Today, Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York told the Senate that “It’s time to close the terror gap” that allows those on a terrorist watch list to purchase guns. “It’s just common sense to give the FBI authority to keep terror suspects from buying guns and explosives,” he said.
No, Mayor Bloomberg, it’s not. There is no due process involved in being placed on the terrorist watch list, and there’s no way to be removed from the list if one is wrongly placed on the list (just ask 8-year-old Mikey Hicks).
Sen. Frank Lautenberg of N.J added, “Convicted felons, domestic abusers and the mentally ill are forbidden from buying guns and explosives, but nothing in our laws keeps fanatics on the terror watch list from purchasing guns and explosives . . . That is hard to believe — yet, unfortunately, it is true.” That’s because convicted felons, domestic abusers and the mentally ill have had some notice of the charges against them an an opportunity to mount a defense before their rights are stripped.
The terrorist watch list is rapidly approaching a million and a half names there’s no way that it is a reliable list of anything, much less a valid reason to deny constitutional rights–today it’s “just” gun and explosive purchases–how soon until we want to strip Fourth or even First Amendment rights from those on an arbitrary and unreliable list.
That’s not common sense, that’s dangerous nonsense.
