|
|
 |
02/19/06 ATF HEARINGS BECOME FORUM FOR MORE GUN CONTROL |
OFF
ALERT 02/19/06
If you missed the BATFE hearings in the House Judiciary Subcommittee
on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, held on the February
15th, we'd like to give you a brief wrap up.
Annette Gelles, a gun show promoter, testified about outrageous
harassment and abuse at the hands of ATF agents and other law
enforcement officers at gun shows in Virginia.
Stories were told of customers having agents show up at their
homes to grill their family members about gun purchases, sometimes
before they even returned home from the show. If no one was
home, neighbors were questioned.
James Lalime, a private citizen who worked as a salesman for
an FFL dealer sometimes, was detained and questioned, all while
law enforcement agents, some with obscenities printed on their
tee shirts, made ridiculous and unsupported accusations against
him.
But as is so often the case, the star of the show was a FFL
dealer whose comments were largely an attack on private collectors.
John White, a former police officer, seemed more concerned that
collectors were able to sell guns without the onerous background
checks that are required of dealers, than he was about the abuses
being perpetrated by the ATFE agents and other police officers.
The legislators present expressed more than a little skepticism
at the stories they were told. Congressman Delahunt, from (where
else?) Massachusetts, virtually accused the witnesses of lying
about the good men and women of BATFE. And he and Congresswoman
Sheila Jackson Lee used the hearing to promote even more gun
control.
The Chairman,Howard Coble, missed no opportunity to repeat over
and over, that they were NOT there to criticize ATFE.
No one from ATFE testified, although the chair indicated that
they would be at a future hearing.
We believe that these hearings may easily turn into a new attempt
to impose Oregon style gun show restrictions (or worse) on a
national level.
The behavior of law enforcement at gun shows in Virginia was
inexcusable and frightening. BATFE has a long history of abuses
against gun owners, and this was only one more example of that
abuse. If Congress members continue to bend over backwards to
defend or deny the actions of BATFE, look forward to a new attack
on your rights and privacy, both by rogue law enforcement agents
and members of Congress.
You can watch the entire hearing on line using his link:
|
 Send this Page to a Friend
|
 |
Copyright
© 2000 - 2010, Oregon Firearms Federation. All Rights Reserved.
|
|
|
