Arizona is one of the most gun friendly states in America. A Constitutional carry state freely allowing open carry with no registration scheme in place. So it was with surprise that I learned of the following story in which 8 foreign students from China who were truly enjoying the freedom here in America that would get them executed back in China were jammed up and had their firearms confiscated for apparently getting the wrong type of hunting license.
Unfortunately, it seems that a large number of gun grabbing Obama hold overs still occupy positions of authority in the Bureau of Alcohol Firearms Tobacco and Explosives. Because the reasoning as to why these students got jammed up is laughable and comes down to a glorified clerical error and money.
Yifei Gong was among the 8 students who had their firearms seized after they had gotten a residential hunting permit. The residential hunting permit is for people who have lived in the state of Arizona for 6 months and don’t have a residence in another state or jurisdiction. Gong has lived in Arizona in an off campus apartment for 2 years while he attends the University of Arizona. Another international student told him that if he goes to Wal-Mart and gets himself a hunting license he can buy some guns and go shooting. Everything sounds good to go.
Remember, Gong is from a Communist Authoritarian country where such a liberty is non existent. I completely understand why Gong and the 7 other students would want to get some trigger time in on the desert. As Gong recounts: In China, “it’s totally not possible,” (of his prospects of ever owning a gun in China) “You probably won’t have a firearm for your life. That’s why most people want a firearm in China.”
So armed with the information that he found from other international students and from online, Gong went to the local Wal-Mart, told them he was a student at the University of Arizona and lived in the state for 2 years and got himself the hunting license they offered him in November. Then he went and got himself a sweet semi automatic Century Arms RAS47. Basically an AK-47 mimic. Then he to the local range a couple of times and had a grand old time. Because even though self defense was a reason for Gong’s purchase he himself claims that it was mostly for fun. And for anyone who has shot an AK-47 or one of its many clones knows that Yifei Gong has the right of it.
Here’s where the catch comes in, one of the requirements of an F-1 student visa is maintaining “a residence abroad which you have no intention of giving up.” So the logic behind the BATFE is that even though Gong and the other students have been going to school and living full time in Arizona for YEARS, they are not allowed a resident hunting license because they will eventually be leaving. Seems pretty thin to me.
And even a high ranking officer from the BATFE acknowledged that there was “no malicious intent” but then rattled off things about loopholes and other regular gun controller faire.
Irregardless, on December 6th ICE, Fish and Game and all the other jackbooted thugs came a knocking on Gong’s off campus apartment and seized his firearm and charged him with a class 2 misdemeanor for fraudulently obtaining the hunting permit. He plead guilty and paid a fine and is in no other sort of trouble.
The fraudulently obtaining the hunting permit charge is weak. And it is even MORE ridiculous when illegal aliens in nearby California (among other states) are knowingly being issued driver’s licenses by those states.
Here comes the real frustrating part. Yifei Gong and the other 7 students were NOT even barred from getting a hunting license and then buying the guns they did, they simply got the WRONG type of hunting license.
When Mark Hart, spokesman for the Arizona Game and Fish department, was asked about the situation he revealed a rather shocking truth: “Nonresident Arizona hunting licenses (while significantly more expensive than resident tags) can be purchased by non-immigrant visa holders in Arizona. It’s legal for such license holders to buy and own a firearm until the license expires, at which time they become a prohibited possessor.”
What’s the difference between a residential hunting permit and a non residential permit? $123.
Once again it all comes down to money.
A residential hunting permit is $37 and a non residential hunting and fishing (they don’t offer just the one) is $160.
If there was any justice in this scenario, especially since NO ONE thinks that Gong or the other 7 had any interest other than exercising a right they are denied back home, the powers that be would have charged them the $123 difference and let them keep their guns.
We should be encouraging and exporting freedom and liberty whenever we can. Enough foreign students fall in love with the 2nd Amendment here, perhaps over time liberty and freedom will begin to take firmer root when they go home.
Alas, the gun control section of the government wants to disabuse everyone of the notion that guns are good and fun and useful.
Now, if you are a gangbanging illegal alien in California or New York, by all means here’s a driver’s license and a voting card and we’ll protect you from those meanies at ICE.
Foreign college student here legally who wants to own a gun? RELEASE THE HOUNDS!!!!
Hopefully with Trump securing the borders and strengthening the 2nd Amendment both of the previous sentiments will be set straight soon enough.
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