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Scores of lawmakers – most of them Democrats but who are joined by a single Republican – are pushing a measure that would grant the attorney general the authority to block the sale of guns and explosives to known terrorists as well as those the AG classifies as terrorists.
And while that proposal sounds pretty normal at first blush, understand that the measure would also give the nation’s top cop the authority to block such sales to anyone who is “appropriately suspected” of being a terrorist. And, as you might guess, the danger here is in whom the government would or could “suspect” “might” be a terrorist (as in, any person or group of persons deemed to be political enemies).
As reported by The Blaze:
The Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act was introduced this week by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.). They say it makes no sense that people on the terrorist watch list are prohibited from boarding airplanes in the United States, but are still free to buy guns and explosives.
“Federal law already prohibits nine categories of dangerous persons from purchasing or possessing firearms, including the mentally ill and criminals,” said King. “Yet, after almost 14 years, we still allow suspected terrorists the ability to purchase firearms. It’s time for common sense to prevail before it’s too late.”
Mind you, this is the same Rep. King who loves Uncle Sam’s massive surveillance state so much he has chided President Obama over apologies for NSA spying on our allies and who has suggested the agency turn its spying network on Congress because members could be “talking to an al Qaeda leader.”
As for the legislation, what is left unsaid – and up to fanatics like King to define – are sufficiently non-specific terms like “appropriately suspected.”
Also fishy are the “facts” used to justify the legislation.
Feinstein – notable for her historic anti-Second Amendment hysteria – and King say that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that some people on the terrorist watch list, which is kept by the FBI, have tried to buy firearms in 2013 and 2014, and that they were able to do so about 93 percent of the time.
The Blaze further reported:
Under the bill, the attorney general would be able to stop the transfer of a gun or explosive to a “known or suspected” terrorist if it’s possible the person might use the firearm in connection with terrorism. The bill language says the attorney general can stop the transfer if he or she “has a reasonable belief that the prospective transferee may use a firearm in connection with terrorism.”
There is likely no appetite in an opposition-controlled Congress to give this administration new authorities to deny gun sales to anyone, simply because it has not proven trustworthy on the issue since taking office in 2009.
You may recall that the Obama Justice Department under departing AG Eric Holder ran the botched Operation Fast and Furious, in which the department, under the tutelage of the ATF, allowed thousands of firearms to “walk” into the hands of Mexico-based drug cartels. According to former CBS News investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson, one of the goals of the operation was to justify restrictive new gun control laws, especially “long guns” like military-style look-alikes.
Also, this is the same administration now attempting to ban ammunition sales of the popular AR-15 rifle, and some of the same congressional Democrats who introduced legislation to ban body armor.
All while the Obama government is redefining who “terrorists” are – conservatives who prefer smaller government and less of Washington’s not-so-light touch in their lives.
The Obama regime’s relentless push to criminalize political opponents
As reported by CNN in February:
A new intelligence assessment, circulated by the Department of Homeland Security this month and reviewed by CNN, focuses on the domestic terror threat from right-wing sovereign citizen extremists and comes as the Obama administration holds a White House conference to focus efforts to fight violent extremism.
Some federal and local law enforcement groups view the domestic terror threat from sovereign citizen groups as equal to — and in some cases greater than — the threat from foreign Islamic terror groups, such as ISIS, that garner more public attention.
The Homeland Security report, produced in coordination with the FBI, counts 24 violent sovereign citizen-related attacks across the U.S. since 2010.
So, now Obama’s highly politicized DHS believes that 24 incidents (fewer than 6 per year) – in a country of 310 million people – is serious enough to justify the expense of producing an entire report.
Ammo bans. Gun control. Bans on body armor. Reclassifying conservatives and individualist preppers as “terrorists.” New powers to determine who is and is not a “terrorist.”
See any pattern here?
Sources:
//www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2560750
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