Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey’s Crusade Against Guns
BY Herschel Smith
8 years, 12 months ago
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is ramping up enforcement and oversight of the state’s gun laws, which were updated last year as a response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut.
The Boston Globe reports Healey sent out a letter Tuesday to the 350 gun dealers in Massachusetts and her office plans spot checks on Bay State gun stores to make sure they’re not selling illegal guns.
“For me, this is a public health crisis and acting to address it is a moral imperative,” Healey wrote in the letter, which was also obtained by MassLive.com. “There are simply too many guns that are too easy to obtain.”
Healey noted that there were 102,081 sales and transfers of handguns, rifles and shotguns by dealers to licensed state residents in 2014, “more than double the number from 2006.”
“You are selling more weapons to more people at a scale and at a time that demands a heightened vigilance from every dealer and employee,” she wrote.
Massachusetts gun laws, often referred to as some of the nation’s toughest measures, ban semiautomatic assault weapons and “large capacity feeding” devices, though law enforcement officers are exempt from the ban.
In her letter, Healey reminded dealers of the ban.
“At this moment of deep and justifiable anger over gun violence, you have a serious role in ensuring public safety,” she wrote.
She added: “The gun violence epidemic demands our collective action. As responsible gun dealers, I urge you to redouble your commitment to ensuring the safety of your neighbors and ask you to share any ideas you may have to increase gun safety and reduce gun violence.”
Legislators at the State House moved to strengthen the state’s gun laws in 2014 after the Sandy Hook shooting.
The updates included requiring licensed gun dealers to run criminal offender background checks on current and new employees, and post information on suicide awareness and prevention.
The update also required all personal sales and transfers of firearms, rifles and shotguns to be completed through a state gun transaction portal.
“Illegal guns” … “There are simply too many guns that are too easy to obtain” … “You are selling more weapons to more people at a scale and at a time that demands a heightened vigilance from every dealer and employee.”
Notice the confusion in this language. She naturally assumes that since more guns are being sold, there must be something illegal going on. Shocked, she is. Never heard of the free market, I suppose. Too easy, says she. Laws notwithstanding, of course. Since the laws allow too easy purchase of guns, there are too many of them. Or, since laws have been “strengthened,” it must be that “illegal” guns are being sold and the law is not being followed. Or something.
I do indeed understand that progressives are evil, and their desire to control others a reflection of the evil in their heart. But here there seems to be more at work. This lady doesn’t impress me as the brightest bulb on the hallway. In fact, she seems like an unmitigated dumbass to me. But take note, whether it’s the AG position in Virginia or this AG, executive actions seem to be the current wave of attacks against God-given rights to self defense.
On December 24, 2015 at 11:53 am, Archer said:
Since the laws allow too easy purchase of guns, there are too many of
them. Or, since laws have been “strengthened,” it must be that
“illegal” guns are being sold and the law is not being followed. Or
something.
The mask is slipping. If “strong” or “effective” gun laws are supposed to mean “fewer guns sold or transferred”, then the laws are not about “gun safety”, but “reducing sales and ownership”.
She’s apoplectic about more guns being legally transferred despite the strong gun laws. I consider that evidence that she understands the true purpose of so-called “gun safety” laws.
Personally, the fact that so many are so willing to jump through so many legal hoops to exercise their rights legally gives me some tentative hope for the future of the “gun culture”.
On December 24, 2015 at 1:10 pm, Fred said:
I agree, the mask is off. It’s about control not guns.
On December 24, 2015 at 2:34 pm, f.t. said:
She’s a f-en a-hole. People in Ma. have to jump through more hoops to get a permit than most states. Ma. is, last I knew, the 3rd lowest state in the nation with gun crimes and murders.
I am getting so sick of these anti 2nd Amendment peoples crap. They just passed laws last year and now she wants top pass more???? I have had guns of my own for 52 years. Never lost one or had one stolen or misused. Served my Country in Vietnam, my state as a LE Officer for 3 decades and 11 more years in a related investigative field. I’m not the problem. Never have been and never will be, unless pushed too hard by these naive, anti Constitution people who TOOK A FRIGGIN OATH TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION. If they violate the Constitution, they should be fired from their STATE EMPLOYMENT.
Someone PLEASE send her stats on the number of times a LAWFUL PERMITTED GUN OWNER used a gun to LAWFULLY defend themselves or a loved one and was deemed to have been a lawful use of force. There have even been a few Ma. from home invasions.
On December 24, 2015 at 8:22 pm, Big Country said:
I went to High School with her… Winnacunnet High, Hampton NH, class of 88…. she was a twat back then, and even more so now. Damned shame that she was raised in “Live Free or Die” NH but it IS libtard central now
On December 28, 2015 at 9:38 am, f.t. said:
She’s the AG for MA.
Ma. is the third LOWEST state in gun crimes out of 50.
There is no problem here except for the high number of politicians and law makers who every year, feel they have to shove some more anti gun laws down the throats of voters and lawful citizens yet their same laws don’t do a damn thing to criminals. Nothing at all.
I would love to see some politician brought before their appointing authority for failure to honor their oath to honor the Constitution and all its Amendments, and be recalled.
On December 29, 2015 at 12:40 pm, Jack Crabb said:
These State AG’s aren’t the brightest bulbs in the bunch, are they? Then again, it doesn’t take the best and brightest when one looks at the populace they “lead”.