Once again,by obsessing on assault-type weapons, an opportunity to attack the real causes of gun crime will go to waste.People need to understand that assault-type weapons, despite the high-profile tragedies at Newtown and Aurora,actually are used in crimes very little.Check the statistics. It is not an attempt to divert attention from guns to call for a major effort to redirect our culture from devastating trends: video games emphasize killing human beings, even police.Movies likewise.We give endless attention to mass murderers, inspiring copy-cat killers,who want their 15 minutes of fame.The assault-weapon ban didn't work in '94, and it won't work now. Manufacturers worked 3 shifts turning out high-capacity agazines, and are undoubtedly doing so right now.Except for personal sales (comparatively few), gun show sales are in fact highly regulated. The AR-15 used at Newtown is in fact used at military marksmanship rifle matches and the national matches at Camp Perry, Ohio. High-capacity magazines figure there.An immediate effort is in order to institute security at our schools. We already have resource officers in schools to protect the students from each other, why not protect them from intruders? I can assure the reader that unstable people have already learned that schools are unprotected and just waiting for them.At the end of the day, we are again making flailing,unproductive efforts to solve the violence outbreaks.

This inability to enforce laws duly enacted by our representatives in government is an insult to American citizens.
It is one more example of corporations and other artificial entities such as the NRA manipulating the politics so as to undermine our rights.
This has been accomplished by means of the unlimited spending allowed in elections, and the subsequent undue influence weilded by unelected entities.
The arms industry has no concern about the deaths of innocent people, so long as they can sell weopons, whether it be to honest Americans or crazies, or anyone in any country with any money.

Hi John,
Love the show..
from the previous segment..I should have dealt with being unemployed and my social anxiety more effectively...
anyway,
as to the ATF segment, I think it behooves the nation to review
Eisenhower's warning upon leaving the White House
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/17/132942244/ikes-warning-of-military-expansion-50-years-later
Thanks for all of your work.

Innocent people are dying. Guns make it too easy to kill. Period. Please sign this petition because we need to convince Senator Ayotte to vote for any upcoming legislation to ban assault weapons, which she currently opposes. Tell everyone you know to sign. It doesn’t matter where you live, her vote affects us all. Thank you.
http://www.change.org/petitions/kelly-ayotte-make-assault-weapons-illegal?utm_source=guides&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_created

Regarding lobbyist influence with the ATF...

The former agent mentioned that the job of the ATF is to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. The involvement of the lobbyists revolves around documentation and transfer of legal firearms from manufacturers to dealers. The efficient transfer of information and the tractability of serial numbers is key when doing business--especially for a small business that often sees their ability to collect money held hostage by the agency. For once... thank goodness for lobbyists who are helping ensure a government agency be efficient in its work.

The influence mentioned by the former agent revolved around their dealings with manufacturers

Perhaps Wayne LaPierre can do double duties and run the ATF...into the ground. Oh, wait the NRA has been doing this for years according to Nunziato...
Did I just hear breaking news spoken in such a nonchalance way?

Perhaps a bit more coverage should have been given to "fast & furious". That operation allowed ATF to get over 2000 guns/rifles into the hands of criminals. Our border agent Brian Terry was killed with one of these guns. Many suspect the ATF is not interested in enforcing current law, but rather encouraging gun violence in the hopes of changing laws. "Fast&Furious makes it hard to argue that is not the case.