U.S. threatens to sue state for using gun database

The San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Friday, February 28, 2003 | Robert Salladay

[Redcloak]

Sacramento -- The U.S. Department of Justice has threatened to criminally prosecute California's top firearms official over the state's continued use of a federal databank to hunt down illegal gun users, The Chronicle has learned.

The threat marks a significant escalation in the war between California law enforcement and U.S. officials over gun control and background checks. State officials said that until John Ashcroft became U.S. attorney general in 2001, California's use of the databank was not questioned.

[Redcloak]

I hope that one day this will lead to a broader suit by the Bush Administration suing the State for violating our 2nd and 14th Amendment rights.

[Joe Brower]

[monkeyshine]

At a time when Ashcroft is pushing for maximum police powers in almost all areas of our lives, the one exception is guns

Er, if you are breaking the law you deserve to get popped. Stop breaking the law, or stop passing so many damn laws.

[Redcloak]

If Lockyer runs, look for him to make guns a key issue in the race. Why? Because no Democrat with two neurons to rub together would ever try to run a campaign where the issues would center on "Squat" Davis' handling of the office. Whoever runs for the Dems, they will run as far away from the real issues facing the State as possible. Gun control is one of the issues they'll use to distract the voters from Davis' screw-ups.

[Redcloak]

If Lockyer runs, look for him to make guns a key issue in the race. Why? Because no Democrat with two neurons to rub together would ever try to run a campaign where the issues would center on "Squat" Davis' handling of the office. Whoever runs for the Dems, they will run as far away from the real issues facing the State as possible. Gun control is one of the issues they'll use to distract the voters from Davis' screw-ups.

[Sir Gawain]

Dream on.

[dd5339]

Gee, how many people were howling about Ashcroft wanting to take away our guns and being anti-gun. Doesn't sound like something an anti-gunner would do.

Semper Fi

[Search4Truth]

Hey wait a minute. I thought those were the guys trying to take away our rights. I'm so confused.

[Search4Truth]

Hey wait a minute. I thought those were the guys trying to take away our rights. I'm so confused.

[Abcdefg]

Take away their highway funds.

[Abcdefg]

Take away their highway funds. They will cave immediatly.

[Search4Truth]

Hey wait a minute. I thought these were the guys trying to take away our rights. I'm so confused.

[Search4Truth]

DOH!

[DH]

I don't understand the problem here.  We were told that gun purchase records would only be kept for a very short period of time and then destroyed.  Isn't that what they told us?

This article must be fake because I know that the government is not keeping a record of every individual that purchases a gun lawfully.  They told us so.......didn't they?

So much with the sarcasm, this article clearly points out the fact that records are being kept on EVERY individual that purchases a firearm legally!  That is what the story should be about.  That's what the people should be very alarmed about.

[Joe Brower]

A-yep, you are 100% correct. This not-so-hidden truth and the agenda it reveals was also inadvertantly displayed by comments by Ted "swimmer" Kennedy and Chuck "The shmuck" Schumer" when AG Ashcroft put forth his desire to destroy all NICS check data within 24 hours over a year ago.

No surprise. All the usual suspects...

[eno_]

You are right. Ashcroft deserves great praise for taking the almost unheard of step of going after law enforcement that violates the Constitution. How good this is cannot be minimized.

I ripped Ashcroft for going after bong manufacturers, and I still think that he should be ripped for that. But he also deserves praise for this, and for the recent string of arrests of Moslem radicals.

Now if we could only get as many plusses out of Tom Ridge as there are minuses.

[elbucko]

I hope that one day this will lead to...the Bush Administration suing the State for violating our 2nd and 14th Amendment rights.

So do I. There is a cynical hypocrisy in the "Left", that declares the use of gov't databases, w/o a warrant, are an infringement on "privacy". This concept is conveniently overlooked when it regards firearms.

Bill Lockyer is using federal resources to assist in his campaign for governor. He is hoping for a "Big Score" on some crazy's gun cache and a lot of free air time. Lockyer doesn't get it. The gun "Nuts" moved out of CA along time ago.

The anti-gunners wonder why gun owners resist "reasonable gun laws". This is a perfect example of the unreasonable use of such laws. Good investigative work within the framework of Constitutional safeguards will apprehend those that Lockyer are after. He fears it isn't fast enough to get him elected governor.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

GO, John Ashcroft !

[tracer]

This is akin to Sodman Insane finally agreeing to destroy weapons he did not have.....