Near the end of the story about how the ATF agents are going door to door following up on "suspicious" firearm purchases.
Another tip took agents on a 30-minute drive from the shack to a sprawling home with a pool in the back and an American flag out front.
It turned out two handguns, of a type drug gangsters prefer, were bought by a pastor for target practice.
Some stories, they say, are hard to believe.
The lamest so far came from a police officer: He said he bought a few military-style rifles, left them in his car and — on the same night — forgot to lock a door. He couldn’t explain why he didn’t file a police report or why he visited Mexico the day after the alleged theft.
And just who gets exemptions from most firearm laws? Would it be the private citizen or the law enforcement officers?
4 comments:
I'd say you boiled that down nicely.
Also I fail to see how this ATF campaign isn't violating the 4th Amendment.
But then again, if you don't respect the 2nd, you don't respect any of the other rights detailed in the bill of rights.
Weer'd,
I'm sure they are doing it carefully on the home visits. If they ask "permission" to search or simply "inquire" about the firearms, I'm not sure it would violate the 4th.
However, since most people are not informed on the extent and details of their rights, it certainly violates the spirit.
I would like a legal opinion on the ATF's ability to comb through the records like they have been. That might violate the 4th, but I'm sure the courts would rules the 4473s to be "public" documents.
Yeah, technically no 4th Amendment violation, but you can't tell me having ATF agents showing up at peoples homes on fishing expeditions isn't coercive.
MikeW,
I agree with you, it is intimidation and coercive.
I've talked about this with my wife and my family. They know the proper answer to the questions is another question(s) -- Do you have a warrant?
Am I being questioned as a suspect?
If the answer to these are NO, then they need to come back with a warrant.
Of course, we gunnies only want to enforce the 2nd amendment, right? We don't care about the others -- BUNK. I want the entire Bill of Rights enforced....because it is a limit on the government.
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