Ed apparently hates the 1st Amendment, and that, as an elected member of the Legislative Branch, he can actually propose legislation. Or, maybe he realizes that the actual text of the 1st Amendment reads “Congress shall pass no law…or abridging the freedom of speech”
(Daily Caller) Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts announced his intention Wednesday to stall the confirmation of R. Clarke Cooper to the Department of State until President Donald Trump agrees to prevent an unrelated company from publishing instructions for 3D-printed guns.
Senate Democrats have expressed outrage for the past few weeks over a settled lawsuit allowing Americans access to detailed firearm blueprints, which will enable a roadmap to designs that can be recreated with a 3D printer at home. (snip)
During a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing Wednesday, Markey told Cooper, who is nominated for assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, that he would be opposing Cooper’s confirmation until the Trump administration reverses its decision on the blueprints.
“I appreciate that you are not the person who made this policy, but you are asking us to confirm you to a position where you will be defending the indefensible,†Markey said to Cooper. “Until the president agrees to reverse this policy and prohibit the online publication of these dangerous blueprints, a decision that is entirely within his authority, I intend to place a hold on your nomination.â€
What Markey wants Trump to do is what’s known as prior restraint. Also, censorship. He’s not trying to block the guns themselves: he’s attempting to block the publication of the plans. As noted in previous posts, the guns themselves are mostly illegal to start with, thanks to a 1988 law, the Undetectable Firearms Act.
Rather than constantly yammering about the doom from these plans and wanting to restrict free speech, they would be better off saying that these guns are stupid, expensive, and more dangerous to the user than the person being targeted. Of course, this would also be highlighting that citizens are better off purchasing a firearm manufactured to exactly specifications, one that has been tested and made to work properly, and Democrats do not want that, either.
Anyhow, the more the Democrats talk and fear and doom-monger about these guns in the manner they’ve been, the more some people will say “I gotta get me one!”
Oh, and if Trump did restrict them? The Democrats would then say Trump is a dictator and hates free speech (among other slurs).
Maakey has never been one of the sharper knives in the Congressional drawer.