In what CBS New York describes as the “first-ever anti-gun initiative,” federal agencies in collaboration with the NYPD are cracking down on escalating “gun crime” across the City of New York. ATF agent Charles Mulham said, “There’s going to be an increase in federal arrests — no doubt.” He added, “Of course, when the ATF gets involved … we’ll be able to figure out if [any] weapon is part of an interstate trafficking operation.” That’s a bold statement coming from an agency that intentionally put weapons into the hands of Mexican drug cartels. And considering New York boasts lower than average crime rates, why aren’t they asking why violent behavior is increasing instead of positing this as an “anti-gun” initiative? For the same reason the question is being avoided in cities like Ferguson and Baltimore. As Mark Alexander has pointed out, blaming weapons serves an agenda: “The ‘gun violence’ rhetoric comports with the errant Leftist assertion that guns are the problem and the Democrats’ next gun control measure is the solution. Most assuredly, the epidemic of crime in American urban centers is not a ‘gun problem,’ but rather a cultural problem.” Getting the federal government involved in New York, ostensibly to ward off potential offenders, won’t get us any closer to tackling the core problem — especially via an agency embroiled in its own questionable behavior. More…