I’d like to respond to Mr. George “Jody” Sweeney about his recent letter (“Learn more about ghost guns before advocating for them,” Oct. 14).
People who believe the law concerning “ghost guns” is unconstitutional are educated about what those guns really are: they are unserialized firearms.
Those of us familiar with firearms do not compare them to cars. Why? Obtaining a driver’s license to operate a motor vehicle is a privilege, not a constitutional right. There is a big difference.
First, let me clarify what the term “ghost gun” means. It simply means a firearm without a serial number. Gun-control advocates use the term to refer to firearms that are made by a 3-D printer out of plastic in order to scare people.
People have a false impression that it is really easy to manufacture a plastic firearm. Nothing could be further from the truth. While many parts can be created with a 3-D printer, it is almost impossible to create a complete, functioning, reliable firearm without some metal parts. Usually, the barrel and many of the springs are bought commercially. It is also not inexpensive to create these parts. It generally costs about the same as a commercially available firearm.
And, finally, they are extremely unreliable and dangerous to the user. The pressures and temperatures created by the gunpowder being ignited can get to 33,000 copper units of pressure, as established by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute. Not something I would want to try.
Secondly, are “ghost guns” really undetectable by airport security scanners? No. Mr. Sweeney is incorrect when he states that they can be taken on airplanes because there is no metal or density. The X-ray machines and other scanning processes detect the density of objects in the baggage. They not only detect metal but also can “see” objects by their shapes. Edges are discerned, and images are created with color codes to tell the agent what is in the baggage.
Third, Mr. Sweeney states that owning a car requires that one be trained, registered as the owner, tested every few years and have a basic understanding of how to operate it. That is not true. None of that is required to own a motor vehicle. Some of that comes into play if one wishes to operate a motor vehicle on the highways and byways of the state. I will give Mr. Sweeney the benefit of the doubt that he was referring to obtaining a driver’s license. As I stated at the beginning of this letter, that process is not a constitutional right. It is a privilege granted by the state.
Fourth, it is not rare that objects other than firearms are used to commit violent acts. While firearms are used disproportionately in deaths, knives, fists, feet and other objects are also used. Mr. Sweeney mentioned that police cannot trace a “ghost gun.” It is rare that a crime gun is left at the scene of a violent crime. A vast majority of the firearms found are on or near the suspect when they are arrested. As a side note, of the 18,306 incidents of violent crime in Delaware in 2019, there were 173 shooting incidents. That equates to a mere 0.9% of the total. Granted, other violent crimes may have involved a firearm, such as robbery and assault. However, by merely focusing only on firearm shootings, 99% of the bigger picture is being neglected. me, it means that “ghost guns” are not the problem.
Mr. Sweeney also refers to firearms that are “filed,” which I am going to believe means firearms with the serial numbers obliterated. It wasn’t until 1968 that serial numbers were required on firearms. While most firearms did have serial numbers, it was mainly because manufacturers wanted to be able to know when, which model and how many firearms they had manufactured. Citizens have been manufacturing their own firearms without a serial number for several hundred years. A recent federal district court ruling in the Southern District of West Virginia ruled that it is not illegal to merely possess a firearm with an obliterated or removed serial number.
Finally, Mr. Sweeney, many who commit crimes are not in jail and are released on no cash bail. I feel that our current attorney general believes that criminals are the victims. I have read that over 80% of gun charges in Delaware are dropped. Why not prosecute those crimes and send a message? Get caught with an illegal firearm and go to jail. It used to be that a conviction for possession of a firearm by a person prohibited was a minimum mandatory three-year jail sentence. Criminals are not being held accountable for their actions.
I see the argument that “ghost guns” are a problem as a false narrative, propagated by those who would deprive law-abiding citizens of their right to keep and bear arms under both the constitution of Delaware and the federal Constitution.
The solution is dealing with the criminal, not the object.
Jeff Hague
President, Delaware State Sportsmens Association
