| Attorney General Ashcroft wants the FBI to destroy records on gun purchases twenty-four hours after the sale. Is he insane? Well yes, most assuredly, that goes without saying, but why haven't I heard everyone screaming about this? It is a gun purchase. Not a car, not a house, a gun. A firearm. A weapon designed to kill. According to an article recently in the Los Angeles Times, "Currently, the FBI retains the gun records for up to six months, auditing about 10% of the transactions to determine whether felons or others banned from buying weapons were allowed to get one. That auditing window will narrow to a single business day under Ashcroft's plan. The move, which drew cheers from the NRA and jeers from gun control supporters, was part of a broader package of gun reforms that Ashcroft said should help keep weapons out of the hands of criminals while speeding the legitimate purchase of guns by law-abiding citizens." How would this help to keep weapons out of the hands of criminals? To me it seems like a much easier way to get all the firearms Ashcroft wants into the hands of the criminals he selects. How easy is it to get a fake ID? It's so easy, Jenna Bush even has one, and we all know how smart she is. Ashcroft says he wants to protect the privacy of law-abiding citizens. But why would law-abiding citizens have a problem with the FBI knowing they purchased a gun, or keeping the information for six months, or even longer for that matter? We are expected to keep our tax return information for up to, what is it, three years just in case the IRS wants to have a look? How many of you have tax records back farther than that just in case they want to extend that rule on a whim? I have news for you; your bank most likely has records dating farther back than that. And let's not even get into credit companies like Equifax. No one seems to be introducing legislation on credit companies dumping your credit history within twenty-four hours. So, why the hurry with a gun purchase? Oh, is it because law-abiding citizens like the friends of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold have a problem with the FBI having it on record that they purchased a gun or two? Or perhaps those serious "collectors" who need a cache of semi-automatic weapons for deer season just don't want their hunting buddies to be jealous. I honestly don’t believe that law-abiding citizens, who own and respect the lawful use of firearms, want their rights infringed by making it even faster and easier for guns to find their way into the hands of criminals. And the ones I know think the gun laws need to be far more restrictive than they are now, and have no problem with that, including stiffer regualtions on restricting children's access to firearms. The article goes on to say, "The FBI has insisted in the past that it needs at least 90 days to properly audit gun transactions. But Ashcroft rejected suggestions that drastically shortening the review period will hurt the government's ability to catch improper purchases. He said that "real-time auditing," without delays, can "best guarantee the integrity" of the system." What the hell does that mean? Does he understand the process? Or does he think that all the things computers can do in the movies are real? Like in Independence Day of being able to link a Powerbook into an alien mainframe? (And people are always pooh-poohing Macs.) And...”Ashcroft's proposed change is now open for public comment before it comes back to him within the next several months for final approval.” Why should it matter what we say, when the Supreme Court actually did something right three days earlier by refusing to hear the NRA's claim that the FBI was illegally maintaining transaction records. If he doesn't care what the USSC says, why would it matter a damn if the entire country rejected this insanity. As was proven December 12, 2000, the USSC is above the electorate, and now we find Ashcroft is even higher still. In which court is an attorney ever the last word over a judge? Hmmm..... perhaps the Hive of Five may live to regret the monster of an administration they've illegally installed. Maybe there will be a hiring frenzy at the FBI. I wonder if there's an office in Vegas. Or maybe Maui? |
| All the playings stopped in the playground now She wants to play with her toys a while And school's out early and soon we'll be learning And the lesson today is how to die And then the bullhorn crackles And the captain crackles With the problems and the how's and why's And he can see no reasons Cos there are no reasons What reason do you need to die Tell me why I don't like Mondays I want to shoot The whole day down ~ The Boomtown Rats |
 |
| The Arming of Ashcroft's America |
|