Whatever your views on the refugee issue, I think we can and must all agree: people on the terrorist watch list should be banned from buying guns, and no, it’s not a “state’s rights” issue: its an issue to protect all Americans from terror attacks, which are not attacks merely on cities, but attacks on America. This should be a bipartisan issue, but unfortunately, some think its OK to play politics with America’s safety, people on both sides. On guns, of course, its the Republicans.
Leading Senate Democrats are reviving a measure to expand gun control restrictions to cover foreign nationals and U.S. citizens who are on the terror watchlist following last weekend’s Paris attacks.
The leading advocate of the measure is Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence panel...
“They don’t have to bring it with them, they can buy it once they get here,” Feinstein declared. “If you’re too dangerous to board a plane, you’re too dangerous to buy a gun.”
Some more irony:
The NRA has argued that targeting those on the terror watchlist would unfairly infringe on the rights of U.S. citizens whose names were mistakenly included on the lists.
I would think given how many people are generally OK with the government sometimes using the NSA to monitor communications, even tho there have been some strange practices and some illegal ones with that, and it might accidentally violate some people’s free speech (Amendment number one), the lethality of bullets really should mean its more OK with the 2nd. (an amendment I’ve argued should be reformed). Anyone suspected of being part of ISIS, AQ, Boko, Hamas, or any terror group (ANY) etc.
But Senate Democrats argue there are loopholes governing the programs under which foreign nationals can visit the U.S. that could increase the likelihood of a terror attack in this country. They cite statistics from a Government Accountability Office report that found that between 2004 and 2014, 2,043 individuals whose names appeared on terror watchlists were able to purchase guns in this country – 91 percent of those who tried.
“A foreign national who enters the United States under the visa waiver program can legally purchase a handgun or assault rifle here,” said Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.). “The law blocks visa holders from other countries from buying these guns, but not travelers from the 38 visa waiver countries.”
Republicans can barely defend this loophole. On CNN, Chris Christie looked like a deer in the headlights on this issue.
I support Feinstein and hope y’all do too. Some things are too important for “state’s right.” Sometimes, you need a strong federal government, especially given that protecting the people is one responsibility of theirs no one disagrees with (hell, the GOP thinks its the ONLY one).