The AP Reports :
"The National Rifle Association is urging the Bush administration to withdraw its support of a bill that would prohibit suspected terrorists from buying firearms. Backed by the Justice Department, the measure would give the attorney general the discretion to block gun sales, licenses or permits to terror suspects."
Keeping guns out of the hands of potential terrorist sounds like a good idea to most Americans, but not to NRA executive director Chris Cox who believes that denying terror suspects the access to guns would only
"allow arbitrary denial of Second Amendment rights based on mere 'suspicions' of a terrorist threat."
Hmmm.
Common sense would suggest that if you can deny a person the right to fly on a plane based on "mere 'suspicions' of a terrorist threat" that it would only make sense to deny that same person the right to purchase a gun based on "mere 'suspicions' of a terrorist threat."
So let me make sure I have this strait, apparently in the Ultra Conservative world of NRA junkies this is how reality works:
Terror suspects on planes = BAD
Terror suspects with guns = GOOD
Giving terrorist suspects the right to habeas corpus = BAD
Giving terrorist suspect the right to bear arms = GOOD
Banning weapons on school campus = BAD
Allowing students to carry weapons = GOOD
Up is down, left is right and black is white. The stuff is so bold and reckless you can't believe anyone can say it with a strait face and a clear mind.
I'm all for second amendment rights, but if a person has found their way onto a terrorist suspect list there is probably a good reason they shouldn't have a gun until they are no longer under investigation for terrorist activities.
I love a good conspiracy theory but NRA people seem to be the grand masters of Conspiracy Theories that involve the evil government coming and taking away our weapons and making us slaves.
But let's be realistic, the redcoats are not coming and if the government was really that evil and wanted to placate the American people what good do you really think your rifle or pistol is going to do against smallpox or any of the other arsenal the government has at it's hands? So that Conspiracy Theory is "out there" as far as I am concerned.
We don't allow terror suspects to fly on planes so we shouldn't allow terror suspects to own guns, it's a pretty simple logic to follow.
Furthermore, I don't think there is anything "arbitrary" about keeping guns out of the hands of people who may intend to use those guns on other people in terrorist attacks.
