“Supporters believe early indications show that Maryland’s gun control law has been successful,” wboc.com reports (although the lead in the station’s video report makes no such equivocations). “Gun deaths in Maryland have gone down 24% in just the first five months of 2014, according to Maryland State Police and the Governors Office of Crime Control and Prevention.” The crime fighting wunderbill in question: SB281. The post-Newtown bill banned the sale or transfer of “large-capacity ammo magazines” and 45 types of semiautomatic weapons. Now you may be wondering . . .
how banning the sale or transfer of Steyr-AUG-SA rifles (for example) would reduce crime. Or how many less standard capacity ammunition magazines are now in the hands of Maryland’s criminals, and what difference that could possibly make to the type or frequency of their criminal activities. Or how making it more difficult for non-criminals to get a concealed carry permit would lower crime.
Let’s ask high-fiving gun control advocate Vincent Demarco of Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence . . .
Vincent Demarco of Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence said the law was not entirely responsible for the decrease in gun fatalities, but he said gun control works.
Ladies and gentlemen, there is the exact kind of “thinking” that transformed a passel of unconstitutional provisions into law. Demarco has nothing, nothing, factual upon which to base his conclusion. His agenda is powered by nothing more than blind faith. And when your faith is blind, everything is a sign that you’re right.
If Maryland’s firearms-related crime had gone up, Demarco would have simply insisted that the new laws weren’t tough enough. And continued his campaign to destroy Old Line Staters natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep arms, free from any government infringement.
As we reported back in the day, Free State (really) law enforcement officials knew that SB281 was security theater (at best). The Governor’s aid muzzled State Police Commander Captain Jack McCauley when legislators asked if the bill would reduce crime. I repeat, he was told not to answer the question. Which means this statement should come as no surprise.
Wicomico Sheriff Mike Lewis said he receives an executive summary report every day detailing the amount of gun fatalities in Maryland and homicides are down across the entire state, but he says it isn’t related to the law.
“I commend law enforcement largely for the reduction of homicides. It has absolutely nothing to do with the passing of the Firearm Safety Act of 2013. Nothing at all,” said Sheriff Mike Lewis.
Former police officer Michael Levy says the Firearm Safety Act has adversely effected law-abiding citizens making it harder for them to get guns. He said gun sales have remained steady in Maryland for a number of years.
“Now that we have more armed citizens in Maryland that are legally allowed to be armed that’s a contributing factor to the reduction in handgun crime, but overall death by firearms has been going down repeatedly for ten years in this country,” said Michael Levy.
That’s pretty convincing, yes? What’s a pro gun control newspaper to do with that kind of expert testimony? Wave the bloody shirt, of course!
As a mother of three Tracy Linsmeier of Ocean Pines believes the world is getting to be an unsafe place, and any law that could help protect her children is a good thing. She believes the act has been successful.
“I think the new law probably directly correlates to why there is less gun violence and less deaths, because maybe some of the wrong people don’t have those guns and then they’re not committing those crimes,” said Tracy Linsmeier.
A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday in Baltimore to discuss whether to dismiss challenges to the law in Maryland.
What’s the bet the challenges will be dismissed as easily as the legislature dismissed rational thinking, factual evidence and common sense?