Posted on 03/31/2014 6:39:48 AM PDT by marktwain
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), along with U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and 10 of their Senate colleagues, introduced the Gun-Owner Registration Information Protect (GRIP) Act. The legislation would prohibit federal funding from being used to support a gun registry maintained by any other organization, including state and local governments.
“The U.S. Constitution guarantees the ‘right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed,’ but a national firearm database would threaten that fundamental right,” Sen. Moran said. “The GRIP Act makes certain Kansans’ freedoms are not infringed upon simply because they own firearms. While much needs to be done to prevent violent crime in our nation, auditing responsible, law-abiding firearms owners is not the answer. I will continue to support the freedoms of Americans and oppose any legislation before Congress that violates Americans’ Second Amendment Rights.”
The GRIP Act would clarify existing law that bars the federal government from storing information acquired during the firearms background check process. It would extend that prohibition to prevent any federal funding from being used to contribute to nonfederal gun registries.
In addressing state and local gun registry programs, the expanded federal prohibition in the GRIP Act would ensure that states and local entities that benefit from federal grant programs, such as the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program, do not use that funding to create or support full or partial registries of firearms information. The legislation does not include any limitations related to state recordkeeping for permitting, law enforcement-issued firearms, or lost or stolen firearms.
The GRIP Act is endorsed by the National Rifle Association.
(Like the "don't call" list)
Does this mean that all the armored vehicles feds gave to local cops has to be returned?
One of the reasons I got a Georgia Firearms License (now a Concealed Carry Permit) 15 years ago was to keep my name off the NICS list of background checks for each weapon I purchase. In Georgia, if you have one, you bypass that NICS check on a purchase. You still have to fill out the Form 4473, but that is retained by the dealer.
So unless the dealer is stupid enough to give up a Form 4473 for anything less than a SPECIFIC firearm serial number as a result of a LEO search warrant on a firearm used in a crime and tracked to the dealer via the manufacturer, that information stays with the dealer. IOW, they know you have weapons, but don’t know the type and specifics.
It saves money (each check at least $5), saves time, and keeps the information flow to the imperial government at a minimum.
Collecting data on gun owners needs to be a CRIME, complete with mandatory sentencing for ANYONE knowingly involved directly or indirectly including elected officials.
Once the government has the info. They’ll keep it.
Obama does whatever he wants.
So unless the dealer is stupid enough to give up a Form 4473 for anything less than a SPECIFIC firearm serial number as a result of a LEO search warrant on a firearm used in a crime and tracked to the dealer via the manufacturer, that information stays with the dealer.
The only real solution is to ban the 4473, and make the background check a mere call-in, with no revelation of whether and what firearm was purchased. The dealer gets a conformation/clearance number they can put in their records to protect themselves against the charge that they negligently sold without “carding” the buyer.
I’m unimpressed with legislation that prohibits government from misusing the data it collects. The only solution is to prohibit the collection in the first place.
I don’t think there is anything or any law that is going
to stop the federal government from creating any database
it wants. As long as there is a federal background check
there is going to be a data base. I takes a database for
a federal background check.
I know and understand all about that. I’m just trying to relate what I know and what are reasonable things that a gun owner can do given the encroachment of gun-grabbers in this climate.
I also am for deletion of the Form 4473 requirement, but the gun-grabbers will impale themselves on a pike before they allow that to happen. I also do not believe anything this government says, and a pledge to not use information illegally is about as worthless as a roll of toilet paper with Obama’s picture on it. But, keeping the constant flow of real-time information from flowing to them via the NICS checks is a good stalling tactic, IMO.
I think this goes at it the wrong way. The intelligence agencies maintain “black budgets” that are not technically “federal funding”, because the funds are outside of official accounting. This amounts to many billions of dollars.
One example of how real this is was that one agency built a very expensive intelligence satellite tracking center, that cost hundreds of millions of dollars, in the 1980s, without an appropriation from congress, so no “federal funding” was involved. The senate intelligence committee was shocked when they just announced that their ‘fully operational station’ had been built.
Call it “The Alderaan effect”.
In practical terms, they cannot prevent a gun database by cutting off funds. What they *can* do is make the “creation, maintenance, or *use* of a database that can *function* as a gun registry” criminally illegal, without exemption.
This would shut off a multitude of end-arounds and cheats to make or use such a registry. Nor could it be authorized by a secret FISA court warrant, or by warrantless means under any circumstances.
So, if they created one, or had a database with a gun registry in it “as just a small part”, or obtained access to a commercial gun registry, or had an existing registry that they said was “grandfathered”; or they were able to tap into a foreign created and maintained registry, be it by an ally or an enemy, they would be personally, criminally liable.
Since there are likely already thousands of such gun registries, the law would need a “registry registry”, kept by both the senate and house intelligence committees, that all known or discovered registries would have to be listed under, so that in the normal course of operations, if a federal employee discovered one, they would be required to report that discovery, and get instructions on how to proceed legally.
This whole realm is a tar-filled cesspit of lies, deception, cunning, cheating, voyeurism and corruption, so unless a sword is hung over their heads, the worst that can happen will happen.
Aren’t the Senators mentioned the same ones who are being targeted by the Tea Party (as in exposed for being RINOS?).
This smells fishy...
There's a lot of that goin around here lately. But unfortunately, making something a crime seems to be an ineffective deterrent to the current regime. Or any regime, apparently.
Gaffer- I dunno. I'm thinkin a roll of TP with Obama's pic on every sheet would make for a nice little snicker every morning. And just for variety, have the Reid, Pelosi, Boxer and Cuomo multi-pack.!! Only thing is, it may be a skosh risky to giv'em that much access to tender parts. Might reak havoc with my 'roids. d;^) Schneeks..
“I also am for deletion of the Form 4473 requirement, but the gun-grabbers will impale themselves on a pike before they allow that to happen.”
Where is the downside?
No downside but they won’t do it.
Heh...I know an FFL whom keeps all his dirty rags, oils, cleaning solvents, and gasoline stored next to his 4473 files.
I firmly believe that, in time, they will be returned. To the people.
That's us. We'll have to go and get them, but the Federal Government has put them close at hand. Hopefully the local police will keep them well maintained, fueled, and supplied with plenty of ammo.
We can't change what the Feds are doing, but we can, and must, change our perception and reaction to their actions. One of those perceptions is that we can't have the tanks etc. We can, and will have them when we must.
Ban that?
Fat chance.
You buy a gun at a gun store, anything on a Form 4473, and you are on their list. Period. So am I. Molon Labe.
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