Lawmakers See "Terror Risk" in "Gun Law Loopholes" (12/20/2001)

Josey1

Lawmakers See Terror Risk in Gun Law LoopholesBY JOANNE KENENWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Citing a risk that terrorists could exploit lax U.S. gun laws, several lawmakers on Wednesday promised to renew efforts to close gun sale loopholes when Congress returns next year.``Our current gun laws are so weak that our country serves as a virtual arsenal for terrorists,'' California Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman told a news conference. He said even .50-caliber sniper weapons, with the capacity to shoot down helicopters and pierce bunkers, can be had for the asking at gun shows.``Guns and Terror,'' a report by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, called the United States ``the Great Gun Bazaar.'' It noted that Al-Qaeda manuals included instructions on how to use weak laws to obtain weapons legally.The debate over background checks on gun buyers has burned for years, and was particularly intense after the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado. But the powerful National Rifle Association and its allies in Congress managed to stop expanded regulation.Several lawmakers said they would make another effort to close the so-called gun show loophole and require the same background checks at gun shows that are mandatory when someone purchases a firearm from a licensed dealer at a store.California Democrat Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism, said she will hold hearings early next year on the ``connection between terrorism and guns in America'' and will introduce legislation to call for background checks on all gun sales, wherever they take place.Gun control advocates have long faced an uphill struggle against the NRA, but Rhode Island Democrat Sen. Jack Reed said he hoped the national mood on fighting terrorism would help.A measure to close the gun show loophole narrowly passed the Senate in 1999, but the House of Representatives passed a milder version. No compromise was reached and it has not been pursued as a top agenda item in Congress since then.Urging its backers to prepare for another political fight on gun shows, the NRA's web page says ``the war on terrorism will not be won by attacking the rights of American citizens.'' It criticizes ``anti-gun extremists (who) continue to exploit legitimate fears over terrorism.''Several U.S. senators also recently introduced legislation to allow the FBI to use federal gun purchase records in its probe of the Sept. 11 attacks, after U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said he interpreted current law as barring them from having access. When Ashcroft served in the Senate, he generally voted against expanded gun control regulation. Copyright c 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. http://www.miami.com/rc/news/docs/1709836l.htm

offeror

Make no mistake, if you want to demonize something you don't like, start referring to it as a "loophole" and hope nobody notices the lie.