NRA opposes bill banning gun sales to terror suspects

[vinnie]

NRA: Don't ban gun sales to suspects By SAM HANANEL, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 50 minutes ago



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.

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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."

"As many of our friends in law enforcement have rightly pointed out, the word 'suspect' has no legal meaning, particularly when it comes to denying constitutional liberties," Cox wrote.

In a letter supporting the measure, Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard Hertling said the bill would not automatically prevent a gun sale to a suspected terrorist. In some cases, federal agents may want to let a sale go forward to avoid compromising an ongoing investigation.

Hertling also notes there is a process to challenge denial of a sale.

Current law requires gun dealers to conduct a criminal background check and deny sales if a gun purchaser falls under a specified prohibition, including a felony conviction, domestic abuse conviction or illegal immigration. There is no legal basis to deny a sale if a purchaser is on a terror watch list.

"When I tell people that you can be on a terrorist watch list and still be allowed to buy as many guns as you want, they are shocked," said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which supports Lautenberg's bill.

In the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings, lawmakers are considering a number of measures to strengthen gun sale laws. The NRA, which usually opposes increased restrictions on firearms, is taking different positions depending on the proposal.

"Right now law enforcement carefully monitors all firearms sales to those on the terror watch list," said NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam. "Injecting the attorney general into the process just politicizes it."

A 2005 study by the Government Accountability Office found that 35 of 44 firearm purchase attempts over a five-month period made by known or suspected terrorists were approved by the federal law enforcement officials

 

[Penguinfan]

The overwhelming majority of NRA members would rather have their family shot than give up their guns.

I have never seen a more tunnel-visioned group of people in my life.

Yes, we will pry your gun from your cold dead hands, probably after someone else shoots you.

 

[SixFive]

here's the deal. If they are terrorists or suspected terror subjects, why are they walking around in society?? They should be in the can. This would give them a felony record, and they would never be able to buy a gun for that reason. Problem solved. Quit dicking around with these idiots. Arrest, convict, and lock up, or leave them be without a label.

The NRA's point is that if you take away somebody's right to buy a gun that is a US citizen who does not have a felony record, that just leads to future gun control for people who should be able to buy them. Give an inch, take a mile. Canada has gun control involving long arms and shotguns now too. Bet it didn't start with those, but evolved to be that way after first banning assault weapons, then sidearms, etc.

"in the wake of the Va Tech shootings" see, that's alarmist fuel for the gun control fire, but I expect nothing less. Everybody on here or the political forum who is in such opposition to the Patriot Act should be staunch supporters of the NRA. You can't pick and choose which freedoms you want to be controlled by the government.

 

[Penguinfan]

You can't pick and choose which freedoms you want to be controlled by the government.

Correct, they already do it for you.

Here in Allegheny county (and already in many others across the country) I will not be able to smoke a cigar in public, but I will be able to carry a gun.

Seems odd in the land of freedom, don't you think?

 

[SpursDynasty]

anyone else think it said NBA on the title?

i was ready for stephen jackson to give his input :142smilie :142smilie

 

[SixFive]

Correct, they already do it for you.

Here in Allegheny county (and already in many others across the country) I will not be able to smoke a cigar in public, but I will be able to carry a gun.

Seems odd in the land of freedom, don't you think?

it does. You can carry a gun in public? They are trying to push through a non-smoking law for all restaraunts here in BG now. I don't smoke, and I never have, but personally, I avoid establishments/bars where there is smoking. It's your own fault if smoking bothers you and you go to a restaraunt where people are allowed to smoke.

 

[Penguinfan]

You can carry a gun in public?

Yes I can, I don't, but I could. Like a lot of other gun owners I over-reacted to a situation and went out and bought a gun. It's never even been picked up other than to go to the range now and then and practice.


I understand and agree with your argument about not going into a smoking facility if you don't like cigarette smoke, but it does go to show the gov't will pick and choose what "freedoms" we have.

 

[yyz]

anyone else think it said NBA on the title?

i was ready for stephen jackson to give his input :142smilie :142smilie

Actually.......YES, I did!

I was even going to post another thread that said the exact same thing, with NBA instead of NRA.

 

[Chadman]

And while you're at it, make sure they can purchase as many assault rifles and AK-47's as they want for both their needs and the needs of their friends. I can't imagine why our country would want to establish ANY limitations on terror suspects, can you? Seems like firearms are a silly thing to keep out of the hands of people suspected (for whatever reason, right?) of wanting to kill Americans.

 

[smurphy]

Well, at least terror suspects can't bet with Pinnacle. Baby steps.

 

[SixFive]

Well, at least terror suspects can't bet with Pinnacle. Baby steps.

lmfao!!!:mj07:

Chadman, my point is why are the "terror suspects" in any position to buy a gun in the first place? Lock their asses up and convict if they are breaking the law, or leave them alone. Sh!t, or get off the toilet.

 

[Chadman]

I guess I could make a case across the board for either sh*tting or getting off the pot with all terror suspects being held all over the planet by our country for various lengths of time, but I have to think there must be degrees of sensibility when dealing with this subject. I agree with you in principle, but again, who is policing the people who establish these lists of terror suspects? It's really amazing what individuals and what groups find there way onto these lists, and what it can take to get off one.

I just get frustrated about which areas of our personal freedoms are made into a big deal, by what people, and which ones are dismissed as being things we all have to give up for our own safety. Again, to me, it seems like guns and items that could be used to kill large amounts of people might be a good area to try to control a bit more, given the current state of affairs our country is in.