ATF-FBI?
What’s going on with the ATF-FBI? Saying “lots” would be an understatement. With the ratification of Kash Patel as the new FBI Director and his appointment as the acting Director of the BATFE, major changes look to be in the works. It is readily apparent that President Trump’s appointment of Dan Bongino as the FBI Deputy Director fits into the strategy of holding these agencies accountable for past behavior.
FBI AND ITS MISSING INTEGRITY
Anyone who has paid attention to how the FBI has conducted itself since 2009 knows that the agency has been politicized against both Obama’s and Biden’s enemies. For example, one of the often under-reported problems has been with crime data. From Dr. John Lott over at the Crime Prevention Research Center:
“Our new research takes a deep dive into the FBI’s active shooting reports. Over the past decade (2014–2023), police officers stopping these attacks accidentally shot and killed two fellow officers and two civilians—just 1.14% of cases.”
But did you know that among the 180 concealed handgun permit holders who intervened in active shootings, only one accidentally shot a bystander? Not once has a permit holder interfered with police stopping an attack. Any guesses on how often permit holders or police officers are killed while stopping these attacks? I think you’ll be surprised by our findings.
It pains me that this has happened within the FBI. I know many great Agents who hate what the Bureau has become. Hopefully, Director Patel can make this the agency all that it can be again: one that serves with integrity that we can all trust and be proud of.
THE ATF CONNECTION
We all know that the ATF enforcement division has been a problem for lawful American gun owners since the Gun Control Act of 1968 was passed into law. Epic failures, like Ruby Ridge, Waco, Fast & Furious or, most recently, the unnecessary killing of the Little Rock Airport Director over what was essentially a misdemeanor licensing question.
BATFE has legal responsibility for alcohol and tobacco tax collection, firearms law, and explosives. Splitting those responsibilities into different Departments appears to be the track President Trump is on.
Alcohol and Tobacco can be sent over to the Treasury Department where other taxes are collected. Explosives (whose activities consist mostly of training arson and explosive investigators) can move over to the FBI Academy. That leaves firearms. As long as we have the National Firearms Act and GCA of 1968 we will have to have the Technical Branch and NFA Registry. The logical place to send that group to is the US Commerce Department. They already handle firearms import and export licensing. Commerce can be tasked with the licensing of all Federal Firearms Licensees and explosive users/dealers.
That leaves us with the ATF’s Special Agents. Most of these have recently been assigned to the US Border Patrol under “ICE” to beef up the closed border efforts. It looks like the blueprint is being put into place to dissolve the agency. Mark A. Smith over at the Four Boxes Diner has a really good video that you can, as he says, “Geek Out” on this very subject.
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Please stay Ready at All Times, and help us defend all of Iowa’s rights by renewing or joining IFC today.
Shoot Straight, Speak The Truth, and Never Surrender Our Liberties.
Dave Funk
Member, Board of Directors
Iowa Firearms Coalition
#2A4IA
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