People on the terrorist watch list can legally purchase pistols and assault weapons.

[pnwmom]

Mateen was off the list by the time he purchased the weapons used in the murders -- but it wouldn't have mattered. Even if he was still on the list he could legally have purchased the weapons he used.

Shouldn't, at the very least, someone be banned from purchasing weapons while they're on the terrorist watch list? U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy thinks so. But his bill has been blocked by R's in Congress

http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2015/dec/29/patrick-murphy/terrorist-watch-list-no-obstacle-buying-guns-rep-m/

U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy joined other Democrats in demanding the House take up a bill that would keep people on the FBI’s watch list from buying guns, saying far too many people on the list have been allowed to get firearms.

Murphy tweeted a graphic on Dec. 8, 2015, claiming that "91 percent of suspected terrorists who attempted to buy guns in America walked away with the weapon they wanted."

His tweet came after Republicans repeatedly blocked a bill that would keep people on the FBI list from buying guns. In an unusual procedural move, Murphy and other Democrats signed a petition to bring the bill to the House floor, but it currently doesn’t have the required 218 signatures for further action. The Senate earlier in December struck down a similar bill.

We were curious if Murphy -- who is also running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in 2016 -- was right to say that 91 percent of suspected terrorists looking to buy guns were able to get one. Our research showed that is accurate by the best available estimates, but there are some caveats about the watch list we should keep in mind.

SNIP

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-orlando-nightclub-shooting-live-omar-mateen-was-taken-off-a-terrorist-1465772737-htmlstory.html

Even if Mateen were still on the terrorist watch list — known as the Terrorist Screening Database — the designation would not have precluded him from buying the semiautomatic pistol and assault-style rifle that he used in Sunday's massacre.

Mateen bought two guns in the last 12 days from a gun store not far from his Florida home, federal officials said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives described the weapons as a “.223 caliber AR type rifle and a 9mm semiautomatic pistol.”

[hack89]

1. Add transparency and due process first.

not everyone trusts the FBI, CIA and NSA like you do.

[pnwmom]

2. Not everyone trusts the NRA to have our welfare in mind. n/t

[hack89]

4. Add constitutional protections to the process

what is hard about that? Americans should not lose civil liberties due to secret government lists with no means of appealing.

[Eric J in MN]

3. Yes. The FBI shouldn't be able to

...use secret evidence to permanently take away our rights.

[sarisataka]

5. That's the wonderful thing

about secret lists- if someone is stopped from a terrorist action the government can say they were on the list and that is why they were stopped. If an attack succeeds they can say the person wasn't on the list, so it isn't the government's fault.

Why when did these lists become popular with Democrats? I seem to recall we condemned them when Bush II implemented them.

[PoliticAverse]

6. The Party has moved to the right. n/t

[Igel]

8. That's not it.

People like having the government full of rights and powers when it suits them, not so when it doesn't.

They like the idea of Fonseca's data being dumped, and rebel at the idea of hiding off-shore transactions.

But if it's their phone's encryption that's at stake, they go livid.

Unless Brock Turner, the guy from Stanford, had his phone encrypted. Then it must be broken and the government must have the power to do so.

For things that affect them negatively, they want small government. Limited government. Castrated government.

For things that affect them positively, they want big government.

For things that affect their domestic foes negative, they want big government. If it affects their foes positively, then it must be stopped.

Notice I said "people." Not DUers. Not Democrats. Not Republicans. People.

[ZombieHorde]

7. Since there's no due process for the lists,

and no real way to defend yourself for being on one of those lists, I don't think rights should be restricted for being on one.

[Duckhunter935]

9. Due process and transparency

On how you get on or can get removed from the secret Bush list.