imported post
Shepherd: What would happen if the state Legislature doesn’t act on these reforms?
Chisholm: I’m going to make a prediction right now because I don’t know if we have the will and the foresight to do this but I predict that nothing will happen and that Chicago vs. McDonald will hold that the Second Amendment is incorporated into the 14[sup]th[/sup] Amendment [and call into question other state and local gun laws]. Then 20 seconds later the NRA will file a challenge to [Wisconsin’s concealed carry statute] and they will win. And at that point in time we will be left with no CCW and no regulatory scheme at all. That’s what I think will happen.
This is exactly what we want to happen. Then there will be no law prohibiting CCW and it will virtually cost us nothing.
We’ve sent such deeply contradictory messages to people on firearms over the years. I have found it frustrating and other prosecutors find it frustrating. What we need to do is to come up with a comprehensive package of firearms reforms that would satisfy everyone’s major concerns. It’s doable. It’s an achievable goal if we just focus on what’s best for the state.
What's best for the state is people paying money to exercise their rights and courts levying larger fines for people who are caught CCW.
Shepherd: One major source of guns ultimately used in crimes and of “straw purchases” of firearms is Badger Outdoors, based in West Milwaukee. How does law enforcement ensure that the store’s right to sell guns doesn’t harm public safety?
Chisholm: I’ve always been fair and balanced with Badger. I’ve always acknowledged the good things that they’ve done and their work with law enforcement. What I’ve become increasingly concerned about in recent years is that they are engaged in a business practice, a deliberate business model, that makes it easy for people to quickly transfer guns to the illegal market.
If I were sitting behind that counter there would be a list of maybe ten questions that I would ask any potential customer. This would be based on my own familiarity of firearms and the law and the way they get into the illegal market. I would ask questions that would very quickly let me know whether I have a legitimate purchaser or someone who was intending to get rid of that gun fairly quickly and has no intention of keeping it themselves. They are experts in the field. It’s their business. They know everything there is to know about firearms and their accessories and what would be a good indicator of a straw purchases.
The other thing is that other licensed firearms dealers don’t have near the number of crime guns that Badger has. Some of them sell high-end stuff and have a different clientele, but the reality is that in our experience they are much more proactive in stopping what they see are suspicious sales, and asking that next question.
“You say you want a 40-caliber high-point semi-automatic? Why do you want that gun?” “Well, I want it for something.” “That’s great. Do you want a holster too? We offer training. We have courses for $100. Do you want some training?” “No I’m not interested in training.” “Do you have kids in the house?” “Yeah, I’ve got kids in the house.” “Really? And you still don’t want training?” “No, I don’t want training.”
These are the questions they should be asking and they could very quickly assess whether that person has any intention of keeping that gun. I’m convinced that some of them don’t ask those questions. They just ask what the customer wants and if they have the money and whether they have any criminal convictions. Then give them the gun. But that’s not being a good public citizen.
They’re making their living and raising their families on the proceeds that they do engage in a legitimate business. They ought to consider themselves part of this community and be a good public citizen, just as we ask other businesses [to do so]. They derive benefit from the people of Milwaukee and they ought to have an obligation to those people as well.
Their business practices are resulting in cops being shot and a high proportion of their guns being used in homicides. They ought to be asking what they can do to change their practices to make them a better citizen of this community.
Shepherd: Have the recent police shootings made Badger’s owner Adam Allen more aware of the need to change the store’s business practices?
Chisholm: We get lip service. Only time will tell. But I think he’s on notice that our patience is being exhausted on this. We’re so deeply concerned about what we’re seeing. Clearly the tone of our discussions with him have changed.
In other words, They will bully Badger Guns into submission. they may not be able to take away their FFL but they will do anything else possible to run them out of town.
I think Chisholm is simply eyeballing the next AG position.
