Posted on 10/05/2001 6:30:24 PM PDT by Gun142
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Congress Considers "Demilitarization" Requirement
This week, the U.S. Senate passed S. 1438, the Department of Defense (DoD) annual authorization bill, which contains a provision that is of grave concern to hunters and sport shooters. Section 1062 of this bill provides the Secretary of Defense with the authority to require "demilitarization" of any "significant military equipment" that has ever been owned by the DoD. This would include all firearms (such as the venerable M1, M1 Carbine, and Model 1911, as well as all Civilian Marksmanship Program rifles, even "sporterized" surplus bolt-action Springfields!); firearm parts such as barrels, bolts, triggers, firing pins, sights, etc.; ammunition and ammunition components; and firearm accessories such as cleaning rods, oilers, and even cleaning brushes. "Demilitarization" is the term for rendering such items permanently inoperable, and Sec. 1062 allows for this action to be carried out either by the owner or a third party, with the owner paying the cost, or by the DoD. However, if the DoD determines it should perform the demilitarization, it can also determine that the cost of returning the demilled item is prohibitive, then simply keep the item, and reimburse the owner only for the fair market scrap value of the item. Furthermore, this new authority would require private citizens to determine for themselves if an item they own is subject to demilitarization, and face criminal penalties for non-compliance. The DoD would be under no obligation to notify law-abiding citizens that items they have lawfully owned for years, and perhaps that their families have owned for generations, are suddenly subject to forced demilitarization. This becomes extremely significant when one considers that U.S. military surplus has been regularly—and legally—bought, sold, and traded for centuries. Countless Americans own items that could be subject to Sec. 1062. It is likely millions of law-abiding Americans would be affected, and could unknowingly become criminals overnight without having done anything or having ever been informed. The DoD already has the authority and responsibility to demilitarize any item it sells as surplus, so there is absolutely no reason to seek new authority to confiscate and destroy lawfully sold and lawfully owned items that are now the property of private citizens. Be sure to contact your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121, and your U.S. Representative at (202) 225-3121, and urge them to strike Sec. 1062 from S. 1438, the "National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2002." The 24 members of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the 60 members of the House Armed Services Committee especially need to hear from you. To find out if any of your lawmakers are on either committee, you can use NRAILA.org's "Write Your Reps" tool. |
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Calling Mike Rogers AGAIN.
Let's see, I see a violation of private property rights and expost facto laws. If the Supreme Court did its job, the worst outcome I could see if that henceforth (from the passage date) this act would come into effect, but no backdating allowed. At a minimum there needs to be grandfathering.
Sure am glad I don't own an ArmyNavy Surplus Store and that I'm not in the surplus business. Think of the size of the new bureacracy created by this stupid, needless program.
Post #7 brings up some good points. Property rights and there is no mention of punishment in sec 1062. With the aid of a little tin-foil, I wonder just how fishy this smells. I'm just not grasping what the perceived result is to be. Also, what is the mandate for this?
I think my congressmen need to explain some of this to me or tell me they will oppose it.
Executive orders have got to go. There have been some good and bad ones, but all thwart the process.
(To all)
Call, write, email your senators and reps.
Go to Write Your Reps to find contact info.
But with this VFR ban in effect right now, there will be no more airshows anyway...
David Wright
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