May 21, 2010
Breaking: Mexican President Calderone Lied to Congress
Let's not let a little thing like a huge lie get in the way of self-serving rhetoric (my bold below):
"There is one issue where Mexico needs your cooperation. And that is stopping the flow of assault weapons and other deadly arms across the border," Calderon said to a standing ovation from U.S. lawmakers.Calderon said the increase in violence in Mexico had coincided with the 2004 lifting of a U.S. assault weapons ban.
The 10-year ban on the sale of assault weapons to civilians expired without being extended by Congress. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has said the administration favors reinstituting the ban, though guns rights groups oppose it.
Calderon said he respects Americans' Second Amendment right to bear arms but said many of the guns are getting into the hands of criminals.
SEIZING GUNS
Mexico has seized around 75,000 guns and assault weapons in the last three years, Calderon said. He said more than 80 percent of them came from the United States and noted there were more than 7,000 gun shops along the border.
This was part of the same speech where Democrats gave Calderone a standing ovation for criticizing laws meant to protect Americans from his predatory citizens.
Calderone's claim that more than 80% of guns came from the U.S is a bald-faced lie.
The actual figure is less than 18%, and the number of guns purchased from dealers that made their way to Mexico was only eight percent; the majority of guns traced to the United States were stolen.
The bulk of firearms in the hands of the cartels are military weapons purchased on the black market, with a sizable percentage purchased or stolen from the Mexican government itself.
Corruption in Calderone's own government has provided far more machine guns to the cartels than he could ever dream of getting from U.S. gun stores.
That is the uncomfortable truth that he would rather ignore.
When the 90% lie came out I posted about that but the reality is, 80% is likely high but you have to take into consideration all the machine guns that the US.GOV gives to Mexico for anti-drug efforts and the guns the Mex.gov buys from US arms makers to equip the cartels, I mean the military and police, in Mexico.
The AK's, likely not coming from the US in any way shape form or fashion but the rest could very well be coming into Mexico from the US just not the way that he is claiming.
Posted by: TXGunGeek at May 21, 2010 09:52 AMI think the 80% figure is pure bs, but where did you come up with 18% and 8%?
Posted by: Lloyd at May 21, 2010 10:32 AMI suspect that Mexican President Felipe Calderone gave a speech written by the Obama White House, reflecting Obama administration priorities. I find hard to believe that Calderone even understands the meanings of the word written for him. Calderone talks about upholding an Obama version of American values, while defending Mexico, draconian in comparison, immigration policy. In Mexico,a foreigner would be arrested for giving a speech criticizing his host nation.
More smart foreign policy.
Posted by: DavidL at May 21, 2010 10:33 AMAs I understand the gun law, there are not any rapid fire weapons available to the US citizen or for sell except with very stringent regulation. The only thing about an assault rifle is that it looks mean. It still only fires one shot with one trigger pull, and does that inaccurately. If I am wrong, please let me know.
Posted by: David at May 21, 2010 10:46 AMYou're wrong, David. Many assault rifles are very accurate. A buddy of mine takes his deer every year with his AR-15. I prefer a bigger bullet than that, but I'd have no problems doing so if I had to.
Posted by: skip at May 21, 2010 12:13 PMThanks skip, my experience has been somewhat different. But still, these weapons are not rapid fire. As far as I know they just look bad.
Posted by: David at May 21, 2010 02:23 PMAh, the old Scary Black Rifle ban.
Posted by: Pablo at May 21, 2010 03:54 PMAw heck, let's just annex it already. It's easier to set up a boarder fence.
Posted by: The Albatross at May 21, 2010 05:24 PMThe 80% line is intentionally mis-leading.
It is not the percentage of weapons recovered from the drug cartels.
It is not the percentage of weapons thought to be of US origin.
It is the percentage of weapons verified to be of US origin, of those that were submitted validation.
So what is being discussed is 80% of some other percentage.
Example: If 5% of the total weapons recovered were thought to be of US origin, and 80% of those were confirm, the actual percentage of weapons is 4%. Of course, the 80% is a bigger club than the more more technially correct 4%.
This is how statistics can be made to lie.
This guy has the same speech writer as Obama. Here is a little neglected fact, Yes the socalled assault weapons probably ARE coming from the US. BUT if his Criminals, I mean Illegals, err rather Mexican NATIONALS would STOP STEALING them from the lawful owners who are US Citizens they wouldnt end up in Mexico. AND if he wants those gunshops to move away from the border he needs to stop his thugs criminals, thieves rapists and murderers from crossing the border to commit their crimes... Simple Applied Logic... something Politicians just cant figure out how to use.
Posted by: Scott at May 22, 2010 09:50 AMOnly about 20% of weapons captured in Mexico have a serial number. 80% of the weapons with serial numbers came from the U.S. Since every weapon in the U.S. is required to have a serial number, then the percentage of guns in Mexico that come from the U.S. is about 16% - not 80%.
Posted by: Jack at May 23, 2010 01:08 PMSince every weapon in the U.S. is required to have a serial number, then the percentage of guns in Mexico that come from the U.S. is about 16% - not 80%.
Does that percentage include firearms legally transferred to Mexico and subsequently sold on the black market to cartels and gangs?
Posted by: iconoclast at May 23, 2010 06:36 PM
