We Just Shot That Down Yesterday

The President of the United States:
To begin with, Congress should act to make sure no one on a no-fly list is able to buy a gun. What could possibly be the argument for allowing a terrorist suspect to buy a semiautomatic weapon? This is a matter of national security.
Oh, it's a matter of national security, is it? I guess we should just yield up our Constitutional rights just because you suspect us, then.

If you had any idea what your office was for, you'd resign just for having said that. Congress ought to impeach you for having said it, as it is at least malfeasance, a recognizable misdemeanor directly relevant to the performance of your duties. The only reason not to do so is that it would excite an ignorant public too much. The only reason not to impeach you, in other words, is that it isn't worth the trouble.

I think I'll go buy an AR-15. I've never had one. The only rifles I've ever owned have been old lever-action cowboy guns. I qualified expert on the M4 carbine, though. Why shouldn't I have one?

Well, stop me if you can. If anyone wants to contribute, to be a part of the Grim's Hall AR-15, let me know. We might build a really nice one.

15 comments:

Larry said...

I'm going to show my ignorance here. I know that there's no trial, no judge, and no jury, but what is the actual process by which a person gets added to the no-fly list? Anonymous tips? Travel patterns? I emphasize again that I know that there isn't anything resembling due process.

Ymar Sakar said...

CAIR and ACLU and SPLC will determine what the list will be, on top of Demoncrat czars. Of course to placate the masses, they'll be told the NSA and the FBI are the ones doing the deciding.

Cassandra said...

I wonder how many families who have never owned guns have bought them during this president's term as a direct result of his continual demonization and demagoguery on this subject?

We now own 3 guns (a shotgun, a pistol, and a rifle). Despite the Unit being a Marine for 30 years, we never felt the need to own firearms before Obama started up. I'm not terribly interested in guns and I live in an area with very low crime and fast police response. I never wanted one even when my kids were small and my husband was deployed for a year at a time.

I guess Obama *has* fundamentally transformed my attitudes on this subject, after all :p

MikeD said...

Suffice to say, I am finally tempted to buy a scary black rifle, or at least a lifetime membership in the NRA. But it's not just the President. It's Presidential candidates and lawmakers who seem to be enamored with "not letting a good crisis go to waste".

On the front of me being a cold-heartless monster, I also am apparently a racist. Because I've only "started" complaining about civil liberties now that "white peoples' guns are threatened." Now, I will allow spurious nonsense up to a point, but I finally snapped on that one. My complaint is that the President is proposing to take away Constitutionally protected rights from those on the "No Fly List", which as far as I am aware, consists mostly of people of a non-white persuasion. So I invited that commenter to examine their own racism in wanting to disproportionately punish non-whites with this nonsense. He hasn't been back since.

And as for the President's assertion that this is a "matter of national security", then I challenge the President to take the full step of jailing these individuals if the threat they pose is so great. After all, if you're going to take away one Constitutional right, why not another. Especially considering you're already admitting you suspect they want to do bodily harm to other citizens.

But it's not about national security. It's about establishing a power for the Administration to declare individuals an "Enemy of the State" and use that declaration to make it illegal for them to purchase guns. Even my most charitable reading of this plan yields nothing more than that result. Otherwise, it makes no sense. The San Bernadino shooters were not on the No Fly List. The Ft. Hood shooter was not on the No Fly List. The Chattanooga shooter was not on the No Fly List. So clearly, this is NOT about stopping terrorist mass shootings.

Cassandra said...

On the front of me being a cold-heartless monster, I also am apparently a racist.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but... *duh*! :p

/running away

Because I've only "started" complaining about civil liberties now that "white peoples' guns are threatened." Now, I will allow spurious nonsense up to a point, but I finally snapped on that one. My complaint is that the President is proposing to take away Constitutionally protected rights from those on the "No Fly List", which as far as I am aware, consists mostly of people of a non-white persuasion. So I invited that commenter to examine their own racism in wanting to disproportionately punish non-whites with this nonsense. He hasn't been back since.

There you go again, trying to apply logic and reason. Typical Ice Persun.

Grim said...

Mr. Harman:

There is an article on the subject here. It's from "The Intercept," which is a newer source, but one that has received some praise since its inception. The article is a year and a half old, but it cites an official government source which is linked for you to compare. It's a pretty alarming process if you care about the idea that 'all men are created equal' and 'endowed by their Creator' with 'certain inalienable rights' whose security is the whole reason that governments are 'instituted.'

Grim said...

Cass:

Don't you still live in Maryland? If he's convinced you to navigate the paperwork involved in owning guns there, he's changed your heart considerably.

Grim said...

Mike:

But it's not about national security. It's about establishing a power for the Administration to declare individuals an "Enemy of the State" and use that declaration to make it illegal for them to purchase guns. Even my most charitable reading of this plan yields nothing more than that result. Otherwise, it makes no sense.

That's the nut of the thing, right there. That's why the plan isn't just a bad idea, it's evil. It's why the only thing that makes this not an occasion for impeachment is that he's not worth it at this point in his Presidency.

We need to start thinking about what comes after him. This is a power that wouldn't be wisely left to any of his likely replacements, not the best one of them.

MikeD said...

Which is frankly the most infuriating thing when dealing with the gun grabbers. They see the danger of this when there's a Republican in the White House using it to deprive people of civil rights, but get the gun control aspect involved and suddenly it's a brilliant idea whose time has come. Never mind all the objections prior. And my objection that I don't want this power in the hands of ANY Administration and suddenly I'm a Johnny-come-lately, who is only concerned when "white peoples' guns" are on the line. Never mind my fury at the President asserting that he had the right to drone US Citizens (of a decidedly brown and Islamic persuasion) to death without a trial, nor at the treatment of Jose Padilla (a "white name" if ever there was one) during the last Administration.

raven said...

Y'all want to know how "Enemies of the State" wind up, search images for "Drawings from the Gulag"- the artist was a guard, most of the torturers were recruited from the criminal slime to go after the political prisoners. Anything they could think of, they did.

people see the little steps, but few extrapolate to the end goal.

Cassandra said...

Grim, I think we bought all 3 guns just before the most recent changes in MD law.

Or more accurately, we bought them *because* of those changes, and because of mounting frustration with President "What Constitution?".

raven said...

BTW, I am in on the new tool. Ya got an email?

Ymar Sakar said...

I prefer guerilla warfare where the enemies, when they get terminated, drop all kinds of loot in terms of firearms and ammo.

However, they don't tend to be very accurate or well maintained. Then again, seems to work well if it is an Ak at least.

Ymar Sakar said...

people see the little steps, but few extrapolate to the end goal.

The person that sees more than 5 steps into the future, or 25 years, 50 years into the future, will be blinded by those around him. Because misery loves company and in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is crazy and a danger. That's how humans are.

That will never change.

Grim said...

You can reach me through Gmail. My account there is 'grimshall'.