Sales of guns and explosives to people on terrorist watch lists totalled 1,119 in 6 years

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.khaleejtimes.ae/DisplayarticleNew.asp?section=todaysfeatures&xfile=data/todaysfeatures/2011/January/todaysfeatures_January26.xml

In America, violence and guns forever (Reuters)

15 January 2011

<snip>World leader in private guns

That obsession has long secured the United States the number one position on the list of gun-owning nations. There are more guns in private hands than anywhere else on earth. On a guns-per-capita basis (90 guns per 100 residents) it is comfortably ahead of second-ranked Yemen (61 per 100), according to the authoritative Small Arms Survey issued by the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva.

That obsession, in the eyes of gun control advocates, borders on insanity and some of the wrinkles of America’s permissive gun laws are so bizarre they beggar belief. To wit: “Membership in a terrorist organization does not prohibit a person from possessing firearms or explosives under current federal law.” Neither does inclusion on the government’s ever-growing terrorist watch list.

So found the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the research arm of Congress, after looking into the background checks of prospective buyers gun dealers are required to file to the FBI. According to a GAO report read at a congressional hearing last May, sales of guns and explosives to people on terrorist watch lists totalled 1,119 in a period of six years.

The National Rifle Association (NRA), one of the most powerful lobbies in Washington, came out in opposition to proposed legislation that would have barred people on the list from buying guns. Why? They are placed there on “reasonable suspicion” of terrorist links and the NRA argues that suspicion is not enough for Congress to take away the constitutional right, enshrined in the second amendment to the US constitution, to own and bear arms.

[jody]

1. So what? Govt. can place a person on the terrorist watch based on BS. ACLU says over 1 million on

the list and no real way to get your name off the list.

Are you saying ACLU has it all wrong?

[beevul]

2. Ted Kennedy was on that list.

So are many children.

[X_Digger]

3. Were any of those people anti-war protesters, perchance?

Funny, we usually complain about people being arbitrarily added to the boosh supah sekrit watch list..

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/s_699551.html

http://protestandpolitic.blogspot.com/2011/01/terrorist-watch-list-may-exceed-us.html

http://www.newser.com/story/106180/mark-ruffalo-lands-on-terror-watch-list.html

[Statistical]

4. Should we deny Constitutionally protected rights (any rights) based on secret lists ...

without due process?

I mean honestly is that something you are ok with?

Over 1 million people are on Bushie Terra list. Do you think there are 1 million terrorists in the US?

If not then you accept that some, hell most are wrongly accused (I would say 99.9% are wrongly accused). None of those people have been given due process, hell none are even notified they are on the list. The govt won't even confirm or deny if you are on the list. Even freedom of information requests are futile.

So to summarize a Republican secret list exists. You can be placed on the list in secret. You have no due process, you aren't notified when on the secret list. Once on you have no recourse, no due process to get off the list. You can't even compel the government to confirm you are on the list or why. You think people should have civil rights denied based on that?

The terra lists need to be shut down not expanded to deny Constitutionally protected rights without due process.