Old News: No Fly Suspects Can Buy Guns

File this one under old news. Robert Friedman of the Pocono Record goes on the record in an editorial that takes aim at the fact that “firearms sales have surged President Barack Obama’s election” and that those buying the firearms might have been on “terror watch lists.”

But Friedman’s editorial has problems. He notes this surge, but then mentions that 963 background checks resulted in matches with the lists, from 2004 to 2009. Obama was only elected last November, so the point is sort of suspect. A bigger issue is that of those 963 individuals how many are really a threat? People end up on lists by accident, and for various other reasons.

Yes, it is absolutely wrong that terrorists would get their hands on guns. But it is ironic that the mainstream media continually demands that the government does its job to protect the citizens. That is until terrorist’s rights are violated (as in water boarding), or if the FBI introduces new wiretapping practices. But an important fact should be stressed. How many terrorists have committed mass shootings? Don’t you think if nearly 1,000 real terrorists had purchased guns over the past five years there would have been a few shootings by now?