In opinion pieces advocating restrictions related to firearms ownership and recordkeeping, you'll often find wording such as "smart and sensible solutions," a clear tip-off that the restrictions being proposed are neither. The Washington Post's editorial yesterday uses that language in supporting positions held by the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition, co-founded by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The Post advocates for the no-fly list to be incorporated into the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System database of prohibited persons. Sound good to anyone? Think again: First, the list includes thousands of law-abiding Americans who were mistakenly added to the database). Second, being added to this list is a completely subjective process that affords law-abiding citizens no due process rights – just imagine if the federal government tried to strip other constitutional rights from law-abiding citizens without due process. And finally, appropriate authorities are already notified should anyone on the no-fly list attempt to purchase a gun. If this occurs, the agency responsible for putting the individual on the list is notified before the gun is transferred, and the purchase can be delayed for up to three days. This gives law enforcement a chance to find a legal basis for blocking the sale or the opportunity to take other actions they deem appropriate. It is important to note, if a true suspect is denied the purchase of gun, and they have no other disqualifying factors against them, it would be instant notification that they are on the terror watch list.
In the same editorial, the Post found time to advocate for a repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment. Fortunately, U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) set the record straight in the Wichita Eagle with the following letter to the editor: Smear campaign wrong on facts.
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