Hypocrisy in the gun ban crowd

I was at a local gun shop last week to pick up a case of primers, shortly before closing time.  As I was checking out the used guns, I noticed the owner looking at some papers with a 4x loupe.  It seemed odd, so I took a closer look and saw that he was trying to know for sure the serial number on the federal paperwork. 

This legitimate, bricks and mortar gun dealer was basically terrified - for good reason - that a simple paperwork error would bring about a 70-agent raid on his home and store.  Two things occured to me here.  First, I would never want to be an FFL.  Second, why is it that this businessman is under constant, close scrutiny of the ATF, while the Violence Policy Center's Josh Sugarmann can run an FFL in clear violation of ATF regulations and be untouchable? 

Sugarmann, one of the only FFLs in D.C., just renewed his FFL until March 2014.  Back in the day, he wrote hysterical articles about the threat of "kitchen table" FFLs, leading to the current ATF policy that applicants must have a commercially-zoned place of business, and be engaged in the business of selling guns for profit.  Josh Sugarmann has neither. 

He admits that he doesn't sell guns in D.C.  No one's seen his bound book, if he even has one, so we can't know whether he's lying or not.  So how is it that he's able to keep an FFL for "research purposes?"  It's safe to say he has some high-up ATF bosses protecting him.  If I, or John Lott, or Alan Gura, applied for an FFL, declaring our intention to never sell guns, a quick denial would be certain.  In fact, on the "Do you intend to run this business for profit?" question on the application, it says not to bother submitting it if you check "no."  Somebody in the ATF made a very special exception for Josh. 

We've known for years that Sugarmann is a federally licensed gun dealer.  When we first found out in 2008, we called and wrote the ATF, complaining that this man, who pushed so hard to revoke home-based FFLs, is one himself.  The feds made it clear that Sugarmann is special, that the rules that apply to my local dealer don't apply to Josh.  He is a definite hypocrite, and a possible perjurer. 


It's not surprising, coming from the gun ban crowd.  Former Mayor Daley, the man who banned guns in his city while he surrounded himself with armed guards, must be proud of Sugarmann's impressive circumvention of the law.