MAIG advocates closing "Terror Gap"

[Euromutt]

(Hat tip to the Amendment II Democrats http://a2dems.net/)

Bloomberg's pet organization of Mayors Against Illegal Guns took out a full-page ad in the WaPo today urging the closing of the so-called "Terror Gap."

http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/downloads/pdf/terror_gap_ad.pdf

What the gun control lobby calls the "Terror Gap," for those of you unfamiliar with the term, is better known as "the penultimate clause of the Fifth Amendment" ("No person shall <...> be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law"). Essentially, the MAIG's complaint is that Major Nidal Hasan, of Fort Hood, infamy, along with everybody else on the so-called "terrorist watch list," was not able to be legally denied the freedom to purchase a firearm based on suspicion alone. Curiously, the MAIG doesn't stop to argue that perhaps someone genuinely suspected of plotting terrorist activity might, oh I don't know, be denied access to a military facility. Yeah, letting a suspected terrorist stroll onto a US Army post, that doesn't constitute a "Terror Gap," no sir.

The problem is, of course, that "suspected terrorists" differ from "criminal suspects" in that the latter are suspected of having committed an unlawful activity that has actually taken place, whereas the former are suspected of maybe plotting something illegal at some unspecified future date. Or providing "material support" to people who are. Or who might sympathize with the people who might commit such a thing. Or, in the case of one Marine reservist from Minnesota, got put on the list for having gunpowder residue on his boots while passing through airport security while returning from having completed a tour of duty in Iraq.

Once again, MAIG proves that it's not actually interested in getting rid of illegal guns, but wants to criminalize legal possession. And it doesn't give a fuck how many amendments in the Bill of Rights it has to wipe its ass on to do it.

[X_Digger]

1. K&R

The dichotomy in some minds must be huge.

They despised the secret * era terrah measures as unconstitutional and despicable except when applied to constitutionally protected rights they despise.

You know, I just thought of something- I imagine one reason this hasn't been seriously challenged is that at the time, no court had affirmed the right as an individual right on the federal scale since 1868. With Heller on the books now, could this be seen as federal encroachment on a constitutionally protected right without due process?

[OttavaKarhu]

2. But Euromutt...

...in the eyes of Michael Bloomberg and his billionaire ilk, we're ALL potential terrorists.

Unless of course we're Islamist Muslims in the Army. Then we get a pass no matter how weird and scary we act.

Trust you saw this:

http://www.gloria-center.org/Gloria/2009/11/why-i-murdered.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2009/11/10/GA2009111000920.html

Why did your posting make me think of George C. Scott. ;)

[spin]

3. K&R Good points. We need to preserve our Bill of Rights...

not give it up. If we do that the terrorists win.

[Lurks Often]

4. half wits

1. Bloomberg is an idiot
2. What the hell happened to innocent until proven guilty
3. Was Hasan EVEN on a terrorist watch list? (Or did I miss that story?)
4. When the FUCK is Bloomberg going to give up HIS security and bodyguards?

[Howzit]

6. Here he is having lunch while his armed guards stand by

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/nyregion/05bloomberg.html?_r=1

[Lurks Often]

5. half wits

1. Bloomberg is an idiot
2. What the hell happened to innocent until proven guilty
3. Was Hasan EVEN on a terrorist watch list? (Or did I miss that story?)
4. When the FUCK is Bloomberg going to give up HIS security and bodyguards?