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Who's Watching the Watchers?
Townhall.com ^ | June 22, 2016 | Bob Barr

Posted on 06/22/2016 11:44:28 AM PDT by Kaslin

To the typical liberal, nothing engenders greater panic and crippling fear than the sight of a firearm; especially the Mainstream Media’s self-defined posterchild for gun violence, the AR-15. The Left’s irrational reaction to the popular sporting rifle, enjoyed (safely and legally) by millions of recreational and competition shooters across America, is so potent the New York Daily News’ resident pansy, Gersh Kuntzman, claims to have suffered “temporary PTSD” from merely firing the rifle at a gun range.

Yet, in spite of its obvious and repetitive ignorance on firearm information, the Left considers itself capable of engaging in an adult discussion on the Second Amendment’s application to the problems facing our country in this early 21st Century.

Not really.

The folly of the Left’s opposition to any fact- or history-based understanding of an individual right to keep and bear arms was on full display following the terror attack in Orlando earlier this month. Rather than blame radical Islam that preaches gays are to be murdered, the Left immediately turned to blaming its usual suspects: gun manufacturers, Republican members of Congress, and anyone who supports the NRA or the Second Amendment.

Adding to their normal “gun control” hysterics following any high profile gun crime, leading Democrats – joined by some constitutionally squeamish Republicans like Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey – have proposed using secret government lists such as the FBI’s terrorist “watch list” and the TSA’s “No-Fly List” to serve as the basis for denying an individual the constitutionally-guaranteed right to purchase or own firearms.

As innocent individuals, from toddlers to U.S. Senators, have discovered since 9-11after being denied access to commercial airline flights due to their name being on a secret No-Fly List, anyone can mistakenly wind up in such databases. For those hapless individuals, their presence on such a list comes with no notice, explanation, or effective way to correct errors. Moreover, secret government lists that serve as the basis for limiting or denying constitutional rights, also provide the government with an extremely powerful tool for bullying and silencing disfavored groups and individuals.

Ironically, it was not but a few decades ago that the federal government used such lists to surveil, intimidate, and harass leaders of both black and gay civil rights movements. But, let it never be said that the Left permits history or facts to serve as a barrier to their vision of a gun-free country.

It takes but a few keystrokes to add a name to a list; and without any of the due process normally afforded those accused of crimes, there are no effective protections against lists being abused. For example, in what might otherwise be considered a comical example of database overreach, in 2008 the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC), a “fusion center” that provided intelligence to local and federal law enforcement, issued a report on modern militias suggesting police should be on the lookout for supporters of then-U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin, and me, because such supporters could possibly be militia-influenced domestic terrorists. We were able to have the nonsense stopped, but the incident illustrated how easy it is for government functionaries to get carried away when it comes to data-basing bad information.

Consider the 15-year old USA PATRIOT Act, the use of which has expanded far beyond the scope of terrorism and is often used for drug-related and other investigations having nothing to do with terrorism. There is little to suggest that expanded government watch lists to target suspected terrorists attempting to obtain firearms would never be employed to target Second Amendment rights of anyone under suspicion by the government for whatever reason.

Consider as well that social media constitutes an even more devastating weapon of terrorists than firearms. Remember that both the San Bernardino and Orlando terrorists appear to have been radicalized online. Following the philosophy underlying the Left’s current drive to create and expand firearms watch lists, would it not be appropriate to use such a database to deprive those on watch lists from communicating by electronic means or accessing the internet?

If the Left is not comfortable with the idea that Donald Trump could just as easily be in charge of such lists beginning next year as Hillary Clinton, then perhaps they should pause to consider that granting such vast power to the government, affecting any number of constitutional rights, is an extremely dangerous proposition that should not be proposed as a safety blanket for an irrational fear of firearms.

Limiting or denying constitutional rights to individuals is a tremendously important decision, which is why our Bill of Rights demands due process be followed before any such steps are allowed. Creating shortcuts around due process does not make us more safe, but rather less secure; even if it prevents firearms-induced PTSD.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: banglist; classwar; genocide; guncontrol; hillaryclinton; leftmovement; senate; slavery

1 posted on 06/22/2016 11:44:28 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Tell the Dems “OK, we will accept “No fly, no buy” for keeping suspected terrorists from buying guns and ammo, IF they are also banned from getting ABORTIONS!” Imagine the HOWLING! LOL.


2 posted on 06/22/2016 11:47:01 AM PDT by 2harddrive
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To: Kaslin
 photo Sigmund_Freud SMALL copy_zpspugjwszf.jpg

3 posted on 06/22/2016 11:49:23 AM PDT by Dick Bachert (This entire "administration" has been a series of Reischstag Fires. We know how that turned out!)
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To: Dick Bachert





LOLOLOLOL

4 posted on 06/22/2016 11:58:51 AM PDT by onyx (DONATE MONTHLY because YOU POST HERE! VOTE TRUMP, at least once!)
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To: Kaslin; All

This is BS. I bet Gershwin Kuntz,an never got near a gun range. Too much talk and disinformation. Take a lib to the range, give him a .22 rifle to shoot. Then a .22 pistol. Go home and wait for him to ask to go shooting again.


5 posted on 06/22/2016 12:00:32 PM PDT by Cobra64 (Common sense isn't common any more.)
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To: Cobra64

NOT A BAD IDEA.


6 posted on 06/22/2016 12:11:41 PM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (My Batting Average( 1,000) since Nov 2014 (GOPe is that easy to read))
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To: Cobra64

Well the word pansy is probably a clue that he hasn’t.


7 posted on 06/22/2016 12:13:45 PM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him. He got them and now we have to pay the consequences)
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To: stephenjohnbanker

It works. At the end of the third target accuracy session the pansy will want to shoot centerfire ammo at steel and sign up for a competition bowling pin match. ;-)


8 posted on 06/22/2016 12:46:28 PM PDT by Cobra64 (Common sense isn't common any more.)
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To: Kaslin

Loretta Lynch Admits That Federal Authorities Have Lost The Orlando Shooter’s Wife

by Tyler Durden - Jun 22, 2016 5:31 AM

According to CNN, Federal investigators are trying to find out more specifically what Omar Mateen’s wife, Noor Salman (profiled here), knew about the planned attack at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. The intent is to bring evidence before a federal grand jury to determine whether or not charges will be brought against Salman.

As US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said today, federal authorities are going back and looking at all of the contact with Omar Mateen, as well as those around him in order find out if there is anything that was missed.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-06-21/loretta-lynch-admits-federal-authorities-have-lost-orlando-shooters-wife


9 posted on 06/22/2016 12:54:14 PM PDT by KeyLargo
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To: KeyLargo

Lost her on purpose?


10 posted on 06/22/2016 12:56:53 PM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him. He got them and now we have to pay the consequences)
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To: onyx

TYVM. Feel free to save and share. We have a nation to save from the weenies!


11 posted on 06/22/2016 1:13:42 PM PDT by Dick Bachert (This entire "administration" has been a series of Reischstag Fires. We know how that turned out!)
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To: Kaslin

“Lost her on purpose?”

Many believe so, including me.

I think that Lynch knows where she is and is hiding her until Obama leaves office.


12 posted on 06/22/2016 1:15:30 PM PDT by KeyLargo
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To: Kaslin

“Oh, the jobs people work at! Out west near Hawtch-Hawtch there's a Hawtch-Hawtcher bee watcher, his job is to watch. Is to keep both his eyes on the lazy town bee, a bee that is watched will work harder you see.

So he watched and he watched, but in spite of his watch that bee didn't work any harder not mawtch. So then somebody said "Our old bee-watching man just isn't bee watching as hard as he can, he ought to be watched by another Hawtch-Hawtcher! The thing that we need is a bee-watcher-watcher!".

Well, the bee-watcher-watcher watched the bee-watcher. He didn't watch well so another Hawtch-Hawtcher had to come in as a watch-watcher-watcher!

And now all the Hawtchers who live in Hawtch-Hawtch are watching on watch watcher watchering watch, watch watching the watcher who's watching that bee. You're not a Hawtch-Watcher you're lucky you see!”

― Dr. Seuss, Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?

13 posted on 06/22/2016 1:29:25 PM PDT by bankwalker (Does a fish know that it's wet?)
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To: Kaslin
"...the Left considers itself capable of engaging in an adult discussion..."

House Dems stage sit-in, shut down chamber over gun legislation
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3442670/posts


14 posted on 06/22/2016 4:43:19 PM PDT by familyop ("Welcome to Costco. I love you." --Costco greeter in the movie, "Idiocracy")
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To: Kaslin
"Limiting or denying constitutional rights to individuals is a tremendously important decision,..."

It's very important to the Senate's VIP constituents to do so.

Senate approves women registering for the draft
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3441365/posts

Senate Falls 1 Vote Short of Giving FBI Access to Browser Histories Without Court Order
www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-06-22/senate-falls-1-vote-short-of-giving-fbi-access-to-browser-histories-without-court-order


15 posted on 06/22/2016 4:48:51 PM PDT by familyop ("Welcome to Costco. I love you." --Costco greeter in the movie, "Idiocracy")
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