NYT: It's Wasteful to Prosecute Criminals for Gun Crimes

Seeking to inflate the problem of gun violence as a major political issue rather than recognize the wisdom in enforcing existing laws, The New York Times ran an article questioning the effectiveness of increased prosecutions of “low-level” criminals who illegally purchase or possess firearms — an effort spearheaded by President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The Times suggests that this ramped-up prosecution of firearms-related crimes is essentially a misplaced focus. The article states, “Mr. Sessions’ approach has touched off a debate about whether he is making the country safer from violent crime, as he and President Trump have repeatedly vowed to do, or devoting resources to low-level prosecutions that could instead be put toward pursuing bigger targets like gun suppliers.”

The Times also notes that the anti-gun agitating Brady Campaign objects. The organization’s co-president Avery Gardiner argued, “It’s a good idea to enforce the existing gun laws. That’s something prosecutors should do. But going only after the people who are purchasing the guns illegally is only part of the story.” And they are a huge part of the story that both the previous administrations essentially chose to ignore, as The Washington Post reported in 2013, “Neither the Bush administration nor Obama administration ever prosecuted even one-quarter of one percent of the people who failed to pass a criminal background check.”

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