NY's Governor Pataki On "Gun Control"

Ah, Rudi, why'd you have to go and leave? Two policemen killed in the span of ten or so days and the politicians are pointing their fingers at everyone but themselves as to the reason why someone can purchase multiple handguns in NYC and receive nothing but a fine equivalent to a shoplifting misdemeanor. Here's what the Guv has to say:

New York Post Online Edition: postopinion

December 12, 2005 -- "THE people of New York are once again united in grief over the loss of yet another heroic police officer — New York City Police Officer Daniel Enchautegui, who was gunned down in a shoot-out in The Bronx early Saturday morning.
And once again, the people of New York stand thwarted by the state Assembly in their desire to see tougher criminal penalties imposed on those who engage in illegal gun trafficking.
It shouldn't take the tragic murder of yet another hero to get the Assembly to do the right thing. By failing to do everything in our power to protect those who stand ready to protect us, we betray these heroes and their families.
First, the tragic death of Officer Dillon Stewart. Then, the shooting of two New York State Troopers. And now, Officer Enchautegui — all of this in just a few weeks time."

Tougher criminal penalties against criminals is what most of the legislature has been trying to pass, but year after year Assembly bigwig Sheldon Silver throws in so many antigun attachments that they make the bills unacceptable to anyone not living in a place called France.

The most recent death also highlighted the fact that modern day law enforcement officers are still using inadequate backup weapons. The cop was shot and killed with a .357 magnum while he was plinking at the bad guys with a .25 automatic. His off duty gun. The gun he grabbed while at home to investigate the noise the deadbeats were making as they were breaking into a nearby apartment. Why not his duty gun? And when will the NYPD finally allow officers to carry genuine manstoppers instead of the barely adequate 9mm's they are forced to carry, and once and for all establish a minimum caliber for off-duty?

Why to all of the above? Because arming the police is a no-no in NY. Guns are bad and bigger guns badder. So we then see otherwise intelligent men going after the bad guys armed with peashooters instead of modern weapons.

The bleeding hearts won't allow the cops to employ effective firearms and the penalties for shooting a cop in NY are a joke. But this time around it isn't a member of a minority group who wasted a cop so look for the hue and cry to swell to epic proportions, and for anti-gun as opposed to anti-criminal legislation to find it's way through the assembly.

Pathetic.

And does it bother me, just a little, to hear people talking about special laws for special people, as in different jail time, etc for cop-shooters as opposed to the rest of us?

Yes, it does. Shoot anyone and go to jail for 10 years, and I don't care if you hit Michael Moore in the ass, you know, somewhere he wouldn't feel it. Clean record or not, use a deadly weapon to rob or intimidate someone and we'll see ya in a decade, no parole required thank you very much. Kill someone and I don't care if you're the Pope, 25 to life and don't let the cellblock door hit you in the ass. Repeat offenders, hardened criminals, or those involved in a terrorist act get the needle. For killing anyone, not just the special people.

Ninety-nine percent of the time cops die because their training sucked or they weren't up to the task, and that's no knock against the police. Reality is reality and when we see cops going after bad guys armed with pop-guns something is very, very wrong, and anyone will tell you that some of the worst marksmen in the world are law enforcement officers. This most recent police fatality in NY saw the off-duty officer respond to the sound of broken glass in a nearby aparartment without taking his duty pistol or stopping to put on his body armor. Know why? He probably figured it was kids fucking around and surprised a heavily armed duo of robbers instead.

Bad tactics. Bad thinking. Bad results.

Do we need stricter laws for ALL firearm abuse? Of course. But I'll say this until I'm blue in the face...we ain't gonna see it happen anytime soon. Liberal politicians will simply NOT vote to lock up their constiuents, so instead they convince the feeble minded that ALL guns are bad, we should do away with the evil things, and don't blame poor Manuel or Tyrone...blame the guns.