Gun grabbers

Two stories in this morning's news give me pause for thought. More Slippery Slopes.

The first, from Drudge, talks about the Feds going house-to-house in Houston, TX.

In front of a run-down shack in north Houston, federal agents step from a government sedan into 102-degree heat and face a critical question: How can the woman living here buy four high-end handguns in one day?

The better question becomes: why is the Federal government interested in who buys what guns when? If this was a legal purchase, and there's nothing in the article to suggest that the purchases weren't legal, what business is it of anyone, much less the government?

The second article is linked through Chad Rogers, The Dead Pelican, and talks about the mayor of Shreveport, LA and his personal war on guns.

Any time a motorist is stopped by a police officer, insists Shreveport, Louisiana Mayor Cedric Glover, "Your rights ... have been suspended." This includes not only the freedom of movement, but also, in the event the officer inquires as to whether the driver is carrying a weapon, "Your right to be able to hold on to your weapon and say whether [you] have a weapon or not" – as well as the right to retain possession of that weapon, should the officer decide to confiscate it from you.

Should you choose not to answer the question, or answer it in the negative, the officer could still choose, "in the interest of officer safety, to secure you in a safe position" – this most likely means outside the car with your hands cuffed behind your back – "and then do an appropriate inspection of your vehicle."

The phrase "appropriate inspection" is more honestly rendered "Unconstitutional warrantless search."

Mayor Glover needs to be smacked down hard for this one, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Shreveport PD in particular and Mayor Glover in general didn't soon find themselves as the defendants in a federal civil rights lawsuit.

Taken together, these two articles combine to show a distinct disregard for the civil rights of citizens at both the federal and local level.

They told me that if I voted for McCain in the presidential race, my civil rights might be in jeopardy. They were right.