Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Brave New World - New Gun Control: Shut Down Shops

Store Says Feds Confiscating Licenses for Inadvertent Trivia

The government is using paperwork errors as small as the abbreviation of a city name to shut down some of the nation's longest-serving gun shops, and 2nd Amendment advocates fear the right to bear arms will mean little if there's no way to obtain a gun.

"No good deed goes unpunished," Larry Pratt, of Gun Owners of America, told WND while confirming that as recently as 15 or 20 years ago, there were 250,000 licensed gun dealers in the United States.

Today, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told WND, there are 108,381, and if more cases involving dealers such as Red's Trading Post of Twin Falls, Idaho, develop, that number will plummet quickly.

Ryan Horsley, a spokesman for Red's, which has been in business 71 years, said the store has been battling over its license because of rules infractions such as a missing poster for more than six years.

He's launched an online petition asking Congress to intervene and halt the "blatant targeting of law abiding dealers." It also seeks a "fair, constitutional and speedy appeals process" and has attracted thousands of signatures.

His company also has a federal lawsuit pending against the ATF over its announcement that Red's firearms dealership license was being withdrawn.

Attorney Mark Geston said the case asks the court to review the statute and the "propriety" of the decision that was made.

Horsley said the reason Red's is facing a revocation is – at most – insignificant paperwork mistakes.

... just recently, the NRA (National Rifle Association) agreed to support H.R. 2640 passed, on June 13 by the U.S. House of Representatives. H.R. 2640 prohibits firearm purchases by those who have been adjudicated by a court as mentally defective or as a danger to themselves or others. Additionally, H.R. 2640 makes needed, and long overdue, improvements to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). I disagree with NRA on this and WILL NOT renew my membership when it expires. Instead, I will join the G.O.A. (Gun Owners of America). What appears to be a sensible thing, not allowing mentally ill people the right to have firearms, is actually a new weapon to be used against us. What they don't tell you is that this ruling can be applied to ANYONE! All that's needed is collaboration of anti-gun physician/psychologists to present their opinions to a judge and your second amendment rights are gone. This is a very slippery slope which I predict will be used and abused way beyond its intended scope. The NRA should be ashamed. I recommend all NRA members to move over to GOA. And, when your doctor asks, "Do you own a gun?", say NO!

The Main Problems with H.R. 2640 can be found here.

No comments: