Last year U.S. banks and credit card processing centers announced they would adopt the International Organization for Standardization’s new merchant code for gun shop sales. It could result in the Biden administration’s creation of an informal gun registration program.
Previously, firearm and ammunition purchases charged to credit or debit cards were described as "general merchandise.”
The new coding to track gun and ammo sales is being done under the guise of safety. But safety for whom? Jason East, president of Adams Arms, a high-end Florida-based gun manufacturer, answered that question.
"When overarching organizations wield surveillance measures and disguise them as tracking troublesome or dangerous purchases, they are actually initiating the destruction of American rights — the Second Amendment is only the start," he told Newsmax.
However, the state of Florida is fighting back.
State Sen. Danny Burgess and Rep. John Snyder, both Republicans, are introducing the "Florida Arms and Ammo Act" in their respective chambers. The bill was proposed by Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, also a Republican.
Florida’s Department of Agriculture issues state concealed carry permits, and Simpson recently appeared on Newsmax TV’s "National Report" to explain the legislation:
"This is a really simple bill. You have liberals like Elizabeth Warren working with these international groups that want to take away our privacy and rights to own firearms without intrusion by the government," he said.
"So what this bill simply does is says if a credit card company issues an NCC code on ammunition sales or gun sales, that it could be up to a $10,000 per incident fine in the state of Florida."
East said that the bill was one more indication that "Florida is a state that is pro-business and citizens’ rights."
And the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action believes that the plan to identify gun shop sales is nothing more than attempt to create an illegal national gun registry.
"Several provisions in federal law, but most notably a key part of the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986, prohibit the federal government from centralizing most firearm records into a registry," it reported.
Moreover, East observes that guns used in the commission of a crime typically bypass licensed dealers.
"Bad guys always find a way around restrictions," he said.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) found that in the great majority of cases, criminals don’t purchase firearms legally through a dealer — known as a Federal Firearm Licensee (FFL). They steal them or purchase them on the street.
"Less than 2% of all prisoners obtained a firearm from a retail source and from retail source possessed (1.9%) or used (1.3%) it during their crime," the BJS reported.
"Among prisoners who possessed a gun during their offense, 90% did not obtain it from a retail source. More than half (56%) of prisoners who possessed a firearm during their offense had either stolen it (6%), found it at the scene of the crime (7%), or obtained it of the street or from the underground market (43%)," it continued.
The reason is fairly simple. Anyone who purchases a firearm from a dealer has to submit to an FBI background check. Criminals with prior records would fail such a test.
East said that the Biden administration isn’t merely targeting gun owners. It’s also "trying to destroy legal companies," including “manufacturers, dealers, and distributors in their path to take away the Second Amendment."
Last year, for example, Biden called for the extension of liability laws to allow firearm manufacturers and dealers to be sued if their product is used in the commission of a crime.
East asked, "What would happen if we applied the same potential guideline to auto crashes that some anti-gun activists want to apply to firearms? A trickle-down effect would create costs being passed to consumers, making them pay for other drivers’ accidents, and raising the cost."
As for the proposed "Florida Arms and Ammo Act," Commissioner Simpson predicted that given the party makeup in the Florida legislature, the bill will be approved in both chambers later this year and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Perhaps after the third most populous state in the union says no to tracking gun and ammo sales, other states will follow suit and financial service companies will re-think their proposal.
Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to Newsmax. He is also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and an enthusiastic Second Amendment supporter. Read Michael Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.
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