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Article: Bullets and Bunkum: The futility of 'ballistic fingerprinting'.
- Article from:
- National Review
- Article date:
- November 11, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 National Review, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In the wake of the Washington, D.C., sniper attacks, many are viewing ballistic fingerprinting as a magic crime-solving tool. According to the pro-gun-control Brady Campaign, such a system "would have solved [the sniper case] after the first shooting"; a Washington Post columnist calls it a "common-sense measure"; and many politicians are jumping on board, including New York Democratic senator Charles Schumer and Maryland Democratic gubernatorial nominee Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. Unfortunately, the issue is not so simple: By draining resources away from other police activities and making it costly for law-abiding citizens to own guns, ballistic fingerprinting could end ...