Not sure how this little idea would have played out in Texas:
U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Kenneth Mapp signed an emergency order allowing the seizure of private guns, ammunition, explosives and property the National Guard may need to respond to Hurricane Irma.
Couple-three questions here:
1) Why would the Guard need any privately-owned weapons in an emergency? Don’t they have enough, and if not, why not?
2) What happens if people are unable to protect their houses and such from looters and other associated filth? (“Bend over and spread ’em” is the likely government response.)
3) How would the government know where to get said weapons?
Oh, lookee here. From Wikipedia:
The U.S. Virgin Islands have a stringent and restrictive licensing process to purchase or carry a firearm. A person must be 21 to get a non-carry weapons license, along with several other requirements. Applicants must pay $75 licensing fee, submit a signed application, be fingerprinted and photographed, and be of good moral character. That process is just for a permit to purchase firearms to store in a residence or business, and not for a concealed carry permit. There are six types of licenses:
- Blue, Business Protection
- Yellow, Home protection and handguns only
- Gray, farming and long guns only
- White, all active law enforcement
- Pink, current and retired law enforcement, personal protection, and special circumstances
- Green, target shooting, sports use and home protection
To qualify [for any of the above] you must belong to a gun club. To acquire a concealed carry permit, or “Pink” permit, a person must meet a specific set of criteria. To apply, you must either be a government employee, valuable goods carrier, firearms manufacturer, or be a bona fide resident or business person of the islands. You must prove you have good reason to fear death or great injury to your person or property and present at least two affidavits from credible persons who attest to that need. Due to this process, in most cases concealed carry permit applications are denied for normal resident applicants unless in grave circumstances.
The next time somebody of your acquaintance suggests that guns be licensed, or that only cops should carry guns… well, you know the rest. Wear Army boots.
Afterthought: here is yet another reason, as if any were needed, that everyone should own at least one gun about which government knows nothing.
Probably want to tag the “Clean Guns” just so you can remember which ones they are.
This is were the gun grabbing crowd screams Gun Shows. Maybe there is more person to person stuff going on there than you would expect.
Sloppy reporting per usual– but if they actually mean privately owned firearms, they’d be at odds with federal law. After Katrina, W signed an appropriations bill specifically prohibiting just that.
I imagine this means “we’re out of ammo, find a Wal-Mart” versus knocking on doors. Still sketchy, mind you.
Wouldn’t the National Guard have better things to do in preparation for and dealing with the situation afterwards than to go around seizing weapons from the most throughly-vetted people on the island?
And “yes” to having guns (and other things) the government knows nothing about.
In Texas I expect that everyone in the National Guard chain of command from the Commanding General to youngest private would have pointed out the illegality of the order and their intention to ignore it. In my National Guard days in a very liberal state, we would have rejected that order. It’s kind of comical to think we would have gone through our own neighborhoods seizing guns – including our own.
I was activated a few times for storms. We never drew weapons – just got our armory and equipment ready for any rescue and shelter needs.
“Afterthought: here is yet another reason, as if any were needed, that everyone should own at least one gun about which government knows nothing.”
Only one, Kim? How about “all of them.” My jurisdiction requires no registration, and if they passed it tomorrow, there would be almost universal refusal to comply. Much of my personal collection – perhaps a majority – has no paper trial, as those items were purchased from a individuals, not a dealer – thus no 4473, no NICS check, etc.
Yes, I’m that guy – well, one of those guys. And no law ever passed or could be passed would change that without a registration system.
And a registration system is a non-starter. Absolutely not, under no circumstances. Puerto Rico just demonstrated exactly why.
GMC,
My comment was really aimed at people who don’t live in the United States like we do — i.e. people who live in shitholes like New York, Massachusetts and California.
I myself do have a few guns — mostly unimportant .22 stuff — that could be traced back to me, eventually. But my serious armament is anonymous, you betcha.
while I’m no great fan of the plastic fantastic, I’ve been more and more tempted by the Polymer80 80% frame kits for ARs and Glock-alikes. The kit includes jigs, some tools, etc, so buy the non-serialed parts, then finish the frame. The pistol kits in particular have been selling pretty cheap lately.