Thursday, November 29, 2018

Stupidity. Detroit. But I repeat myself . . .


Not content with running their city into the ground, then complaining when others had to take over its administration, the Detroit city council have done it again.

The Detroit City Council approved a "Bullet Bill" gun control resolution Wednesday with a unanimous vote.

The resolution limits ammunition amounts that can be bought while requiring a mental health background check on buyers of ammo in Wayne County.

. . .

Detroit City Council member Andre Spivey ... sponsored the ordinance that would require mental health background checks on those looking to buy ammunition and it would also impose additional county taxes on ammo.

There's more at the link.

This is a classic example of fiddling while Rome burns.  The new law will achieve absolutely nothing to reduce violence committed with firearms in Detroit, because it lacks even the semblance of logic, and doesn't address the real issues.  Consider:

  1. Ammunition is completely passive unless and until acted upon by an external force.  It doesn't load itself into guns, it doesn't fire itself, and it doesn't aim itself at a target.  All those actions require human intervention.  To blame the instrument, rather than the person using it, is to deny reality.  It's like blaming his car for the injuries inflicted by a drunk driver, or the knife when one's own mistakes lead to a cut finger.  It's always the person who's to blame - never the thing - unless, of course, you're in Detroit, and want to blame anything but the person(s) involved.
  2. Mental health background checks to buy ammo?  What's next - mental health checks to buy gasoline or other flammable liquids?  The latter are just as dangerous (if not more so) than ammunition.  Besides, there are already mental health restrictions on buying firearms, but people find ways around them very easily.  They'll do the same with restrictions on buying ammunition.
  3. Limiting quantities of ammunition that may be bought in Detroit?  Congratulations - you've just established a new black market (you should pardon the expression), where enterprising young businessmen will drive a few miles outside the city limits, buy ammo by the crate or carton, and bring it back for resale to their homies.  This won't even be a speed bump on the road to firearm use.

This new law is so stupid, so guaranteed to be ineffectual, that it's almost laughable.  One can only wonder why the people of Detroit continue to elect officials who will waste their time (and the city's limited resources) on such nonsense, instead of doing something that might actually work - namely, crack down on the gang-bangers, thugs and criminals that infest their city.  They won't do that, of course.  It wouldn't be politically correct.  Even worse, it might upset those whose votes they need to stay in office.




Peter

10 comments:

Jess said...

Detroit doesn't have enough informed people left to even begin to solve the problems created by ignorant politicians. The city is destined to eventually be nothing but a ghetto with a large geographical area.

All the laws the city makes will only increase the profits of the black market ammunition merchants. I imagine they're not only waiting impatiently, they're promoting the law proposals. If I had to bet, a few in the city council, and the police department, are soon to find a windfall from the market they will protect.

NITZAKHON said...

Your last sentence nails it. Votes to stay in office. Milk the system, feather your nest, line your pockets... and then get out. Any takers on bets of where retired Detroit city officials live, because I'll bet they're nowhere near there.

Fredrick said...

Yep, it's not like anyone in Detroit is going to drive to Dearborn or Auburn Hills to buy ammo.

Aaron said...

The upside to this stupidity is it is stupid and ineffectual posturing.

Michigan state law preempts this sort of resolution so expect a nice court challenge to it and it swiftly being voided out.

Glenda T Goode said...

If you really want to stop senseless deaths, ban cell phones. People drive and text and talk on their phones leading to accidents and deaths that are easily avoided. Short of an outright ban, you could require a person who wants a cell phone take a safety class and have a social media check to be sure they are not conducting any other illegal activities on their phone.

Ban smoking. Smoking kills. Fires from smoking kill. Ban tobacco. Easy. Naw....too much revenue from that.

Statistics do not lie. Ammo is not the problem. This law is harassment pure and simple. It is a violation of the right from illegal search. Further, what is to stop a resident of Detroit from buying ammo in Ohio or Indiana and bringing it back??????

Virtue signaling is an act of an elected body when they have run out of ideas as to how to govern. It is a plea for help masked as a noble idea.

Chuck Pergiel said...

I think y'all are missing the point. The idea is not to reduce gun violence, but to give the coucilman's nephew a business opportunity in the import business. I just made that up, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was true.

Beans said...

Just another fabulous example of a Democrat-run location.

If we in the South did this to an ethnic population, they'd be using words like 'plantation,' 'racist' and 'NAZI' (how that fits, well, actually it does, for once, regarding this issue...)

Sam L. said...

How many guns&ammo shops will spring up jusssssssst across the county lines?????

bart simpsonson said...

The complainers about the takeover of running Detoilet were only concerned about potential or actual disruption of their income $tream. Nothing more. Kind of like the Clinton Crime Foundation.......and the Clinton Crime Family itself.....because what they have is never enough.

Tsgt Joe said...

I'm a bit confused about Detroit city council setting rules for Wayne county. There are about 40 cities in wayne county, detroits only 1 of them. Off the top of my head I can't think of any major retailers within the city it self, there are a couple of gunshops but most everybody goes to the surrounding suburbs for their shooting needs