"Two out-of-state gun dealers who sold illegal guns used in city crimes agreed to a settlement yesterday that will allow a special master to monitor them.
Mayor Bloomberg, who sued 27 gun dealers in five states in an effort to reduce illegal gun sales, hailed the legal deals as "major steps forward in our fight to get gun dealers to obey the law and stop selling the guns that end up being used to kill our citizens."
Fourteen gun dealers have settled with the city.
The latest settlements with John's Gun & Tackle Room of Easton, Pa., and Franklin Rod & Gun Shop of Rocky Mount, Va., came two days after a federal judge in Brooklyn ruled that New York courts have a right to hear these cases.
The judge also said the city has shown that dealers in the suit are responsible for "large quantities of handguns used by local criminals to terrorize significant portions of the city's population."
And there you have it. Signed, sealed and delivered by our elected politicians and high courts.
Handguns are capable of terrorizing significant portions of people, and towns. When owned by law enforcement they go off by themselves. When owned by criminals they sneak out in the dead of night and spread terror throughout our biggest city. A staunch a supporter of the 2nd Amendment, I am nonetheless forced to agree that such guns must be found, captured, and destroyed. After reading this story, I was so shocked that I hurried to check my gun cabinets, and safes, and nooks and cranny's, but thankfully none of my firearms had gone rogue.
Yet. No one really knows what it is, what pushes them over the edge towards a life of crime. There's one old Smith that I swear is looking at me when I turn my back on it, and perhaps it is time to put it down before something horrible happens. Before it leaps out of my hand and shoots an innocent bystander, or loses total control and hops a Greyhound for New York City. Until modern science discovers the cause for such depravity, and hopefully its cure, we must all keep a close eye on each and every weapon lest one turn scoundrel and be found at the scene of a crime.
And never believe you are alone in this. Should you discover, or even think that a cherished handgun is on the verge of going bad, then send it to me immediately. No questions asked. Suffice to say I'll take care of things.
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