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Armed and Safe: Now it's the "terror gap loophole" that we need to close down
ArmedAndSafe ^ | Sunday, April 29, 2007 | 45superman

Posted on 05/02/2007 8:09:21 AM PDT by Lazamataz

Through Cryptic Subterranean (via War on Guns), we learn of Senator Lautenberg's (D-NJ) latest salvo: S. 1237, "A bill to increase public safety by permitting the Attorney General to deny the transfer of firearms or the issuance of firearms and explosives licenses to known or suspected dangerous terrorists." Yep, you read that correctly. The Constitutionally guaranteed fundamental human right of the individual to keep and bear arms would now be subject to denial--not when found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law, nor even indicted by a grand jury, or even charged by a prosecutor with a single crime--but when you are "suspected" of being a terrorist.

The bill, having been introduced only last Thursday, is still too new for its text to be available online, but Lautenberg has put out a gloat page press release about it.

"It took years, but the Administration finally realized that letting terrorists buy guns is dangerous. This 'terror gap' in our gun laws has been open too long and I am going to shut it down," said Sen. Lautenberg.
"Terror gap," eh (later on, he expands on that concept, and refers to the "terror gap loophole")? So that's how bands of terrorists are getting dozens of AR-15s and massacring mall goers by the hundreds, and buying .50 caliber rifles and shooting down jumbo jets--wait--you mean that stuff hasn't happened yet? Well, I'm sure they've been planning to get around to that any day now.

Here are the few available specifics about the bill (from Lautenberg's press release).
Sen. Lautenberg's measure - the "Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2007" - specifically:

• Provides the Attorney General with discretionary authority to deny the transfer of a firearm or the issuance of a firearm or explosives license or permit when a background check reveals that the purchaser is a known or suspected terrorist and the Attorney General reasonably believes that the person may use a firearm or explosives in connection with terrorism;

• Includes due process safeguards that afford an affected person an opportunity to challenge a denial by the Attorney General; and

• Protects the sensitive information upon which terrorist watch list listings are based.
So--the Attorney General would have discretionary authority to deny a fundamental human right. That certainly is a lot of power--vastly more than I would trust Anthony Gonzales with, let alone an AG appointed by President Hillary. By the way, I like the way that the point about "due process safeguards" for appeal is followed by the point about protecting "the sensitive information." Does this mean that the "suspected terrorist" will not be permitted to see the grounds on which the suspicions about him are based? That would make an appeal rather tricky, I imagine.

Care to speculate about how easy it is to get on the "suspected terrorist" list? As Cryptic Subterranean points out (from the link at the beginning of this post):
Perhaps in years to come anyone who doesn't agree with the laws coming out of Washington could be branded a suspected terrorist and thus denied the right to purchase firearms. Not so long ago a Democrat lawmaker was trying to brand groups like the Minutemen as domestic terrorists.
I can certainly envision a President Hillary decreeing that Gun Owners of America, and Jews for the Preservation of Firearm Ownership are "terrorist groups."

This bill, if it passes, might be the "long ball" against private firearm ownership that Lautenberg has been looking for his entire career. Let's strike him out, instead.


TOPICS: Government
KEYWORDS: banglist; gonzalez; lautenberg; rkba
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1 posted on 05/02/2007 8:09:28 AM PDT by Lazamataz
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To: Carry_Okie; Always Right; paulcissa; samadams2000; AuntB; kerryusama04

Ping


2 posted on 05/02/2007 8:11:32 AM PDT by Lazamataz (JOIN THE NRA: https://membership.nrahq.org/forms/signup.asp)
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To: Lazamataz

Thanks~!


3 posted on 05/02/2007 8:15:09 AM PDT by AuntB (" It takes more than walking across the border to be an American." Duncan Hunter)
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To: Lazamataz
Good to see the word getting out and repeated.
4 posted on 05/02/2007 8:18:03 AM PDT by Carry_Okie (Duncan Hunter for President)
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To: Lazamataz
There is that cadre out there who would summarily brand everyone from frequent church-goers to NRA members as "suspected terrorists".

Not one of the "front runners" (according to the MSM) of either party is someone I would trust with this sort of power at their behest, nor for that matter is it a power anyone should wield in relation to a Constitutional Right.

5 posted on 05/02/2007 8:22:58 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly.)
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To: Lazamataz
Lautenberg is so predictable. Gonzales is so gullable. The two of them in combination are squarely anti-2A.

Scum of NJ, meet the scum of the DOJ.

6 posted on 05/02/2007 8:23:22 AM PDT by paulcissa (The first requirement of Liberalism is to stand on your head and tell the world they're upside down)
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To: Lazamataz

Can we prevent politicians from registering for elections if they are “suspected” of being idiots and/or moral reprobates?


7 posted on 05/02/2007 8:26:59 AM PDT by andy58-in-nh
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To: Lazamataz; Joe Brower
BTTT
8 posted on 05/02/2007 8:53:23 AM PDT by EdReform (The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed *NRA*JPFO*SAF *GOA*SAS)
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To: Lazamataz
So this is how Gonzales is going to keep his job...by kowtowing to the left?
9 posted on 05/02/2007 8:58:15 AM PDT by mr_hammer (Show me just what liberalism brought that was new, and there you will find things evil & inhuman)
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To: BearWash; RWR8189; twonie; Hemingway's Ghost; TheDon; stockpirate

Ping


10 posted on 05/02/2007 9:08:33 AM PDT by Lazamataz (JOIN THE NRA: https://membership.nrahq.org/forms/signup.asp)
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To: Lazamataz

The 19 hijackers on 9/11 used how many guns in their attack?


11 posted on 05/02/2007 9:09:53 AM PDT by Niteranger68 (I like Fred, but WILL be supporting the Republican nominee.)
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To: GrandEagle; Centurion2000; EdReform; Joe Brower; Buffalo Bob; Let's Roll; P-40; beltfed308

Ping


12 posted on 05/02/2007 9:12:11 AM PDT by Lazamataz (JOIN THE NRA: https://membership.nrahq.org/forms/signup.asp)
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To: Lazamataz
• Provides the Attorney General with discretionary authority to deny the transfer of a firearm or the issuance of a firearm or explosives license or permit when a background check reveals that the purchaser is a known or suspected terrorist and the Attorney General reasonably believes

that the person may use a firearm or explosives in connection with terrorism;

So is there a list of 'known or suspected terrorists' laying around someplace that we don't know about? How does one get on or off this list? Who has it? Who compiles it? Will we next need a Bureau of Known or Suspected Terrorists?

If Gonzales comes out in favor of this foolishness, I want him summarily fired.

L

13 posted on 05/02/2007 9:14:00 AM PDT by Lurker (Comparing 'moderate' islam to 'extremist' islam is like comparing small pox to plague.)
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To: Lazamataz

If the terrorists are already here in America...we have bigger things to worry about than their wanting firearms.


14 posted on 05/02/2007 9:14:17 AM PDT by P-40 (Al Qaeda was working in Iraq. They were just undocumented.)
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To: Lazamataz
Thanks for the ping.

This bill is obviously bad news. The potential for abuse is staggering. No thanks.

15 posted on 05/02/2007 9:25:45 AM PDT by beltfed308 (Rudy: When you absolutely,positively need a liberal for President.)
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To: Lazamataz

Thanks for the ping. Since Scooter Libby got convicted of being a Republican, labeling us right-wing-nut-jobs as “terrorists” isn’t too far fetched, is it?


16 posted on 05/02/2007 9:28:38 AM PDT by kerryusama04 (John 19:31)
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To: harpseal; TexasCowboy; AAABEST; Travis McGee; Squantos; Shooter 2.5; wku man; SLB; ...

Click the Gadsden flag for pro-gun resources!

17 posted on 05/02/2007 9:45:06 AM PDT by Joe Brower (Sheep have three speeds: "graze", "stampede" and "cower".)
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To: Joe Brower
http://www.guns.connect.fi/gow/QA1.html is a great link. i highly recommend it if you have not seen it.
18 posted on 05/02/2007 9:50:01 AM PDT by beltfed308 (Rudy: When you absolutely,positively need a liberal for President.)
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To: Lurker
If Gonzales comes out in favor of this foolishness, I want him summarily fired.

According to this from the SAF, he already has.

19 posted on 05/02/2007 9:56:02 AM PDT by Hat-Trick (Do you trust a government that cannot trust you with guns?)
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To: dmz; vetsvette; tiger-one; MozarkDawg; Mad_Tom_Rackham; sourcery; savedbygrace

Ping


20 posted on 05/02/2007 10:15:50 AM PDT by Lazamataz (JOIN THE NRA: https://membership.nrahq.org/forms/signup.asp)
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