Nothing makes Sen. Lautenberg smile more widely
than disarming Amercians does (AP photo/Mike Derer)
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Yesterday, United States Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) announced the introduction of (cue cheesy acronym) the "PROTECT Act." "PROTECT" stands for "Preserving Records of Terrorist & Criminal Transactions."
Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today introduced the PROTECT Act, legislation to preserve records of gun sales for longer periods of time to aid law enforcement officials in preventing gun crimes and terrorist acts. Under current law, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) must destroy these records in most cases within 24 hours of allowing a gun sale to proceed.
Interesting, isn't it, that Lautenberg's own press release describes the proposed legislation's purpose as being "to preserve records of gun sales for longer periods of time . . . "--but the title of the bill refers only to "terrorist and criminal transactions"? That's pretty clear testimony to what Sen. Lautenberg thinks of gun buyers. Granted, "PROGS (Preserving Records of Gun Sales)" isn't nearly as catchy an acronym, but that's probably not a criterion to which much importance should be attached.
So how, specifically, would Sen. Lautenberg's proposed legislation "PROTECT" us?
Sen. Lautenberg’s legislation, the Preserving Records of Terrorist & Criminal Transactions (PROTECT) Act of 2009, would:
- require the FBI to retain for 10 years all records related to a NICS transaction involving a valid match to federal terrorist watch list records; and
- repeal the requirement that other background check records be destroyed after 24 hours, and instead require that the records of all non-terrorist transactions be maintained for 180 days.
Remember, the "federal terrorist watch list records" are riddled with errors, generated with precious little (if any) concern about due process, and that the appropriateness of one's presence on the list is not easily challenged, because of the lack of transparency.
As to the second point, the National "Instant" Criminal Background Check System (NICS) allows the FBI 3 days to find a reason to infringe on that which shall not be infringed--before the current 24 hour record destruction requirement countdown begins. If the most powerful, sophisticated law enforcement agency in the world can't find a reason to disqualify a purchase within 4 days, giving them 6 months to scrutinize the purchase, in order to invent a reason to declare it illegitimate does not appeal to me. If the FBI's inability to get the job done is to be used as justification to turn the U.S. into a surveillance society, let's just change the name of the country to Oceania.
The "PROTECT Act" is far from Sen. Lautenberg's first attack on gun owners--just this year he has introduced a bill to outlaw private gun sales, and another to allow the Attorney General to unilaterally block a gun purchase based on the prospective purchaser's presence on the terrorist "watch list."
This is just one more example of the use of the public's fear of "terrorism" to goad us into surrendering more of our freedom to the government. Sometimes it's said that the terrorists "hate us because we are free." Perhaps--but does anyone really believe that "they" will stop hating us, if we surrender enough freedom?
Does anyone believe it would be worth it?
Update: The Essex County Conservative Examiner has more.
Atlanta: Ed Stone | Austin: Howard Nemerov | Boston: Ron Bokleman | Charlotte: Paul Valone | Cheyenne: Anthony Bouchard | Chicago: Don Gwinn | Cleveland: Daniel White | DC: Mike Stollenwerk | Denver: Dan Bidstrup | Grand Rapids: Skip Coryel | Knoxville: Liston Matthews | Los Angeles: John Longenecker | Minneapolis: John Pierce | National: David Codrea | Phoenix: Douglas Little | Seattle: Dave Workman | St. Louis: Kurt Hofmann | Wisconsin: Gene German
Comments
to paraphrase Whoopie Goldberg, "They don't hate us hate us." They just want to work their will on us without the expense of rape drugs.
Whoop also said to Dennis Prager on 'Politically Incorrect':
"Well, maybe Communism isn't all that bad."
"Protecting Rears Of The Evil Congressional Terrorists" (from the consequences of their legislative abuses) would be more accurate.
This just strengthens my resolve to buy any more guns only through private sales - off the "record".
Some people don’t much cotton to the idea of gov’t employees who get their paychecks from money stolen from those still working for a living. Constantly threatening to make people who still give a damn about laws and this country into criminals.
These clowns can’t stop the criminals in their own back yards from dealin guns out of crack houses on public property and the trunks of cars. But they’re gonna stop terrorist from buying guns by what? Keeping records on gun sales? Passing more laws?
Who the hell keeps putting these imbeciles in office?
This is the best we got to represent us?
These same people have bankrupted America and then declared people who still believe America is the best there is and called them terrorists to boot?
What have Americans done to deserve this?
BTW, who keeps letting terrorists into this country anyway and keeps turning criminals loose until they kill somebody, then even after that turn them loose again?
Better recordkeeping works there too
Why do the people of New Jersey keep voting for this guy?
Isn’t he close to 100 years old?
Every time we turn around this jerk is introducing some new gun control law.
What gets me is that we elected Republicans in 1994 to repeal the NICS (Brady Bill) but the NRA stepped in and saved the tyranny.
The way this list is being added to and the way they keep calling gun owners terrorist we could all be on this list.
Oh Kurt you will probably be first on the list for writing this editorial (Good Job!)
lautenberg has it arse backwards; the bad guys carry, overtly. the good guys can't! try going to downtown newark after night sometime! (i only go because there is a great spanish restaurant that has great paella, and armed guards on their parking lot). the people of NJ keep electing these clowns . . . they must thrive on misery!
Not to worry, Uncle frank has stomach cancer and should be dead soon. Not soon enough for me!
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