Nope, the BATF is NOT a joke. They are a government agency with way too much power. The BATF needs to be disbanded and their responsibilities turned over to the FBI. Remember, the BATF was instrumental in the massacre of 86 American citizens during the Clinton administration; men, women and children, for no other purpose than a publicity stunt to justify increasing the coming BATF budget. And now they are responsible for thousands of firearms being passed into the hands of drug cartels for the purpose of encouraging the outlawing of private citizens buying arms at gun stores, gun shows and from other individuals. The BATF has GOT to go.
There is a framework that is almost in place to completely overthrow the way our government works and the relationship between government and the citizen. Where the citizen used to reign supreme and the government was the servant, it will soon be the citizen turned into a mere subject, subservient to government, and the government will reign supreme. This will be so unless the citizens stand up soon.
The election coming in 2012 is the time to start to renew the American Dream. We MUST throw every entrenched politician (the old guard) out of the Congress and the Senate. This goes for both parties. Can anyone detect a dimes worth of difference between Harry Reid and John McCain?
BATF = Burn All Toddlers First.