From Deseret News archives:
Siding with the thugs
Now the National Rifle Association is reading from the same books.
This debate comes down to how much information is too much information for the government. If law enforcement officials can curb violent acts against innocent people by gaining more access to the who, what and where of shady gun purchases, isn't that a good thing?
We think so.
The NRA and various members of Congress differ. And they have won a round.
At the heart of the matter is a wish by local officials to use information gleaned by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to help track gun dealers who have a habit of selling guns to criminals. Statistics show that 60 percent of guns used in crimes come from just 1 percent of dealers. Ferreting out such weasels would seem to be a no-brainer. But Congress, citing fears about privacy issues, killed the notion before it had a chance.
Those who favored information sharing said that killing the measure simply put the cops in handcuffs instead of the bad guys.
We agree there, as well.
The NRA is a powerful lobby. In many cases the organization has stood convincingly on principle. But not on this one. This move was simply emblematic of overreaction and unnecessary anxiety. It's fear mongering.
This was a classic debate between public safety and personal freedom. Public safety should have ruled the day. It didn't. And the nation less safe because of it.
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