Washington, DC –-(Ammoland.com)- Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has been doing a yeoman's job of trying to rein in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and protecting the privacy of gun owners.
But now, according to senate insiders, the Republican leadership is trying to undermine these efforts by urging fellow Republicans to oppose Paul's "no gun registration" amendment.
Paul's amendment would exempt gun records — including 4473's (the form all purchasers fill out when they buy a firearm from a licensed dealer) — from the blanket information demands which the ATF can make under the 9/11 legislation.
We have known for weeks that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid would oppose Rand Paul. But now, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is also helping "Dirty Harry" Reid by encouraging other Senate Republicans to oppose the Paul language.
All gun owners need to take action right now. Time is short, as the PATRIOT Act extension will become a done deal sometime tomorrow (Friday).
So please use the Talking Points below TO CALL Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell today! Ask him to support the Paul amendment and to urge other Republicans to do the same.
Even if you live in Kentucky, please make sure you call the Senator's office, because time is short.
1. Please urge Senator McConnell to support the Paul "no gun registration" amendment and to use his leadership position to urge other Republicans to do the same.
2. Without the Paul "no gun registration" amendment, it is possible that the ATF could go to a secret (FISA) court and demand every 4473 in the country, ostensibly because a "terrorism investigation" requires it. If such an action were taken, the government would have a list of every gun buyer in the country going back decades.
3. If Senator McConnell allows Harry Reid to successfully shut out gun amendments, then gun owners will hold him (McConnell) personally responsible for enabling the Majority Leader. And if the Democrats retain the control of the Senate in 2012, the Republicans will only have themselves to blame.
a. First, if the PATRIOT Act does not, in fact, allow the ATF to go on fishing expeditions, then what is the harm in passing the Paul amendment? Why not just pass the Paul provision so that we can have an extra ounce of prevention specifically prohibiting the ATF from using the PATRIOT Act to fish for people's gun sale records.
b. Second, the very language that some Senators are claiming will protect us is the very language that the ATF is currently violating! Senators like McConnell want us to think that the 1986 McClure-Volkmer law (which outlaws gun owner registration) is good enough to protect us from fishing expeditions under the PATRIOT Act.
But as any law school student and judge in the country knows, more recent laws (like the PATRIOT Act) ALWAYS TRUMP older laws (like the 1986 Act which prohibits gun owner registration). If there is a conflict, the more recent law governs. Hence, it's not surprising that we are currently witnessing the ATF violate the 1986 McClure-Volkmer law, as the agency recently issued new proposed rules to require registration of those persons who purchase multiple semi-autos — and all of this in the name of fighting gun smuggling in the Southwest.
The NRA opposed Rand Paul in his efforts to protect the records of gun owners.
The NRA claimed the Patriot Act has not been abused when it comes to gun records.
The NRA went on to say that Paul's amendment would have caused the FBI to simply seek other ways of accessing those records.
The NRA and the Republicans stopped the efforts of Paul to protect the rights of gun owners and to maintain the status-quo.
both Socialist Party A. (Democrats) vs. Socialist Party B. (Republicans). So does Chuck Baldwin via http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com.
Rand Paul is an American Ninja. Way to FALCON PUNCH Harry Reid for freedom.