Banning People on Terror Watch List From having guns is pointless.

[bossy22]

It would be ultimately thrown out in court...probably an injunction against it would be ordered before it even got to trial. I wonder if any of the pols that are supporting this type of measure even once consulted a lawyer on the legality of such legislation. Denying someone a constitutional right based on being on a secret list is against due process. I see no legal way for such law to stand.

[glen123098]

1. Wasn't Ted Kennedy on a terror watch list?

Yeah it will get thrown out of court. We do have a second amendment.

[bossy22]

7. along with a few other

elected reps

as it stands now...there is no official way to get your name off the terror watch list

[Euromutt]

12. Strictly speaking, he wasn't

The situation was that there was an Edward Kennedy on the watch list, who was not the same person as the late Senator Kennedy. The problem is that the watch list consists of names, not specific individuals, and the names don't have identifying information appended to them.

Which is why the inclusion of the name "Cat Stevens" on the list resulted in the wife of Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska getting hassled; her name's Catherine, but she usually goes by "Cat." It's fairly fucking obvious that she's not the same person as the singer-songwriter who now goes by the name Yussuf Islam, but the watch list doesn't make that distinction.

The ACLU estimates that there are now well over a million names on the watch list. Not people, just names (including aliases), with no identifying information to tell the relevant individual apart from anyone else who happens to have that name.

[AtheistCrusader]

19. Did they actually put Cat Stevens on the TWL?

Seriously?

[Euromutt]

22. Seriously; remember that incident in 2004?

Islam (formerly Stevens) was on a flight to DC to meet Dolly Parton, and the system flagged him while the plane was already airborne. So the plane was diverted to Bangor, ME and Islam was rather unceremoniously booted right back out of the country.

He's on the list because the Israelis deported him in 2003 for allegedly donating money to Hamas. Islam says that he didn't knowingly do so; he donated money to some Palestinian charity, but wasn't aware it was affiliated with Hamas, and given that a) he's been consistent about preaching peaceful conflict resolution, and b) groups like Hamas have entire networks of charity front organizations that keep their connection to the parent organization secret, I'm inclined to take him at his word.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

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[AtheistCrusader]

20. WTF

ferment?

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

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[onehandle]

2. I agree. In fact they should give them guns.

They should give everyone guns.

Guns are ever so dreamy...

[rd_kent]

3. Your sarcasm is noted and much unappreciated. Why post if you have nothing to add?

[PavePusher]

5. Nice bales of straw you have there.

Are you preparing to stuff that suit of clothes?

[virginia mountainman]

9. Why do YOU, say everyone should have guns?? NT

[eqfan592]

14. Just keep 'em coming, onehandle.

Posts like this from you only strengthen our case in the eyes of those who are on the fence of this issue. ;)

[SteveM]

18. My old Stevens 311D is dreamy... saw it sleep-walking...

out the door in a Northeasterly direction, no doubt trying to get to Granger Wildlife Management Area, some 55 miles away. Half way there after some 13,487 step/hops on its stock when the right barrel let loose; some grackle on-a-line got it just South of New Sweden. Well, it was understandable since I failed to use it this season, and it got jealous of the Remington. I cooed sweet promises ("wait'l next season") and all is well, now.

[TheWraith]

4. This secret list bullshit was illegal when Bush did it, and it's STILL ILLEGAL.

The fact that so many people on "our side" can turn around and shit on due process when it's for something that they approve of is, frankly, disappointing.

[Tejas]

6. If ever an Executive Order was needed,

we need one to revamp that crapload known as the Patriot Act.

[DissedByBush]

8. I can see Air Force One security

"Excuse me Mr. Obama, but this aircraft is public transportation, and you have a foreign-sounding name including "Hussein", a name used by known terrorists. You're also not white. So you're on the no-fly list."

[GreenStormCloud]

10. If Obama wasn't who he is, he likely would be on that list.

Which is to say that the list is a gross violation of civil rights, even without reference to guns.

[Euromutt]

13. And the *really* vile thing about it is...

...that people who are actually suspected of being terrorists aren't on the list, because the FBI and intelligence community don't want the information who they are (and are not) onto to be available to every airline desk clerk in the country.

[one-eyed fat man]

23. yes, but

Now it is Janet Napolitano's list and it ain't goin' nowhere!

Despite all the wailing and gnashing of teeth over abuses of power by one administration, not once in my life can I recall any new administration giving up those 'powers' they railed against once they got THEIR hands on them.........

EVER............no matter which party it was, and I am pushing 70 so I've seen a bunch of them!

[aikoaiko]

11. K & R

The proposal is just a political trap by anti-gun/rkba types to call anyone who opposes it soft on terrorism.

[Hoopla Phil]

15. Best way to kill that bill would be to attach a rider to it making it apply to voting too. n/t

[JonQ]

17. Tend to agree

rights are kind of a big deal, and stripping them away should require a trial, not some government official suspecting your might be a bad guy. That is a prime example of a dangerous slippery slope.