Senator to propose bill regulating black powder in wake of Boston Massacre

[tangent]

http://www.examiner.com/article/senator-to-propose-bill-regulating-black-power-wake-of-boston-massacre

 

On April 17, New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg issued a statement to the public that he intends to propose a bill or amendment to regulate black powder, and other forms of explosive components, in the wake of the Boston Marathon Massacre. The bill would demand full Federal background checks of anyone seeking to purchase the minor explosive, similar to recent attempts by Congress to require full background checks on the sale of firearms.

In the wake of the deadly bombing attacks in Boston, U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today announced that he will reintroduce legislation he has proposed in a prior Congress to require that sales of explosive powder be subject to a background check. He will also file the legislation as an amendment to the gun violence prevention bill currently on the Senate floor. -

Lautenberg.Senate.com

Early indications by analysts and observers of the horrific Boston Marathon bombings show that a black powder explosive may have been the primary element in the bombs that killed three people, and injured hundreds of others. The use of black powder explosives are considered small in potency when compared to today's high tech explosives, and their use has been found to date as far back as 220 BC.

Of the $27.8 Billion spent each year on firearms, ammunition, clothing, reloading equipment, optics, and accessories by the American public, only about 7-8% of all gun owners reload their own ammunition on a regular basis. This means that only a relatively small amount of people purchase black powder explosives each year, and in comparison to other flammable, explosive, and dangerous household products such as fertilizer and gasoline, the singling out of black powder for stricter regulation bears little statistical evidence that its use in criminal activity is widespread.

Politicians are well known for using tragic events for their own political gain, as seen recently by the addition of children as props during speeches and debates over gun control. However, the real issue is not the tool or elements used in the orchestration of a crime, but the person behind that use that should be the focus of any criminal indictment, or legislative regulation. And even as no suspect, nor full analysis of the bombing has taken place since the bombing, Senator Frank Lautenberg is choosing to propose legislation which would regulate black powder, and will potentially hurt a retail product that is part of the $67.8 Billion economic impact that hunting and firearm ownership adds to the nation's annual GDP.

 

-t

[eb11]

another senater and crogressmen who has no clue. its not the weapon or the explosive its the person who is doing the acting with it. the background check would have done nothing to stop these 2 bombers for the fact they were in this country for years and had no prior issues. and furthermore they would have gottten ahold of the explosive no matter what to carry out there plan

[AirCowPeacock]

Would this bill regulate KNO3, sulfur, or rock tumblers?

[Algenco]

it would make it illegal to make BP without a license

[Bobosan]

BOHICA!

[AirCowPeacock]

Unfortuently, its probably going to pass.

[Bobosan]

The recent gun legislation failure may be an indication that it's time to stop creating new laws that criminalize honest people and go after the real problem of enforcing existing laws and mental health. That Texas fertilizer blast killed and injured more people than at Boston. The plant had several violations in past history that were obviously not enforced or re-inspected.

[pyrokid]

I have emailed him, and I encourage everyone else to do so.

 

It is absurd.

[val77]

it happens the same with you as we in europe :/

 

this is only the beginning....

[mikeee]

Will they outlaw powdered sugar?

They are concerned about powdered chemicals, can we still purchase prilled chemicals?

This will end up being a large list of chemicals which will impact a lot of different industries.

Let's hope this legislation goes nowhere or we will have a giant bureaucratic mess on our hands.

This would create problems for the model rocketry and pyrotechnics hobby and industries.

[NightHawkInLight]

Who wants to go in with me on an island purchase?

[flying fish]

"Make it illegal to manufacture homemade explosives without a permit":.... That's the part that concerns me!

http://www.lautenberg.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=341435&

 

NightHawk....let's start looking!

[busspuppy]

NightHawkInLight... I have thought about it before. Problem is even if you can find a place outside of all jurisdictions you will be all on your own, if something does arise. Edited April 20, 2013 by busspuppy

[Arthur]

The Dunblane massacre ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunblane_school_massacre ) was the single reason for the UK's total prohibition of handguns. BUT all this has done is to prevent the law abiding person holding a legal weapon. We still have illegal weapons freely available for criminal use

 

Try telling Jill Dando's parents that gun prohibition kept their daughter safe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jill_Dando

[Bcorso85]

Dnt worry, the NRA has our back. They can make it illegal all they want. They can't make burnt wood, garden sulfur, or a basic nitrate illegal without rippling multiple industries. This bill isn't a surprise...just an agenda, and a tragety to push it.

[flying fish]

Dnt worry, the NRA has our back. They can make it illegal all they want. They can't make burnt wood, garden sulfur, or a basic nitrate illegal without rippling multiple industries.

 

Personally I'm not worried about access to the basic chemicals. I'm *slightly* worried about access to the more exotic chemicals and the survival of the specialty pyrotechnic suppliers. I'm *mostly* worried about the fact that it will take a lot of legitimacy, membership, or a combination of both away from the pyro clubs. Not everyone can get a manufacturing license and if they make stuff anyway they will be breaking the law. I'm guessing the exception would be a club build session where at least one person present has a manufacturing license, but that doesn't allow for the volume of quality homemade product we normally have coming to the shoots. If this does manage to pass perhaps our saving grace will be the guys who come to shoot all that consumer crap! (that's me on occasion too, haha...) Even in our building focused club there's well more than enough of those guys to keep the club going in hard times.

 

There seems to be enough "rabbling" in the gun community that I'd imagine the NRA will not hesitate to fight it. That makes me slightly less worried. But I guess you never know...

[Bobosan]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/06/03/nj-sen-lautenberg-dies/

 

NJ Sen. Lautenberg dies at age 89