I’d have to oppose Bloomberg on this. Since when is the ‘terrorism watch list’ a judicial process that establishes someone’s unfitness to own firearms? This would set a terribly dangerous precedent. Like other posters have mentioned, what if someone in the government bureaucracy dislikes you, and decides to stick your name into the ‘terrorism watch list’ database? What is the process by which you can have your name cleared or removed? I don’t think there is one.
Once you establish that people on government ‘watch lists’ can be denied the freedom to purchase firearms, what is next? What if there is a ‘watch list’ one day for ‘subversive persons’ that would not only bar you from firearms purchases, but also things like vehicle registrations or business licenses? What, exactly, would stop this sort of abuse?
Of course, since this is a political grandstand, I doubt anyone proposing this really cares...
Forget about terrorist watch lists. The right to own a firearm in the U.S. is not to be infringed except through due process. This basically means that anyone who is eligible to vote — including people who have been convicted of misdemeanor crimes — has the right to purchase and carry a gun.
The government has already determined they have the power to deny you a driver's license on the basis of back child support. They have also declared the power to deny you a passport on the basis of back child support.
If an American citizen is considered a terrorist threat, I would assume that the US government would feel there is some responsibility in keeping that citizen from traveling to another country where (s)he may make a terrorist strike.
If a deadbeat dad can be considered a flight risk, what about a suspected terrorist?
You only have the rights the government is willing to GIVE you. They have grown too big for their britches.