun laws, and further erode the 2nd Amendment.
What we did not foresee was that once this ruse was exposed that our own government would make the lie TRUE. Operation Fast and Furious involved numerous federal agencies besides the ATF, including the FBI, the Justice Department, DHS, and probably more. The Justice Department has been stone-walling Congressman Issa and the House Oversight Committee for many months as he tries to get to the truth of who authorized this insanity, who knew about it, and when. The investigation continues.
What I find more dangerous than the 2,000 guns ATF watched "walk" into Mexico is the charade going on right now in the House Oversight Committee by the minority party members. I find the behavior of Representatives Cummings, Norton, and Maloney to be outrageous. While claiming to support the Second Amendment Rights of Americans, they keep asking the ATF witnesses what additional "tools" do they need in their tool belt to help them combat guns going south.
They aren't really listening to the witnesses, and haven't been listening to Border Patrol Agents, or the American people for years, let alone upholding their oaths of office to protect America against invasion as Article IV, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution guarantees.
At one point in the July 26, 2011 hearing, Chairman Issa, disgusted by the behavior of the minority party pointed out that Reps. Norton and Maloney had never seen a gun law they didn't like.
Never let a crisis go to waste, eh Rahm? What, there's not a real crisis? Let's create one.
And THAT is what Operation Fast and Furious, in my opinion, was all about in the first place. God knows Mexico has a serious problem dealing with the narco-terrorists ravaging their country and citizenry, but taking away the God-given inalienable Rights of Americans to defend themselves will NEVER solve this problem. It will only make law-abiding citizens unarmed easy prey for the criminals.
Please take the time to watch this hearing. Let Chairman Issa know you appreciate his efforts, and let your Congressman and Senators know we don't need more gun laws. We need to secure our air, sea, and land ports of entry. We need to prosecute the human smugglers and narco-terrorists instead of throwing another one of our Border Agents (Jesus Diaz) under the bus to appease special interest groups, and that the scoundrels behind allowing thousands of guns to intentionally migrate into the hands of terrorists spend a long time in jail.
Don't know who Agent Jesus Diaz is? He's the latest Brugman, Ramos, Compean, Hernandez, Voorhis, Behenna, etc... to be sacrificed by Congress, current and former Presidents, and ultimately US, for electing shameless, honorless cowards and traitors to run our country.
Jailed Border Agent Jesus Diaz denied bail (New American, June 27, 2011)
Bachmann Promises to Investigate Border Agent Diaz (WHO Radio, July 20, 2011)
If you're a patriot, you need to be a watchdog, and start making our "public servants" EARN that "honorable" in front of their names.
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