RX-178
Member
There's a big headline floating around the mainstream news websites. 'ATF reports all guns in San Bernardino purchased legally.'
The VERY SAME ARTICLE says that the ATF says that TWO of the four guns were purchased by someone under investigation, which makes it very clear that they weren't all purchased by the same person. Then it says that the 4473 forms and NICS check were performed 4 years ago. 4 YEARS AGO.
There's also this little bit of information under a CBS article with that same headline: 'Meredith Davis of the ATF says investigators are now working to make a connection to the last legal purchaser.'
The LAST legal purchaser. So they actually don't know HOW the San Bernardino shooters actually got the weapons (or if they do, aren't sharing it due to ongoing investigation), but they KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT THE SHOOTERS DID NOT, IN FACT PURCHASE THE GUNS THEMSELVES. So no, the shooters did NOT in go out and legally purchase their guns from a gun store, like the headline is clearly meant to imply.
And by this logic that they're applying, they can report that ANY gun that has EVER been purchased or transferred through a retail store with a form 4473 was 'legally purchased', even if it was not purchased by the person who actually committed a crime with them.
The Sandy Hook shooter's murder weapons were 'legally purchased', despite the shooter having to STEAL them from the person who ACTUALLY legally purchased them.
Even a gun illegally converted to full auto, like used by the North Hollywood Bank Robbers was 'legally purchased' at some point before being converted under this logic.
My plan of action to counter this tactic is to simply take the time to educate and inform people who are reading articles like this and citing the claim that the guns involved were purchased legally. The media's definition of a legal purchase is simply completely removed from the real world, and it's not that hard to call them on it.
The VERY SAME ARTICLE says that the ATF says that TWO of the four guns were purchased by someone under investigation, which makes it very clear that they weren't all purchased by the same person. Then it says that the 4473 forms and NICS check were performed 4 years ago. 4 YEARS AGO.
There's also this little bit of information under a CBS article with that same headline: 'Meredith Davis of the ATF says investigators are now working to make a connection to the last legal purchaser.'
The LAST legal purchaser. So they actually don't know HOW the San Bernardino shooters actually got the weapons (or if they do, aren't sharing it due to ongoing investigation), but they KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT THE SHOOTERS DID NOT, IN FACT PURCHASE THE GUNS THEMSELVES. So no, the shooters did NOT in go out and legally purchase their guns from a gun store, like the headline is clearly meant to imply.
And by this logic that they're applying, they can report that ANY gun that has EVER been purchased or transferred through a retail store with a form 4473 was 'legally purchased', even if it was not purchased by the person who actually committed a crime with them.
The Sandy Hook shooter's murder weapons were 'legally purchased', despite the shooter having to STEAL them from the person who ACTUALLY legally purchased them.
Even a gun illegally converted to full auto, like used by the North Hollywood Bank Robbers was 'legally purchased' at some point before being converted under this logic.
My plan of action to counter this tactic is to simply take the time to educate and inform people who are reading articles like this and citing the claim that the guns involved were purchased legally. The media's definition of a legal purchase is simply completely removed from the real world, and it's not that hard to call them on it.