Bush wants review of bullet tracing system (Read: Gun Registration)

CNN Online ^ | 16 October 2002 | Kelly Wallace, CNN Washington Bureau

[PatrioticAmerican]

President Bush wants a review of a proposed national tracking system to trace bullets.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House has asked firearms officials to conduct a review of a proposed national tracking system to trace bullets, a senior administration official told CNN Wednesday -- one day after President Bush's spokesman strongly suggested the administration was opposed to such a system.

[PatrioticAmerican]

Many FReepers have said that one nasty gun indicent would cause the so-called conservatives to sell us out.

The fact is that many guns are stolen or are currently untraceable to begin with, so, how is a gun registration system for new guns going to have prevented this serial killer in Maryland?

[goldstategop]

A national gun registration system? Hell, no! Over our dead bodies.

[SamAdams76]

I'm sure the terrorists currently conducting the sniping incidents would certain comply with these proposed laws. After all, they would want to be in compliance with all U.S. laws and regulations before conducting terrorist operations over here. Of that I am certain.

[gusopol3]

I've just been thinking that the fact that all vehicles are registered, but it has not helped one bit in finding the white van, should go a long way to disproving that any gun registration scheme would be helpful in finding criminals. Now, regulating the law-abiding--the real purpose of laws, anyway--that's different.

[justlurking]

The White House may be playing a game with their opponents. They are endorsing a study. It's already been done by California, and they concluded that it wasn't effective.

See this posting for more details.

[PatrioticAmerican]

Good point. The white van has every registration known to man and hasn't been found. Most murders by gun are committed with guns that are stolen, modified, or old. Gun fingerprinting is the most solid way to ban guns, as such a system would also mandate that all gun sales are regulated and registered. This would include giving a gun to your child upon your death. Within 10 years, most guns would be collectable by the government.

[monday]

"Governmental Stupidity Runs Rampant". The names have changed but the song remains the same. So what else is new?

[MJY1288]

This will never happen, I have listened to the press conferences and CNN is distorting the position that Ari Fleischer clearly stated in order to sway any fence sitting Pro 2nd Ammendment supporters to vote against the republican party

[Arkinsaw]

Many FReepers have said that one nasty gun indicent would cause the so-called conservatives to sell us out

The administration is not selling anybody out. They are the first administration to actively support an individual right to keep and bear arms before the Supreme Court.

What they are doing is giving Republican candidates a good answer when this comes up in debates or press conferences before the election.

MODERATOR: Senator, you are backed by the NRA but your opponent has come out for ballistics registration which would help police find killers such as the Beltway sniper. Why do you oppose this safe and sane measure?

SENATOR: As you know, the President has called for a review of this technology. We need to find out the repurcussions and study it carefully and I am in full agreement with the President in doing that and if such a registration can be handled so as not to violate the privacy of law abiding hunters then I am all for it.

Of course we know that it can't be implemented without violating privacy and we also know that no study will show that it can be implemented effectively. It will go away after the press moves on to other tragedies elsewhere.

[PatrioticAmerican]

This isn't about preventing crime, as NO gun registration scheme has ever been about preventing crime. This is about banning guns and the tyranny that would certainly follow.

[Dan from Michigan]

Gun registration = one termer.

HEY DUBS, remember what happened to your dad?

[PatrioticAmerican]

"They are the first administration to actively support an individual right to keep and bear arms before the Supreme Court."

Let's get one thing very clear: They may be the first to state such a view, but they actions of such a view are certainly harder to come by than cheap words.

This study is a way to test the waters, not to appease their enemies.

[Hail Caesar]

TRT bump!

[Redbob]

Don't think for a millisecond that this is about "tracing guns used in crime!"

It's all about creating the database of gunowners from which such traces could supposedly be made.

Or which would be used when they simply decide to forego the luxury of having a Second Amendment any longer.
Think I'm being paranoid?
Look at (formerly Great) Britain.

[USMA83]

I should think this is a move to diffuse the gun control advocates stumbling over themselves to take advantage of the DC shooter(s). Basically, "yeah, we're on it and will study it, blah, blah" Then, let it die or report out the truth that it is both unfeasible and unconstitutional. At least, I hope this is the case.

[AAABEST]

FReepers/conservatives/republicans bitch and piss on each other regularly, but there is one thing I know for sure after 5 years here. They all hate the Clintons and they all are anti-any gun control/registration.

This has got to be a ploy. The Bush admin could not possibly be so stupid as to actually consider such vacuous nonsense.

[templar]

This study is a way to test the waters, not to appease their enemies.

Republicans ... gotta love 'em!

[Dan from Michigan]

Bush talked a game, but he signed the campaign finance bill. He talks tough but never follows through conservatively

Actions speak louder than words. We'll see what REALLY happens. Talk is cheap.

[Dan from Michigan]

I remember McCain/Feingold......

[Arkinsaw]

This study is a way to test the waters, not to appease their enemies.

I'm sorry but your say-so is not quite what I was looking for in the way of rebuttal.