Obama will carry this out through the retooling of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which regulates technical data on ammo and firearms, such as design, development and production information. ITAR hasn’t been much cause for concern in the past, but that is changing as our Marxist leaders find opportunity to crush Constitutional rights within this regulatory body.
In their current form, the ITAR do not (as a rule) regulate technical data that are in what the regulations call the “public domain.” Essentially, this means data “which is published and which is generally accessible or available to the public” through a variety of specified means. These include “at libraries open to the public or from which the public can obtain documents.” Many have read this provision to include material that is posted on publicly available websites, since most public libraries these days make Internet access available to their patrons.The ITAR, however, were originally promulgated in the days before the Internet. Some State Department officials now insist that anything published online in a generally-accessible location has essentially been “exported,” as it would be accessible to foreign nationals both in the U.S. and overseas.
With the new proposal published on June 3, the State Department claims to be “clarifying” the rules concerning “technical data” posted online or otherwise “released” into the “public domain.” To the contrary, however, the proposal would institute a massive new prior restraint on free speech. This is because all such releases would require the “authorization” of the government before they occurred. The cumbersome and time-consuming process of obtaining such authorizations, moreover, would make online communication about certain technical aspects of firearms and ammunition essentially impossible.
Penalties for violations are severe and for each violation could include up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Civil penalties can also be assessed. Each unauthorized “export,” including to subsequent countries or foreign nationals, is also treated as a separate violation.
Gunsmiths, manufacturers, reloaders, and do-it-yourselfers could all find themselves muzzled under the rule and unable to distribute or obtain the information they rely on to conduct these activities. Prior restraints of the sort contemplated by this regulation are among the most disfavored regulations of speech under First Amendment case law.
Source: nraila.org
Stand up and speak out! Public comment is accepted until August 3, 2015. We have seen public outcry inhibit the progress of the socialists before and we should not relent in the fight for our rights, however hopelessly despotic our government appears to be.
You can submit comments online at regulations.gov or via e-mail at [email protected]
NOTE: Use the subject line “ITAR Amendment—Revisions to Definitions; Data Transmission and Storage” in your email.
Also remember to contact your Congressmen and demand that they oppoose this blatant attempt to circumvent your Constitutional rights.
You can use the “Write Your Lawmakers” feature on the nraila.org website or call the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 225-3121.
Hey what happened to the gag order he was gonna put on all of us!?