The illegal gun fallacy

[CJB]

I heard it again this AM, while canvassing my friends TV stations, looking for old episodes of The Rifleman.

Some (self appointed) expert was talking about all the "illegal guns" in the United States of America.

Saying things like "we have to get all these illegal guns off the street", "illegal guns are in the hands of criminals", "illegal guns account for a major portion of gun crime".

Well that got me thinking along two pathways.....

First, just WTF is an "illegal" gun. To me, that's some NFA Title II weapon - ie - SBR, SBS, AOW, machine gun/pistol, etc, that didn't go through the NFA Title II ownership process. I really don't think the NY sounding anus mouthed commentator was speaking of those. Instead, I'm willing to wager that in his mind, he was thinking of _any_ "unregistered" weapons. To him, all guns need paper trails (not unlike that which accompanies ladies as they exit the loo). So, the gun is illegal if its not fully documented, registered even. And to him, all weapons need to be registered. To him its a wonder how any state or locale could not require the same, and this nearly all firearms are in fact "illegal" since they are not fully documented and registered with the government.

And that got me thinking...

Inanimate objects - firearms - are "illegal" when they are not documented and registered, even when no law says they need to be, but humans that cross a nations border are not illegal aliens, even though they lack paperwork that the law says they must have.

Now if that ain't a WTF moment, I don't know what is.

[Bills1873]

Illegal guns kill people, illegal aliens don't? I thought process like that comes to mind. Morons!

[JohnR]

Where are all these people when the subject is illegal aliens, especially the violent ones? Why can't we get them off the streets?

[marshal kane]

Illegal aliens are illegal aliens, not "undocumented immigrants" as the POTUS would have you believe. The POTUS can sprinkle all the glitter he wants over these people because he isn't going to live amongst them. The same goes for the ex AG. My apologies for straying a little off subject.

[downtownv]

Where are all these people when the subject is illegal aliens, especially the violent ones? Why can't we get them off the streets?

Because Obama says that would be illegal..

[Longitude Zero]

Because Obama says that would be illegal..

Sad but true.

[Tilos]

yea, get 'em off the streets
...like "they" did with illegal drugs

[Tuco]

Fear sells. Whether it's Rush telling me Obama is going to S/N every bullet and outlaw all but single shot .22's or Mrs. upper middle-class soccer mom in her gated community telling me every gun owner is a future murderer, if it's not outrageous, no one listens.