Senate Bill Would Grant FBI Unlimited Access

[LifeNRA]

Senate Bill Would Grant FBI Unlimited Access To Gun Sales Records

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Thursday, June 23, 2005


Registration leads to confiscation. We all know that, and that is why
GOA has vehemently opposed all attempts by government forces to compile
or retain information pertaining to lawful firearms purchases.

But the United States Senate does not appear to see it that way. People
on Capitol Hill seem to think that any "edge" in the war on
terror is worth trampling on the rights of law-abiding Americans, no
matter what the Constitution (and current law) happens to say.

At issue is a provision in the Patriot Act reauthorization bill (S.
1266) authored by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS). Now, GOA has long opposed
the vast majority of Patriot Act powers as being detrimental to freedom
in general and dangerous to gun owners in the particular.

In short, Sen. Roberts' language would allow the FBI to seize ANY
business records it believes would be relevant to an anti-terrorism
investigation... without first seeking permission from any court in the
land.

Gun sales are business transactions, and FFL holders must retain copies
of the 4473 forms (yellow sheets) filled out on every gun sale. Thus,
an anti-gun administration could easily determine that such records
would be useful in the fight against terrorism, and demand them all.
(In fact, shortly after 9/11, liberal Democrats in Washington were
screaming for exactly that.)

It gets worse. It is conceivable that your local gun dealer would risk
his license, his business, and lots of money to protect your privacy
and refuse to turn over the records. But under this legislation, the
Attorney General could order the dealer NOT TO TELL YOU WHAT IS GOING
ON. So that dealer would be the ONLY person who could contest the
action before your life is raked over the coals... and honestly, how
many among us would risk everything rather than tell the feds who it
was that stopped by to pick up a Glock a couple of months ago?

After having used an "administrative subpeona" (again, not
subject to judicial review) to collect all gun purchase records across
the country, your friendly anti-gun but oh-so-patriotic government
would have brought about the gun owner's second-worst-case scenario: a
national firearms registration list.

Registration leads to confiscation.

This monstrosity must be stopped. Please take the action requested
below, and urge all freedom-loving Americans you know to do the same.

ACTION: Contact your United States senators. Politely but firmly demand
that they oppose the bill to expand the Patriot Act (S. 1266), and
specifically, its provision to allow "administrative
subpoenas" of all gun records.

You can use the pre-written message below and send it as an e-mail by
visiting the GOA Legislative Action Center at
http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm (where phone and fax numbers are
also available).

-----Pre-written letter-----

Dear Senator:

The Patriot Act expansion bill (S. 1266) would allow the United States
government to seize every lawful gun sale record in the country...
solely on the basis of a bureaucrat's determination that a national
registry of gun owners would be useful in an anti-terrorism
investigation.

Registration leads to confiscation.

Section 213 of the bill allows a designee of the Attorney General to
issue "administrative subpoenas" for any business records
which, in his opinion, are relevant to investigating terrorism. Even
more ominous, the Attorney General could order gun dealers NOT to
disclose the existence of the investigation to their customers, meaning
that the dealer (rather than the gun purchaser) would be the only
person who could contest this action. And why should he risk his
livelihood on my behalf?

None of the above is subject to prior judicial review -- it is massive
gun control by simple executive fiat.

I believe that a national gun registry is a step this country cannot
afford to take, and one that the citizenry will not abide.

I would ask you, in the strongest terms, to oppose this Patriot Act
"reform" bill outright, and especially its administrative
subpoena provision.

Sincerely,


****************************

[slugshooter]

While we're at it, lets request they remove the provisions that allow the FBI to tap your phone, look at purchases and e-mails, search your residence, all without your knowledge, oh, that and the provision that allows them to hold you indefinitely without formal charges being drawn.