Crackdown on Guns, Illegal Aliens in South Carolina

First, the bad news. 7th Circuit Solicitor Trey Gowdy has announced that anyone caught in Spartanburg County (South Carolina) with a gun during the summer months will potentially face prosecution in federal court.

Calling his anti-gun initiative the 'Summer of Silence,' Gowdy insists that his aggressive manner of pursuing guns is 'directed mainly at persons with lengthy criminal histories.'

And what about the rest who do not have such a history?

In addition, the state's attorney for the Spartanburg area stated that the reason for prosecuting the possession of guns in federal court rather than state court is that South Carolina law mandates little or no prison time for illegal gun possession.

But in federal court a person charged with illegally possessing a gun can get a minimum of 15 years in prison if convicted.

It would appear that Circuit Solicitor Gowdy is attempting to do an end-run to avoid having his cases dismissed in state court. South Carolina not only has very lax laws concerning illegal gun possession but the state legislature passed a very strong Castle Doctrine/Self-Defense law several years ago, which allows citizens to use deadly force to protect their lives, homes, and property.

Is Gowdy another one of the infamous state's attorneys we have discovered around the country who either outright defies state gun laws passed by legislators or who finds loopholes to get around those laws?

We shall see. It all depends on how he proceeds with this so-called 'summer of silence.'

But rest assured, should the Circuit Solicitor overstep his bounds or begin going after ordinary citizens on gun charges, The Liberty Sphere will be the first to scream bloody hell about it.

For the original news story, click here:
http://www.wspa.com/midatlantic/spa/news.apx.-content-articles-SPA-2008-05-28-0016.html


And now for the good news. The South Carolina Legislature has approved and sent to the Governor a bill that will require employers in the state to verify legal status of new hires in an attempt to prevent the hiring of illegal aliens.

Governor Mark Sanford, R-SC, stated that he will enthusiastically sign the bill.

South Carolina has found itself inundated with illegal aliens over the past few years as surrounding states have put the clamps on employers who hire them. With this new bill in place, it is expected that South Carolina will see a mass exodus of illegal aliens who have been flying underneath the radar screen.

This is a good bill that is long overdue. We wish that the federal government would get this serious about this monolithic problem.

For more information on the immigration reform bill in SC, click here:
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SC_XGR_ILLEGAL_IMMIGRATION_SCOL-?SITE=WSPATV&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-05-29-17-22-07