From a Facebook friend . . .
So the latest in gun control (in a
shameless move to take political advantage of a horrible situation) is to
prevent anyone on the "terrorist watch list" from owning or buying a
gun. On the surface this sounds like "common sense gun control" -
right? Who wants terrorists to be able to buy weapons? Certainly not me! Here's
the problem, like most gun control positions, it just doesn't stand up to
logic. It sounds good, but you're being mislead.
Currently there have been no... published
standards for what a person must do to get placed on this list, how to get of
off it (if that's even possible), or even whether or not a person on the list
would even be notified that they were on the list. Who adds people to this
list? Can groups of people be added (like NRA members, Veterans, people who
espouse a certain political view)?
We must remember those on the list have not
been convicted of anything, they are merely under suspicion (though there is no
standard for what they may be suspected of).
Would it not make more sense to say
"if someone is on the terrorist watch list we should investigate them and
if they are guilty of a crime we should convict them and send them to prison
where they will be unable to carry out a terrorist attack."?
Interesting fact: According to the
Inspector General of the United States as of last August there are 72 employees
of the Department of Homeland Security who are on the "terrorist watch
list". Maybe they should fix that first?
There are already provisions to make it
illegal for felons, drug addicts, those convicted of domestic violence, those
dishonorably discharged from the military, and those committed due to mental
issues that make them a danger to themselves or others, to own or purchase
firearms. It is also illegal to purchase a gun for someone else (straw
purchase). Please don't let them fool you just because it sounds good.
Question everything.
