NRA Takes An Absurd Position

Richard Grabman over at The Mex Files has a rather interesting post of an argument about American guns winding up with Mexican drug cartels.   This has been happening for a while now, and is resulting in the deaths of Mexican police, soldiers and hundreds of innocent civilians.   This tragedy needs to be stopped and the best way to stop it is to stop the flow of American guns (of all types) to Mexico.

Recently, the Mexican Ambassador to the United States, Arturo Sarukhan, appealed for help from the National Rifle Association (NRA) -- the strongest gun rights organization in the United States.   Mr. Sarukhan said he thought it would be in the best interest of the NRA to support efforts to stop the selling of guns to interests in Mexico.   After all, the second amendment was meant to support the right of U.S. citizens to own guns -- not members of the Mexican drug cartels.

This seems reasonable to me, but it evidently didn't to the nuts running the NRA.   Their response to Mr. Sarukhan was nothing short of absurd.   The NRA's response was,   "It is wrong for him to blame the Second Amendment and the National Rifle Association for a problem that originates in his own country.   This is a very serious and sad situation but the solution has to come from within Mexico."

Outrageous!   Mr. Sarukhan was not attacking or blaming the Second Amendment.   He was just asking the NRA to support policies to curb the shipment of guns to Mexico.   And while the problem with the cartels may be in Mexico, the shipment of American guns to that country and the American purchase of drugs that come from or through that country has certainly exacerbated the problem and contributed to the many deaths.  

To show just how ridiculous the NRA statement and position is, Mr. Grabman has composed a letter to the NRA for the ambassador.   Ambassador Sarukhan is too classy to send the letter, but I think it shows unfairness of the NRA's response and therefore reproduce here for your edification.   It shows just how silly it is for the United States to put all the responsibility on Mexico for solving problems that affect both nations.   Here is the letter:

Dear National Rifle Association:

I have the honor of informing you that my government is in agreement with your suggestion that a “solution has to come from within Mexico.”  Our problem being that with unrestricted firearms imports, we will, of course, as allowed by GATT and other international agreements, be raising tariffs on other U.S. imports to recoup the costs for losses to our economy from the firearms imports.

As nothing in Mexican law prevents individuals from filing  lawsuits against the manufacturer of dangerous products, Federal Ministers will be assisting those citizens harmed by U.S. firearms in filing suits against the sellers and manufacturers.  Because these suits will be brought in Mexican cours, and it will be impossible to collect such judgments as the courts may order, we will — as is done in the United States in similar situations — seize whatever U.S. assets are available in Mexico to satisfy the court’s rulings.  This would include, for example, not just United States government funds in Mexican banks, but real property, automobiles and goods owned by U.S. citizens.

Much as your organization believes your Constitutional guarantees of the right to bear arms extends to sales for export, our Constitution guarantees the right of any citizen to engage in any honest enterprise he or she may desire.  Perhaps we have been doing a disservice to our narcotics growers and exporters, similar to that your organization believes is done by those who object to the unrestricted sale of firearms.

Thank you for your enlightened attitude on this.  We will be immediately opening our borders to the export and sale of methamphetamine, marijuana and heroin.  We have asked the governments of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Venezuela to open their trade in coca and cocaine derivatives, which — in passing through Mexico — also would require a solution to come from within your country.

With all best wishes –

Arturo Sarukhan

Is the selling of American guns to Mexico's drug cartels just an internal problem of Mexico?   If so, a case could be made that the importation of drugs into this country is just an internal problem of the United States.   The truth is that the two problems are intertwined and neither can be solved without the cooperation of both countries.   If we want Mexico to help solve our drug problem, then we must help them solve their gun problem.

The position of the NRA about this problem is patently absurd.   No one is questioning the right of Americans to own guns which is guaranteed by the Second Amendment.   But the Second Amendment doesn't give anyone the right to sell or ship guns to Mexico (or any other country).