From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:

. . .

In order to vote on legislation in Congress, members must use a device like >this at their seats:

https://ibb.co/zTNfWKnb

The device requires the member to insert his/her congressional ID card into >the slot before they can push the button to cast their vote.

So basically, 213 Democrats in the House had to use their government-issued ID >card in order to vote against voter ID.

No, this is not a Babylon Bee article.

You've a roomful of dishonest people. In my state's legislature, they
have been known to push each other's buttons. I'm glad someone has tried
to thwart the bad behavior.

The voting population as a whole is less dishonest than those they
elect.
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From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

BTR1701 wrote:

https://www.ammoland.com/2026/02/atf-reverses-course-after-denying-nfa-app >lications-for-wanting-to-exercise-god-given-rights/

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has finally >done what common sense and the Constitution demanded all along: approve
the previously denied or voided Form 1 applications that sparked outrage
in the gun community. NFA applications have been denied for answers to
box 4-I with language that referenced constitutionally protected activity
as a legitimate reason for possessing NFA items. In a stunning reversal,
the agency has now approved the forms, including those rejected for >constitutionally grounded purpose statements such as "exercise my
God-given rights" and "for all lawful purposes, including justifiable >homicide". According to reports, the ATF has acknowledged they should
have never been denied in the first place.

This development comes amid the post-tax era ushered in by the One Big >Beautiful Bill, which zeroed out the $200 NFA tax on suppressors, >short-barreled rifles (SBRs), short-barreled shotguns (SBSs), and any
other weapons (AOWs) effective January 1, 2026. With the revenue >justification gutted, the ATF's remaining registration regime was already
on shaky ground, considering ongoing litigation like Silencer Shop
Foundation v. Bondi (the "One Big Beautiful Lawsuit" backed by Gun Owners >Foundation (GOF), Gun Owners of America (GOA), and allies). These
approvals signal a retreat from the arbitrary enforcement that plagued
early 2026 submissions.

Two outright denials where applicants cited intent to "exercise God-given >rights", were deemed insufficient by ATF examiners, despite no statute >requiring a specific acceptable purpose beyond lawful use.

A third case involving an initial approval (dated January 25, 2026) for
an SBR build was later voided during "routine quality control" because
the purpose statement, "FOR ALL LAWFUL PURPOSES INCLUDING JUSTIFIABLE >HOMICIDE", wasn't palatable or sensitive enough for the bureaucrats at
ATF. The email from Supervisory Legal Instruments Examiner Shannon
Siviero instructed resubmission, treating honest self-defense language as >disqualifying.

Many on the gun rights side of the argument claim these weren't clerical >slip-ups; it was blatant viewpoint discrimination, making this a
violation of not only the 2nd Amendment, but the 1st Amendment as well.
The ATF effectively punished applicants for refusing to sanitize their
2nd Amendment motivations into bland bureaucratic talk like "target
shooting" or "hunting". Such actions violated principles of due process,
the Administrative Procedure Act's (APA) ban on arbitrary-and-capricious >agency conduct, and the core holding of Bruen: regulations on arms must
align with historical tradition, not subjective agency whims.

Now that approvals have been issued across these cases, the ATF tacitly >admits the error. This isn't just a win for the affected individuals. It
is vindication for every law-abiding gun owner frustrated by the NFA's >remnants. Suppressors protect hearing and reduce noise; SBRs offer >maneuverable, customizable platforms ideal for home defense and sporting
use. Neither poses the "dangerous and unusual threat" Pam Bondi's DOJ
once claimed in court filings. Criminal misuse of registered NFA items >remains vanishingly rare, according to ATF's historical data.

This reversal exposes the fragility of the post-tax NFA regime. Without
the taxing-power crutch upheld in Sonzinsky, registration becomes an >unconstitutional infringement, a national gun registry that exceeds >Congress's enumerated authority and lacks a historical analogue under
Bruen. The surge in Form 1 filings (over 150,000 in the first day of 2026 >alone) overwhelmed the system, leading to hasty denials and voids that
the agency now walks back. It reeks of panic: approve everything to avoid >more bad press and stronger legal challenges.

From a pro-gun standpoint, this is progress, but not victory. Approvals
don't erase the infringement. They reveal the needless bureaucracy of >fingerprints, photos, forms, and months-long waits. Law-abiding citizens >shouldn't need a bureaucratic blessing to exercise a pre-existing right.
The Founding Fathers didn't file Form 1s to shorten musket barrels for
home defense.

These cases bolster arguments in Silencer Shop Foundation v. Bondi and >similar suits: strike down registration for untaxed items entirely. Push >Congress for full repeal via the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) or SHORT
Act. Demand ATF reforms to prevent future flip-flops.

ATF's correction of its errors is significant. It could signify positive >changes from the top. Based on conversations AmmoLand News has had with >sources inside the ATF, the top brass appears to want to change to be
less hostile to gun owners, but with many entrenched bureaucrats, the
change will not happen overnight. The fight will continue until the 2nd >Amendment stands unencumbered, no permission slips, no arbitrary
rejections, no "acceptable" phrasing required. Rights are not negotiable. >Celebrate this win, but double the effort to permanently end the imposed >tyranny of the National Firearms Act.

Ever since Trump won the election blacks have taken over. What's going on? I thought Trump was going to bring back the good old days for us, not this crap.
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