Some use unreasonable comparisons in debate over gun control

The debate over President Barack Obama’s executive orders on gun control appeared rather prominently in a recent Frontiersman edition. The editorial, an opinion piece and my column all ran about the same time and all had a different perspective on the issue.

The right to “keep and bear” a firearm is not the same as the privilege to register and drive a highway vehicle. One is a right, clearly protected by the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution; the other is a privilege granted by the state to its residents. The government does not grant and cannot regulate a right beyond minimal sideboards. The government holds total control over a privilege.

Comparing the two is unreasonable.

I mentioned in my column that what is needed is the proper enforcement of the existing firearms laws, not more laws. Here’s a real-life example: I was in Fred Meyer a while back, sitting on the bench waiting for my wife. A couple of guys were standing off to the side discussing a recent situation one of them had encountered. It seems a juvenile had decided to extract some “revenge” against this guy for some perceived wrongs and used a shotgun to shoot up his truck.

The short version was that the juvenile was guilty of two felonies, but was allowed to plea bargain down to a single, lesser charge and received only probation. The man was not happy with the judicial outcome. I approached the two men and mentioned I had overheard the conversation. I suggested to the “wronged” gentleman that he should talk with his attorney and see if federal charges could be brought against the youth for the commission of a crime while in possession of and using a firearm. Apparently these charges never came up in the state court proceedings.

Those types of federal charges usually command some hefty prison time, generally involving mandatory sentences counted in years, if the perpetrator is convicted.

Here’s another example of poor firearms law enforcement: a Milwaukee man was charged in 2014 in federal court with illegally buying 27 guns, mostly handguns, using false identification. After the investigation, Dontray Mills was eventually charged with 55 counts of buying firearms with fake identification and dealing weapons without the proper licensing. He struck a deal with the prosecution and pleaded guilty to one count. His sentence was one year of probation with no jail time.

Investigators are looking into whether any of those illegally purchased and resold firearms were used in a crime or were sold to buyers with felony convictions who are not allowed to possess a firearm under current laws. That investigation could result in further charges, if Mills hasn’t already skipped out on his probation!

One of the common phrases thrown around in the media is “closing the gun show loophole.” Here’s the reality: any gun bought at a gun show from a licensed dealer already requires the dealer to do a background check before transferring the firearm. A firearm purchased from a non-dealer at a gun show is exactly the same as buying that firearm from the same person through a classified ad in the newspaper or off a bulletin board posting at the grocery store. I guess we need to close the “classified ad loophole” or the “grocery store bulletin board loophole” as well.

Here’s another thought, if all private transfers need a background check, does that mean Grandpa needs to haul Junior down to the local police station for a background check before he can pass a family heirloom firearm down to the next generation? How about a firearms collection passing through an estate settlement to the beneficiary named in the will? This whole thing can get out of control pretty quickly, but then, the intent is really to eliminate all private sales or transfers of firearms, isn’t it?

Let’s tell it like it is, okay?

While we’re talking criminals, I just received word that Roland Maw, the governor’s first choice for Fish and Game Commissioner and/or a seat on the Board of Fisheries, has been charged with 13 felonies and 4 Class A misdemeanors regarding PFD fraud. Maw had been the Executive Director of the United Cook Inlet Drift Association, or UCIDA, the organization representing the Central District commercial drift fleet.

Maw has already been convicted in Montana on charges related to the Alaska charges.

This is a sad situation. While I rarely agreed with Maw on fisheries issues, I enjoyed talking with him about anything else.

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. This column is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman or its parent company, Wick Communications. You can leave Delo a message by emailing sports@frontiersman.com.