Starting with my AmmoLand piece, we saw that public comments on the government's "bump stock" ban proposal weren't working. We then saw the buck "expertly" passed by unaccountable bureaucrats eager to get a jump on their Easter weekend. Subsequently we saw government admit it screwed up and give assurances the problem was fixed.
My worry was that comments submitted before the problem was discovered might be lost, and while some have still not seen theirs appear, mine submitted on March 29 finally made it -- albeit showing an April 2 submission date.
Still unacknowledged -- how many who tried to comment have been discouraged by the "comments closed" message and have not been back to make their views known? My reach is small, and aside from me 'n Bear, I haven't seen any news outlets reporting on this -- or national gun groups, for that matter. What the hell's the deal with that?
So how would those who tried and were rebuffed before submiting their thoughts even know things were back up so they could try again? in a very real sense, they have been disenfranchised and denied their lawful right to influence rules they will be required to live under.
What does "our" government intend to do to make things right with them, to make sure this doesn't happen again, and to hold individual employees responsible for this unacceptable "screw up" accountable?
Even after the "assurances" that all is sweetness, light, and happy unicorns with commenting, I have readers (yes, plural) STILL reporting that they can't comment. I've pointed that out to "Nameless Entity at 'The Office of Regulatory Affairs'," and suddenly they've gone silent.
ReplyDeleteAnd I've noticed the distinct lack of give-a-sh!7 on this topic. A few see that this directly impacts all semiautos, and everyone else is all, "Meh. Just stupid bump stocks. Who cares. We have more important things to worry about."
Here is VCDL on the topic:
ReplyDelete* https://www.ammoland.com/2018/04/newest-atf-bump-stock-rule-open-for-comments/#axzz5Bew1W6vm
[SNIP]
Regardless of whether you own a bump stock or not, or whether you love them, hate them, or are indifferent toward them, we need to oppose this rule.
The government is not providing a valid reason to suddenly consider bump stocks as machine guns. Their reasoning is clearly political and nothing more, totally failing the smell test.
...
Read more: https://www.ammoland.com/2018/04/newest-atf-bump-stock-rule-open-for-comments/#ixzz5BewcmDYj
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Suggested comments:
“I fully oppose this ruling. The shooter's trigger finger is what activates the trigger, whether firing with a bump stock or with one's bare hands. No part of the bump stock touches the trigger, only the shooter's trigger finger. ATF's insistence otherwise is merely playing politics and hurts their credibility.”
“I fully oppose this ruling. If the bump stock made a semi-automatic rifle fully automatic, then holding the gun with only the trigger-finger hand while squeezing and holding the trigger should cause the gun to repeatedly fire shots. It doesn't do that and therefore the bump stock has clearly NOT converted a semi-automatic rifle into a machine gun.”