NRA scumbags urge allowing gun purchases by suspected terrorists

[Proud2BAmurkin]

Enemies of America

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070504/ap_on_go_co/terror_suspects_guns

WASHINGTON - The National Rifle Association is urging the Bush administration to withdraw its support of a bill that would prohibit suspected terrorists from buying firearms.

Backed by the Justice Department, the measure would give the attorney general the discretion to block gun sales, licenses or permits to terror suspects.

In a letter this week to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, NRA executive director Chris Cox said the bill, offered last week by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (news, bio, voting record), D-N.J., "would allow arbitrary denial of Second Amendment rights based on mere 'suspicions' of a terrorist threat."

[gratuitous]

1. We can lock 'em up indefinitely on a mere suspicion

But we can't deny them a gun. Yeah, I follow that logic.

[Kutjara]

2. Well, I guess terrorists could be considered...

..."a well regulated militia."

Would this mean that the Guantanamo detainees who haven't yet been convicted can buy guns?

[karlrschneider]

3. For once I agree with the NRA.

...

[havocmom]

4. Considering who gets to decide who the terrorist suspects are...

yup, I agree too.

You and I are probably on some GOP list ;)

[depakid]

8. Yep- I think they're right on this one too

And I'm not a "big supporter" of bearing arms...

Mere suspicion- that's one thing, but what's the definition of a "terrorist?"

[benEzra]

10. Suspected terrorist = anybody on one of the various "secret watch lists"

Mere suspicion- that's one thing, but what's the definition of a "terrorist?"

Suspected terrorist = anybody on one of the various "secret watch lists." Which would include a bunch of anti-war activists, environmentalists, babies, people who once attended the wrong mosque, people who have traveled abroad to "suspicious" countries, people with the misfortune to have a coworker/associate on a watchlist, etc. Senator Edward Kennedy himself was one of those "suspected terrorists" at one point.

It pretty much boils down to the fact that "terrorism suspect" means whatever Gonzales et al want it to mean.

[meldroc]

5. I'm going to recycle my post from the other thread on this topic... the NRA's right.

Excuse me while I don my asbestos long-johns - I have to agree with the NRA on this one.

It's fairly reasonable to say "Let's keep terrorists from buying guns," but what the NRA is objecting to is preventing people who's names are on the DHS terrorism watch lists from buying guns.

It helps if you remember that the watch lists DHS is using has been known to be populated with babies, antiwar activists and innocent people, placed on the list just to meet a quota.

By all means, of course we should block criminals and terrorists from buying guns, but we do so in a smart way. Innocent people have been put on watch lists just for shits and grins - they shouldn't be denied firearms if they're law-abiding.

[piedmont]

6. #1, dupe. #2, bullshit

As someone in the other thread pointed out, the "terror watchlist" contains babies, people who have the same name as a terrorist, and totally inocent people who were put on the list by mistake or because some asshole arbitrarily decided that their participation in an ant-war rally made them a terrorist. This law would basically give Alberto Gonzales the power to strip enemies of the Bush administration of even more of their rights, and true liberals ought to fight it tooth and nail.

[slackmaster]

9. Senator Kennedy was on the list

At least according to the New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/20/national/20flight.html?ex=1250654400&en=f0c8707234bed6fb&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland

[slackmaster]

7. Great example of a Genetic Fallacy here

If the NRA says something, it MUST be wrong.

:argh:

Related threads:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x823576

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x807229