Does anyone recall stories about the “Iron Pipeline”, a term describing the flow of guns from southern states where civil liberties are respected into gun prohibition areas like NYC and Massachusetts? It’s because of this “iron pipeline” hoopla that Virginia enacted a “one gun a month” law in hopes to curb the number of Virginia firearms that make their way up north.
From The New York Times:
In a Brooklyn courtroom last month, a Columbia University professor delivered a lesson in why existing gun laws do not work. The professor, Dr. Howard Andrews, testified that 90 percent of the guns recovered in New York crime investigations from 1996 to 2000 had been bought out of state. A large number came from five states with lax gun laws: Virginia, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
The suit in which Dr. Andrews testified, in which a ruling is expected shortly, charges gun manufacturers and dealers with doing too little to stop illegal handgun sales. His data give the fullest picture yet of the ”iron pipeline,” in which guns are transported from Southern states. The iron pipeline is one of the biggest factors in thwarting New York in its efforts to keep guns off the streets and out of the hands of criminals. There are ways to stop the flow.
What really fuels the flow of guns up north are the draconian laws and red tape law-abiding folks must jump through who live under those repressive regimes. When you artificially lower the availability of a certain item that common folks want, they WILL go to great lengths to subvert the law and obtain them. Don’t believe me? Well, there’s yet another pipeline of illicit goods crossing borders, and it’s soooo bad that if caught with this evil item you could face a $10,000 fine and up to FIVE years in prison. What IS this evil abomination? Fermented grapes, AKA wine.
From The Washington Post:
Lawyers, government consultants, high-tech workers and even members of the General Assembly – all typically law-abiding residents – have developed an indirect route for smuggling their favorite vino. They have wine delivered to offices in the District or to the homes of friends in Virginia – two of the 38 jurisdictions nationwide that allow vineyards to ship wine directly to consumers.
When Maryland wine connoisseurs drive their cases back across the Free State border, however, they are technically committing a crime – a misdemeanor that carries a fine of up to $10,000 and prison sentence of up to five years. State officials say no residents in recent memory have been prosecuted.
Note: Misdemeanor conviction/incarceration is generally 364 days or shorter. Felonies carry sentences of 365 days or longer. I’m confused about this particular “misdemeanor” carrying a 5 year prison sentence.
So, here we have another situation where the government is restricting personal choice and freedom in one local, and the community knows they can make a short drive (and ignore the law) to satisfy their demand for product. I see it as no different from the “iron pipeline” described above. Whether it’s guns, wine, gambling, or whatever… folks are going to get what they want; it’s just a matter of how far they have to go to attain it. What’s remarkable is the voters who live in these areas put up with this idiocy and keep dumb politicians gainfully employed, even when their time is up. Fatuous laws only serve to make honest people criminals, keep shameless politicians employed, and fund police departments. Free people should be able to make free choices, the law of supply vs. demand cannot be broken.
