“Since the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is responsible for enforcing federal gun laws, dealers and other federal firearm licensees typically contact that agency (or state or local police) when they encounter suspicious customers,” the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action reported on May 27.
“So, it raised eyebrows when the FBI began circulating flyers in gun shops and ranges, encouraging owners of those businesses to report suspicious customers to ‘your local Joint Terrorism Task Force’ instead,” the report continued.
That should raise eyebrows, especially considering the track record of hysterical suspicion overreach already established by the Joint Terrorism Task Force effort:
- Threats like “Defenders of the U.S. Constitution”…or what they like to call “homegrown terrorists.”
- Support for libertarian/conservative candidates and ideals…
And what should especially raise eyebrows is realizing that many of these qualifiers for heightened government scrutiny are actually lucrative talking points promulgated by those who conflate Americans who do not adhere to their collectivist ideology--but who instead promote a Bill of Rights culture of limited government--with violent haters and terrorists. Especially those who express their sentiments with bumper stickers.
So it should come as no surprise to see real indicators of overt malevolent intent conflated with innocent actions, such as shaving a beard, or paying in cash, or traveling an “illogical” distance to a gun-related event.
The other thing that should be no surprise: Asking for suspicious activities to be reported to an entity other than ATF. Not only has the reluctance of agencies to support each others' agendas been well-documented to the point of suggesting turf wars, but as we’ve seen over the past half year, another danger exists: The dealer might just be ordered to proceed with a supposedly monitored sale, and who knows where the guns might “walk” off to…?
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Reminder: Today is the last day to get your comments in regarding ATF's "emergency" long gun registration scheme.
Have you already done so? If not, will you do so now? Why the hell not?
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