When I first saw Congressman Eliot Engel’s picture at the head of his LoHud editorial “Deer don’t wear Kevlar” the very first thing I thought was, Don’t mock him because of that idiotic comb-over; that’s an ad hominem attack and is beneath the People of the Gun. Besides, maybe he just doesn’t own a mirror. But the more of his piece I read, the more I realized; the C-O did not lie. This guy is a moron. And no, that is not an ad hominem attack, it’s a considered opinion based on the fact that he has to be be a moron to think that anyone is going to fall for his line of complete and unadulterated horse hockey . . .
The distinguished Congressman opens by stating:
I was shocked earlier this month when the [ATF] withdrew its proposal to prohibit the sale of 5.56 NATO armor-piercing bullets – so-called “green tip” rounds.
Okay, first of all you don’t say “so-called” and then put the offending word or phrase in quotes, Eliot; it’s either one or the other. Using both is just redundant[1]. Second, they aren’t “so-called ‘green tip’ rounds,” they actually do have green tips on the end. Third, they are not armor-piercing rounds, AP rounds are, in fact, black-tipped. The green-tip’s NATO designation is M855 ball ammunition, while the AP round is designated M995 armor piercing.
M855 was designed to go through the Soviet Army’s steel helmet that was standard issue in the 70s and 80s. The M995 was designed to go through Soviet BRDM-2 APCs. One was about ¼” of mild steel and the other was about ½” to 1” (14 – 30 mm) of armor plate.
And that was just his first sentence.
ATF’s finding that these bullets can be loaded into easily-concealed handguns – and that they pose a grave threat to police – means that they are no longer just tools for hunters.
Okay, the ATF never “found” anything of the sort; 5.56 semi-auto pistols have been available for decades. As I pointed out in an earlier piece, as long as they have that buffer tube there ain’t no way an AR pistol is going to be “easily concealable.” And just because green-tips may be able to penetrate cops’ standard soft body armor when fired from a rifle barrel, that most emphatically does not mean that they can do it when fired from a pistol barrel.
As I pointed out in a different earlier piece, the ATF can fabricate *ahem* I mean “find” any sort of hogwash they want, it doesn’t change facts. In this case the fact of the matter is that cops don’t think that these rounds pose a threat to cops. Specifically James Pasco, the executive director of the Washington office of the Fraternal Order of Police who stated:
“Any ammunition is of concern to police in the wrong hands, but this specific round has historically not posed a law enforcement problem.”[2]
But Engel isn’t just worried about cops:
These bullets are a threat to our police officers and to our military men and women.
Really? Our military men and women? Can someone explain to me just how it’s possible that having these rounds in the hands of law-abiding American sportsmen and women could pose a threat to our military? Is Eliot privy to some plan to use the U.S. military against civilian targets in the United States? Because I think that there are some laws against that sort of thing, not to mention the possibility of such a plan backfiring[3].
But Engel goes on to demonstrate his utter lack of knowledge on the subject:
The only people who should have access to these bullets are law enforcement and the military.
Okay I can see why the military would need AP rounds, which is why the M995 was developed, but, assuming that the M855 is the sort of AP round that Eliot thinks it is, why on Earth would the cops need it? They already have actual AP rounds in their arsenal which most of them are loathe to use since AP makes neat little holes[4] which are not the best thing for stopping a bad guy. That means more rounds must be fired which means more chances of hitting innocent bystanders, especially since, when fired from a rifle, even phony AP rounds like the green-tip have a nasty tendency to go through bodies, vinyl siding, sheet-rock, etc., thus again increasing the chance of hitting innocent bystanders.
There is no conceivable reason for anybody else to need access to a handgun round that can pierce body armor. …
Hunters and law-abiding gun owners have no need for a compact, semi-automatic firearm with ammunition that punches through body armor. Deer don’t wear Kevlar.
Deer may not wear Kevlar, but deer and larger game animals do have big bones which may need to be penetrated for a clean, humane kill, which is completely irrelevant since the Second Amendment is not about HUNTING. And while deer may not wear Kevlar, goblins (of whatever stripe of law or lawlessness) kicking in your door at 2AM might just be wearing Kevlar. Or some nut-job shooting up a movie theater[5] or hosing an immigrant community center.
Yet over and over again, we hear the gun industry lobby arguing to ensure that civilians have access to cop-killing bullets.
I have to wonder if Eliot is a complete and utter moron No matter how many times you repeat the lie, El, it remains a lie. See above about how “this specific round has historically not posed a law enforcement problem.”[6] But Eliot is not done repeating his lies:
The “green tip,” frequently used in the AR-15 assault rifle, has been included under this “sporting purposes” exemption. But new technology has led to compact, easily-concealed short guns that can fire these rounds at police officers who won’t be able to see the weapons coming.
At least he didn’t say so-called “green-tip” this time. But he does repeat the lie about the AR pistol being a new development, and the lie about it being compact, short and easily-concealed.
Eliot finishes up with news that he is going to . . . well, I’ll let him explain:
So I have introduced a bill in the House that will enact into law the changes ATF proposed. …
This legislation is not stopping hunters from continuing to participate in legal sporting activities. What it does is make the rational point that “green tips” are not necessary for those purposes. …
Which is yet another lie. What his legislation will do is ensure that rimfire .22 ammo with a bullet weight of 40 grains or less is, by definition, “sporting purpose ammunition” while leaving it up to the sole discretion of the Attorney General to decide if any other such ammunition (not just green-tip) is “primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes.”
So, ignorant moron or despicable bottom-feeding sleaze ball of a lying politician; you make the call.
[1] And yes I have fallen prey to this error myself in the past, then I learned better.
[2] From the Washington Examiner piece Police say Obama bullet ban isn’t needed, AR-15 round isn’t a threat
[3] Think about it for a minute; if El is worried about us gun-owners using this ammo against the military then it necessarily means that someone is using the military against us, and as Mike Vanderboegh, David Codrea and any number of other gun-people have pointed out, just whose kids do you think make up the military? The sons and daughters of freedom hating statist Leftist antis or the “rabble” they are so desperate to disarm?
[4] Relatively speaking, as compared to hollow-points.
[5] The Aurora shooter was initially (and erroneously) reported to have worn body armor. The Binghamton NY shooter actually was wearing body armor.
[6] From the Washington Examiner piece Police say Obama bullet ban isn’t needed, AR-15 round isn’t a threat