Lautenberg’s Latest Outrage Against Civil Rights

I’ve read about this issue on many different blogs, but I think a couple of the best pieces of writing about it come from Classical Values which I found via Of Arms and the Law by David Hardy and David Codrea’s National Gun Rights Examiner column today.

I cannot in good conscience keep quiet about this issue.

What it boils down to is that Lautenberg wants to allow the Attorney General, at his discression, to prevent people on the Federal No-Fly and Terrorist Watch lists from purchasing firearms legally.

Sounds like common sense on the face of it, right?  So what’s the big deal?

A little thing called Due Process.  Sure, there’s other problems but this is the biggest one I can see right off the bat.

Why, you ask?

Let’s say you find out you’re on The List somehow.  Most likely it’ll be when you’re  trying to get on a plane or (if this goes through) trying to buy a gun.  All of a sudden, you’re DENIED.

You ask why you’ve been denied and you may or may not be told you’re on The List.  Because, you see, it’s a SECRET!

How did you get on The List?  You’ve got it – that’s another SECRET!

What’s not a secret is that it doesn’t take any sort of legal proceeding to get on The List.  No warrants need be issued, no judges need be disturbed.  Some faceless bureaucrat somewhere decides that you should be on The List and POOF! Your rights just disappeared like a white tiger in a Las Vegas magic show!

What can you do to get yourself de-listed?  Good question.

Meanwhile, you’re S.O.L. when it comes to your First Amendment, Second Amendment, Fourth Amendment, and Fifth Amendment rights.

All this from a man who has sworn to uphold the Constitution.