ACLU Concerned Over Proposed Gun Regulation Using Error-Prone Watchlist System

Summary:

•  In the aftermath of the Orlando shooting, there is proposed legislation to use the government's watchlist system (consisting of the No Fly list and other lists, explained in more detail in this ACLU paper) to help regulate guns.

•  The ACLU sent a letter to Senators urging them to vote NO on two proposed pieces of legislation by Sen. Cornyn (R-Texas) and Sen. Feinstein (D-Calif.).

•  "The letter explained to senators the ACLU’s position on gun control:

We believe that the right to own and use guns is not absolute or free from government regulation since firearms are inherently dangerous instrumentalities and their use, unlike other activities protected by the Bill of Rights, can inflict serious bodily injury or death. Therefore, firearms are subject to reasonable regulation in the interests of public safety, crime prevention, maintaining the peace, environmental protection, and public health. At the same time, regulation of firearms and individual gun ownership or use must be consistent with civil liberties principles, such as due process, equal protection, freedom from unlawful searches, and privacy."

•  The analysis for why the watchlisting system has serious problems and infringes on civil liberties is explained in the paper mentioned above (ACLU paper). In brief, the American Civil Liberties Union stated in their letter "Our nation’s watchlisting system is error-prone and unreliable because it uses vague and overbroad criteria and secret evidence to place individuals on blacklists without a meaningful process to correct government error and clear their names."

Read more https://www.aclu.org/blog/washington-markup/use-error-prone-and-unfair-watchlists-not-way-regulate-guns-america