SC Times
Director Heather Martens of Protect Minnesota said the lack of suppressor appearances in crimes is due to the prohibition.
"The more available silencers become, the more they are likely to be used in crime," she said in an email.
In
2007, Alaskan lawyer Paul A. Clark wrote in Western Criminology Review:
"One might conclude that if silencers were more common their use in
crime would also increase, but there is no real way to tell."
"Since
one can effectively muffle a firearm by doing nothing more than
wrapping it in a towel it is unlikely that laws banning professionally
manufactured (or home-made) silencers are likely to have any real effect
on crime," he wrote.
Howe said would-be troublemakers would use "some backyard method" to suppress the sound of a gun.
"Director Heather Martens of Protect Minnesota said the lack of suppressor appearances in crimes is due to the prohibition.
ReplyDelete"The more available silencers become, the more they are likely to be used in crime," she said in an email."
Hi Mike, I really enjoyed this article when it came out for the very reason of this extremely weak assertion. Ms. Martens faces quite a challenge since there really any data documenting misuse of suppressors and she is forced to use this easily discredited argument.
If her assertion were true, then those who opposed the legislation could easily point to instances of criminal use of suppressors in the 39 states that allow citizens to posses them.
It's also a challenge opposing these bills because the process to legally own them encompasses many of the elements of "common sense" gun laws writ large. It takes about six months and includes a $200 license fee/tax and includes a federal background check.
Yup. I reckon Ms. Martens would be shitting porcupines were she to see this.
DeleteJust thought I'd throw in an update. Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton just signed into law several pro-gun bills that he had initially vowed to veto. This bill has five major pro-gun provisions,
ReplyDelete1. Allows Minnesota citizens to possess suppressors
2. Restricts the power of the government to confiscate firearms during a state of emergency.
3. Clarifies rules regarding interstate sales of firearms.
4. Removes the requirement for permit holders to notify prior to carrying in the Capitol
5. Adds North Dakota to the states with reciprocity for permit holders.
All in all, a very productive legislative session in regards to the passage of common sense gun laws. I can hardly wait to see what next year brings.....
Great news indeed.
Delete