"Using No-fly or Terror Watch List to Bar Gun Sales Still a Bad Idea"

Using no-fly or terror watch list to bar gun sales still a bad idea

-Mike Hashimoto

When well-meaning people get together to thrash out a grave national issue, expect them to circle back to a couple of premises:

First, let’s grab the “low-hanging fruit,” that supposedly simple starting point when apples or apricots are within easy reach.

Second, “It stands to reason …” As in, “It stands to reason that even well-meaning people will attempt to cram each new event into an existing worldview.” Short translation: It’s common sense, if only you had some.

So, guns in America.

Firearms work perfectly into our two premises, at least as seen by those who believe that each new mass shooting, however tragic on its face, is also reason to revisit ideas ranging from ineffective to useless. “Doing nothing is not an option,” unless doing something is worse.

One low fruit is the idea of using government databases like the no-fly list or terrorist watch list to determine who can buy firearms legally. Doesn’t it just stand to reason? Ask President Barack Obama...

Read the whole thing...