Lautenberg Introduces Bill To Preserve Gun Records

[bossy22]

I guess being on a secret government lists allows your rights to be infringed

read more:http://lautenberg.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=296871&

[gorfle]

1. Yup, here it comes.

This is de facto registration of all firearm sales via FFL dealers.

" “It makes no sense to destroy data that links a gun purchase to its buyer and seller,” said Sen. Lautenberg. “Preserving background check information would allow law enforcement to do its job and keep guns out of the wrong hands. We must overturn the ill-conceived law mandating destruction of this data so we can successfully combat gun violence and terrorism in America.”"

First of all, the data that links a gun purchase to its buyer and seller never was destroyed - records of all FFL transfers have to be maintained by the FFL for some number of years.

But that aside, it is clear that what Lautenberg is after here is a federal database of firearm transactions. This, good people, is firearm registration. Should they ever move to also track private firearm transfers the government will have a handy shopping list should they ever decide to confiscate firearms.

[bossy22]

2. its against the FOPA of 1986

[Tejas]

3. note

"First of all, the data that links a gun purchase to its buyer and seller never was destroyed - records of all FFL transfers have to be maintained by the FFL for some number of years."

FFL's keep 4473's for 20 years, then destroy them. If the FFL goes out of business etc before 20 years, the 4473's are turned over to ATF.

Not many 4473's get destroyed.

[Indy Lurker]

4. This is America

No one would ever confiscate firearms.

[Testament]

14. Have you forgotten about Katrina?

It was only 2 years ago.

[Hangingon]

5. I think the term is BOHICA

[facepalm]

6. Sen Lautenberg is an idiot

Although his senate seat is safe due to being in NJ, floating this sort of issue during an election year is hazardous to Democrats from more conservative areas.

[benEzra]

7. Carrying water for the Bush Administration's secret blacklists again...

Don't forget the original impetus behind the "Lose Your Gun Rights if Blacklisted" proposal were the Bush Administration's Robert Mueller and Alberto "No Habeus Corpus" Gonzales.

[SteveM]

15. "Our liberal" Lautenberg, it seems, doesn't care about 5A either.(nt)

[bossy22]

16. its not that they don't care

they think it doesnt apply since they are dealing with guns. Its quite funny, everything changes when it is about guns.

[SteveM]

17. You're quite right. "Blind spot liberals." (nt)

[bossy22]

18. its like bloomberg

when he says "i believe the second amendment is an individual right but i dont think knew the types of weapons we have today"

as if by saying the second part it allows him to do whatever he wants

hopefully SCOTUS will put an end to it and when these politicians try this again we can throw it back in their face

[SteveM]

19. Yep, don't think "they" knew the latest communications technologies, either. (nt)

[slackmaster]

8. What an asshole

:argh:

[jody]

9. SCOTUS will probably say the 2nd is an individual right so someone needs another divisive,

polarizing issue to use against the Democratic presidential candidate.

IMO BO and HC should promise to veto this bill if it comes to them as president as well as every other bill that infringes upon the natural, inherent, inalienable right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms for self-defense.

I really don't believe either candidate will do that.

[facepalm]

10. I agree that a strong pro individual right decision...

...would be the best news for Obama or Hillary. But it would have to be strong enough to completely take the issue off the table, kind of like a gun rights version of Roe v Wade.

Of course, like Roe v Wade, how the decision is responded to by the candidates will be politically important. McCain was already part of an amicus brief on Heller's behalf so we know what side he is on. It is up to the eventual democratic nominee how this goes. If the eventual candidate uses it as an opportunity to remind us how they would never nominate justices that would have voted that way, it will bring the issue back on to the table again. And of course count on the republicans to make sure those questions get asked once Heller is decided.

On the other hand, if they use the decision as an opportunity to have a convincing change of heart, that would help repair the damage their records are doing amongst gun owners.

[jody]

11. "convincing change of heart". Exactly. but with Kennedy supporting BO and Feinstein supporting HC

that's not likely to happen.

[facepalm]

13. hate to agree with you...

...but I learned in 2004 that no matter how good we are doing there is always a possibility that an experienced politician will drop the ball completely. I thought Kerry was an assured victory 9 months before the election and was forced to watch in disbelief as he took a good hand and played it into the toilet.

I thought Obama was in a completely different league than Kerry (ie smarter and more polished) until I saw the whole Wright thing happen. And then happen a second time. How could Obama not have the foresight to have a sit-down meeting with Wright to convince him to keep his trap shut for the next 6 months? If you know someone for 20 years, you know when that person is an attention whore with eccentric political views and you do your best to convince them to lay low and if they refuse, you have to distance yourself from them.

And this is just the primary. This is going to be a spicy general election, for sure.

[SteveM]

20. "It's not an issue!" crowd will make it an issue...

So many times I have heard people chanting 2A "is not an issue" say in the same breath that if the Democrats win the Whitehouse and achieve strong majorities in Congress they will support a new AWB.

You can keep the whitehorse away from an addict for only so long before they must sneak another hit.

[bossy22]

12. interesting

both dem candidates dance around questions about the D.C. gun case.....i think they will support whatever decision comes through- even if it nullifies the DC handgun ban.....we shall see