"I don't think it's appropriate for us to go down the road we're going." Thus spake Lindsay Graham, Republican Senator from South Carolina. Sen. Graham's remarks were addressed to the Senate Homeland Security Committee regarding whether people who appear on the U.S. terrorist watch list should be legally permitted to purchase a gun. Anyone with an IQ in two digits is already appalled that a suspected terrorist can buy a gun anywhere any time. What sort of a dingbat society has such laws? Read on! The issue, called the "terror gap" in federal law, came to light when New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly were testifying pursuant to the attempted Times Square bombing. It seems that during the Bush/Cheney "let's shred the Constitution" party, held after 9-11, the only civil right left un-mutilated was the dubious right to purchase and own weapons of personal destruction.
That's right boys and girls, your phone can be tapped, your library habits investigated, your internet preferences monitored, your right to fly revoked, your right to a lawyer questioned, your choice of friends checked out and your very liberty rescinded but God dammit you can buy a freekin' gun. What brand of twisted, insane logic permits an American citizen to be stripped of virtually every freedom guaranteed by the Constitution and 200 years of common law, save one? How was any lawmaker, standing in the ashes of the World Trade Center, able to craft a draconian bill like the Patriot Act, and exempt gun ownership from the list of prohibitions? One would expect a gutless wonder like John McCain to support "guns for terror suspects". Hell, he'd support guns for The Salvation Army if he thought it made him look Conservative. The rest of cognisant America has to see how ridiculous this looks.
Can you imagine standing in front of anyone, except the local chapter of the NRA, and explaining that, just because you are on the no-fly list shouldn't prohibit you from buying a semi-automatic weapon? The argument that no-fly lists are imperfect, inaccurate and poorly maintained is dishonest and insincere. Sen. Graham, along with his Republican brothers, are only too happy to wave the flag all day in defense of "American safety". If a few messy civil rights get in the way, so be it. Water-boarding? Fine. Stopping Latino men in Arizona to ask for papers? Great. Denying a terror suspect the chance to own a Glock? Not on my watch.
Sen. Joe Lieberman, always anxious to prove that tough and stupid aren't the same thing, has suggested revoking the citizenship of anyone suspected of aiding America's enemies. Can't have those annoying liberals crying about Miranda rights. Not when there's some good torture to be inflicted. You get the feeling Joe wants to replace Blackwater with Mossad. Sen. Lieberman would have been right at home during the auto de fe except he would have found himself on the business end of the branding irons. Joe, if you want to torture terrorists, I suggest singing to them.
Don't be surprised to learn that those "tough on terror" conservative senators experience the true meaning of terror when the NRA threatens to withdraw support (and campaign contributions) from anyone who votes to limit gun ownership. I mean, keeping America safe is one thing but keeping my job/pension/staff/invitations to cool parties/ is the bedrock of our democracy. Anyway, who cares if the Times Square Bomber bought a gun in Connecticut? It's not like he checked out a suspicious library book.
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