U.S. Senate Confirms Inalienable Rights

Senate votes to bar emergency gun confiscation

Reuters
Thursday, July 13, 2006; 8:10 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to prohibit the confiscation of legally owned guns during an emergency like last year's Hurricane Katrina, marking another victory for the gun lobby.

By a vote of 84-16, the Senate embraced an amendment by Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican. He attached his measure to a domestic security spending bill for the fiscal year starting October 1 that the Senate is expected to pass soon.

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Small picture = This is necessary legislation to ensure that law-abiding citizens are never again stripped of their means for self defense when illegally armed gangs of rapists and looters are roaming an area that closely resembles something from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.

Big picture = It's sad that this legislation was necessary in the first place. Going house to house and prying legal firearms from little old ladies (See: Patricia Konie) isn't what our Law Enforcement Officers should be doing during a crisis.

This legislation only prohibits agents from the Dept. of Homeland Security from acting despicably. So it's a step in the right direction... but is basically ineffective. This needs to apply to the FBI and BATF as they are the nice, public servants that will break down your door without a warrant and confiscate your legally-owned property.

Many states are considering this type of legislation and the National Rifle Association has stated that it is a priority for their pursuits.