This is something we need to contact every one of our Congress critters to try to stop. On the face of it, it sounds like a decent idea- keep terrorists from getting weapons. As always, the devil is in the details.
How would the government define a terrorist?
"[An] act of terrorism, means any activity that (A) involves a violent act or an act dangerous to human life that is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any State, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or of any State; and (B) appears to be intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by assassination or kidnapping."
(United States Code Congressional and Administrative News, 98th Congress, Second Session, 1984, Oct. 19, volume 2; par. 3077, 98 STAT. 2707 [West Publishing Co., 1984])
That is the official definition but from the recent report on "right wing extremism" we know that the government will use the classification to address anyone, any group that they dislike. The adage about power corrupting still rings true for a reason folks.
From the report:
Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.
Doesn't that cheer you up? To know that some faceless bureaucrat may decide that someone constitutes a possible threat and take steps leading to the deprivation of right? All this before a trial, before a hearing, before any due process of any kind; people can loose their rights.
Although I'm using the "right wing extremist" as an example, this isn't a left/right issue. This is an authoritarian versus libertarian issue. We need to check the power of the government and we need to do it soon otherwise it may be too late.
1 comment:
Not to mention that we have ZERO access to this list (am I on it? I have NO idea!) but it also seems to have stopped a huge number of Elected Officals (Ted Kennedy comes to mind) as well as a large portion of Sky Marshalls, who have such extensive background checks that this shows a DEEP flaw in the system.
Still you hold a membership card for PETA or Green Peace, you should be just as qualified if you have a CCW permit and a copy of the US Constitution on you, or have the Coiled Timber Rattlesnake logo of the Gadsden Flag on your person anywhere.
...Man I need to get me a Gadsden Flag...and maybe a T-Shirt.
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