gun sale store counter
(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

The recent news about major credit card companies tracking purchases at firearm retailers is ruffling feathers. That is, with everyone except the nation’s largest gun control groups and supporters.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) announced late last month it created a firearm-specific Merchant Category Code (MCC) and it’s gone over like a lead balloon. In the nation’s Capitol, a news station tried to gauge support for the code. What should’ve been a slam dunk in one of the country’s strictest gun control cities, the exact opposite happened.

Gun Control Praise

News outlets all covered the new MCC for firearm-related purchases. The Washington Post reported, “Visa, Mastercard, AmEx to start categorizing gun shop sales,” asserting the nation’s major credit card companies all agreed to implement the new tracking code. Gun control advocates praised the news.

“Today’s announcement is a critical first step towards giving banks and credit card companies the tools they need to recognize dangerous firearm purchasing trends,” John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, said. “But this is only the first step.”

Moms Demand Action’s Shannon Watts praised the announcement too. “These new merchant codes will help banks and financial institutions track suspicious and potentially illegal gun purchases.”

Shannon Watts

New York’s Democratic Attorney General Letitia James added, “Today’s decision requiring credit cards to categorize gun sales is a big victory.”

One of the biggest cheerleaders for the new tracking code is Priscilla Sims Brown, president and CEO of New York-based, union-owned Amalgamated Bank, the gun control advocacy bank that applied for the new code from ISO. “We won,” Sims Brown stated.

The Survey Says?

Law-abiding Americans see it as nothing more than overreach, even though gun control schemers are praising the code. There has been no definition by the code’s backers as to what “suspicious activity” means. No word on what the financial institutions will do with the information and what stores will specifically be coded. Americans see the ruse.

In Washington, D.C., FOX 5 News polled their audience on the new MCC. They asked, “Do you think credit card companies should track gun sales?” In a city that has some of the country’s strictest gun control laws, and whose citizens overwhelmingly vote for gun control-supportive politicians, the response was resoundingly clear.

All told, 75 percent of respondents voted “No.” That’s crystal clear. Americans understand the code isn’t about safety at all. It’s about tracking them.

Credit Card Companies Pushed

The MCC announcement came at a pertinent time. The CEOs of major banks were grilled by lawmakers last week in Washington, D.C., over the issue. Bank CEOs from Wells Fargo, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Truist Financial Corporation, U.S. Bancorp and PNC Financial all faced questions, mostly dodged on answers and didn’t deny the banks’ consideration of implementing the code, while not outright dismissing the practice.

Senate Banking Committee annual Wall Street oversight hearing, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. On the panel from left, Wells Fargo & Company CEO and President Charles Scharf, Bank of America Chairman and CEO Brian Thomas Moynihan, JPMorgan Chase & Company Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, Truist Financial Corporation Chairman and CEO William Rogers Jr., U.S. Bancorp Chairman, President, and CEO Andy Cecere, and The PNC Financial Services Group Chairman, President, and CEO William Demchak. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser provided only a vanilla acknowledgement while not saying the bank would reject using the code. “We respect the Second Amendment, as I said, we do not intend to use the code to restrict or limit any purchases or firearm sales by our credit card customers.”

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon was similarly coy.

“We actually don’t know what they use it for, and we don’t want to be in the business of telling American citizens what they can do with their money. We understand your concerns over the issue,” he told members of the Senate Banking Committee.

In a letter responding to U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and several senators supportive of the new tracking code, American Express Executive Vice President Brett Loper wrote, “We require merchants who accept American Express cards to adhere to all applicable laws. Our policy has been, and will remain, that our customers are able to make legal firearm purchases using our Cards.”

Senator Elizabeth Warren angry
Senator Elizabeth Warren on the warpath (Shutterstock)

The announcement of the new tracking code for sales at federally-licensed firearm retailers has given the country’s largest banks just enough wiggle room to avoid being specific. In most cases, they acknowledge the code was created and state they won’t use it to deny law-abiding Americans the ability to buy lawful firearms, or that those Americans would be flagged by authorities for “suspicious activity.” Their answers are far from clear.

What is clear is that Americans don’t support the tracking code. Even in a gun-control city like Washington, D.C.

 

Larry Keane is SVP for Government and Public Affairs, Assistant Secretary and General Counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

71 COMMENTS

  1. State of FL has suggested credit card companies need to rethink their position and legislature is also looking at possible action

    • I heard, think they need to take a good hard look at all of the shipping co.’s actions lately as well. Perturbs me personally, because I have to ship one off for some custom smithy work and this feces hits the oscillator.

      We need a viable work around a.s.a.p.

  2. One thing I don’t understand: Is there a single code, or different codes for the nature of the items purchased? In other words, can they tell when I buy a gun or if it is instead a scope or ammo because different codes are used? What if the gun store is a Sportsman’s Warehouse or Cabellas and I am not buying any firearms related goods at all? A single code doesn’t tell anybody anything other than that I have been shopping at a gun store. Further, unless these credit card companies are voluntarily giving records to the .gov. .gov needs a warrant or subpoena to get them. Finally, the intended purpose, identifying “suspicious” activity, is completely unobtainable. This is security theater at its worst.

    • can they tell when I buy a gun or if it is instead a scope or ammo

      I don’t think they care WHAT you buy, they just want to know who and where you are, if you are buying gun stuff then they assume you must have guns and you will be registered accordingly. A straight up registry is illegal, but the law doesn’t say anything about tracking (aka registering) purchases from gun stores.

      • No the code will be specific to gun stores!!

        VISA’s original response back when they were asked about this specific code actually admitted that they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference when somebody is spending a thousand dollars on a gun or hiking gear!!

        • Which only really becomes a problem if you are transacting with a dedicated specialized shop.

          No one is going to immediately leap to a conclusion at Target Sports showing up on your card. But, gunsmiths for instance, don’t work at places like that.

      • No but MY Constitutioin guarantees me the right to be secure in my houses, person, papers, effects. That means a strong blanket of privacy. This smacks heavily and nastily of the “general warrants” the British troops had during the run up to the war for independence. Any soldier could emand yuo show him what”s in your house, take what he wanted, ask if you have such and such, and look where he watned in your house barn and other property.

        Nunna his bidniss but he could, and they did. That;s how General Gage’s boys learned about the new shipment of muskets out at James Barrett’s farm west of Concord, and how they learned of the presence of two cmallish bronze cannon at the taverl-owner’s house. Tey seied and destroyed the cannon, but ciuld not find the new muskets because Col Barratt’s boys and friends were busily opening up furrows with the horses and plows, and dropping the new muskets down in them before covering them up again.

        When government-friendly (sold out0 privte entities have information on what you and I are purchasing the government have that information. We KNOW the gummit cannot be trusted to use such information in a manner respective of our privacy and liberty.

        • “That means a strong blanket of privacy“

          I regret to inform you that you have no right of privacy, the constitution only prohibits the government from unreasonable searches.

          “In the opinion, Alito maintained that the right to an abortion was a part of the right to privacy — neither of which are included in the Constitution.

          In a concurring opinion penned by Justice Clarence Thomas, the conservative justice said the court should reconsider rulings that protect access to contraception, same-sex relationships, and same-sex marriage.”

          https://www.businessinsider.com/leaked-scotus-draft-opinion-right-to-privacy-rights-risk-experts-2022-5?amp

        • miner. You guys eroded the constitution for generations. 4473’s, background checks and permits to practice a right. You got what you wanted. Fewer rights and protections for the people.

          This is the end result. Congratulations. You ended abortions and a woman’s right to privacy. Proud of yourself?

          And I thank you.

        • “You ended abortions and a woman’s right to privacy“

          You think form 4473 or a background check somehow forced Justice Alito and Justice Thomas to assert man’s rights over women’s ovaries?

          Your ignorance of the facts of history is a sad commentary.

          Males have claimed ownership of women’s bodies for thousands of years, viewing women as cattle, broodmares for the male autocracy.

          The Bible and Koran codified the repression of women several hundred years ago, and it’s now becoming clear that the male dominated Abrahamic religions often hides a repressed homosexual or pedophilic desire.

          The proof is often posted on this very list, where all these Heman POTG reach immediately for a sexual insult, betraying their internal focus and desires. Here’s an example just posted on this very thread:

          “Redneck .45lc
          September 27, 2022 At 17:44
          Suck my sweaty ballsack”

          The public purity claims by religious and political men are nothing but a smokescreen for their internal landscape, what the psychologists call ‘overcompensating’.

          Your juvenile masculinity need to dominate women will be the downfall of your culture.

        • Your side set the precedent. My juvenile masculinity? What about your need to intrude into the debate? Do you have ovaries? Or is your white male privilege manifested in a need to speak out for women even though they haven’t asked you?

          What about your internal focus and desires? Control. Control. Control. Control of all regardless of race or gender.

          And what does your uncontrollable need to tear down religion say about you? Nothing pretty.

          How is halting infanticide dominating women? We have laws against murder regardless of who does the crime.

        • MINOR Miner49er Most horse pucky! You seem to have an endless supply. Can you tell me where in the Constitution it provides for a woman to have the right to kill i,e.: Murder, and unborn child for her own convenience? Last I checked it’s not in their anywhere in any way shape or form. Your sick perversion of “men have owned women” for centuries is poppycock. In ancient times up to about the 1870’s you might have a point, but since them, no so, bub!
          Who gave a woman the right to murder an unborn child for her own personal convenience?

  3. Suck my sweaty ballsack Pocahontas! How would you like to come take them bitch? I still have cash, and can borrow cash on a signature loan. You might wind up convincing me to buy more guns.

  4. The information will be vague but be sure they get raid warrants with vague information. Use cash. Wonder what would happen if all gun owners quit using their cards and used cash ?

      • That is what I decided to do, JRM. Instead of the using the credit card, pull cash from it like I would use a bank card. There is more than one way to skin that cat!

      • I’m still amused that any of that POTG would use a credit card or any form of traceable currency to purchase firearms.

        One can almost always ask and receive a discount for paying cash, to save the stores the credit card charge.

        And I gotta tell ya, us ‘intellectual elites’ have used untraceable funds to purchase our weapons ever since the days of the weather underground and Symbionese liberation Army.

        Why any self-respectin’ conspiracy lovin’ government fearing patriot would ever use traceable plastic to purchase a firearm is beyond me, and to see them all whining here in the comment section because they’s a-skeared to use their credit card is precious.

        • Same erosion of trust and rights that got abortion banned. Thank you miner.

          The fact that you cannot see your part in this puts the lie to you being an ‘intellectual elite’.

        • MINOR Miner49er For your edification in this day and age most currency is “traceable.” For your further edification, no gun dealers that I know of offer a “discount” for paying cash. I know my guy, Franks’ Guns in Marcy, NY sure doesn’t, nor does Bass Pro or Cabela’s. I am sure you and your terrorist buds did use cash to buy your weapons that you now want to deprive us of.
          There are a lot of things that are beyond you. First and foremost is intelligence.

  5. A hitch in the great private-public partnership scheme of fascism? Sounds good but history shows us that people will very easily throw away their privacy for just about anything from spam email lists to full-spectrum surveillance the likes the Patriot Act brought us and history also shows that even if 100% of the people didn’t like it government would just do it anyway. Sure, they’ll say they aren’t but they will and a decade later when it leaks they’ve been doing it all along anybody who says “I told you so” or “they shouldn’t be doing this” will be written out of society as a crazy nutjob conspiracy theorist.

  6. I never use a card for any gun related purchases. Period. Other than my house I buy nothing on credit. I get
    sent CC offer’s too.

    • And BREAKING: Just saw Tucker report “someone” blew up the Russian pipeline in the Baltic Sea. After Slow Joe said he would in February. @WW3. NO mention on the lamesteam media…

      • “someone” blew up the Russian pipeline in the Baltic Sea. After Slow Joe said he would in February. @WW3.”

        “Current speculation is it was Russia, as a way to ‘punish’ Europe with a very cold winter…

        That’s the way I heard it..“

        You realize those two conspiracy theories are mutually exclusive, right?

        So which is it? Joe or Putin?

        • Does it matter, miner? Bunch of guys spitballing around the water cooler. joe or putin or little green men? It means a bad time ahead for folks needing that fuel for the winter.

          You just wanted to try and feel superior to folks you believe are beneath you.

          Very elitist of you.

        • “So which is it? Joe or Putin?”

          Pffft, that’s easy, duh. Both of them, together. You’ve forgotten that democrats always think it’s Opposite Day, and they’ve been beating the Trump Russian Collusion drum to tatters. Not even you are so thick to have missed that, Johnson.

        • MINOR Miner4934 What a ration of crap! America blew up the pipe line? What part of stupid did that come from? The only ones who have any motivation to punish the Europeans would be your Russian Allies.

  7. There are codes that get attached to a business on it’s initial creation so that it can accept credit cards to start with. This is based on the type of business and their primary product or service sold. This could easily differentiate between your LGS and a store like Academy. But not distinguish between individual items being sold. This type of thing makes perfect sense. I can easily see a CC company wanting to seperate purchases at a department store from a card being used to pay a cell bill to a transaction at an ATM.

    It is not clear to me if THIS is the code we are talking about.

    OR…
    Is this a transactional code that distinguishes between multiple items on a single ticket. something like spending a grand at Academy with $400 on a new bike and $600 on a new gun? This makes less sense to me. Simply because THIS gets more in depth and would be more prone to error. I know this was being discussed for a while but it seemed to be implemented quite fast.

    When they tell us that it isn’t about a registry though, they might believe that themselves as the transaction would not include serial numbers or other information. Even though we all know it’s just a matter of putting two and two together.

    • When they tell us that it isn’t about a registry though, they might believe that themselves as the transaction would not include serial numbers or other information

      Not registering individual firearms, just registering individual gun owners, they just want to know who has the guns what kind of guns is irrelevant…

      • That’s easy enough to understand. But if it’s based on transaction then the only way this act makes sense is to make gun stores the only place to by guns. Otherwise it could just as easily be a $600 john boat. The only thing that makes sense is code that identifies the type of business. Even if it’s for $600 worth of ammo. That still ties the buyer with a likely gun owner if it’s an actual gun dealer. If is is what all this is about then nothing changes if you buy from Academy.

        The thing is, either this means it ONLY applies to new businesses as they open going forward or the CC companies have to re-evaluate every company they do business with. If a well established FFL doesn’t get re-evaluated then the CC companies still don’t have a way to distinguish it from ‘general merchandise’.

        • My reading so far indicates this code wil identifft merchants that trade in firearms with a sprcific code indicating this. I believe the new code tags that merchant even if they sell lots of other stuff. Cabelas is a good example of this.Tey sell hiking boots, tents, boat stuff, tents,kayaks, hiking nd trial food, food prcessing equipment, and…. firearms and ammunintion. From what I’ve seen EVERY purchase at Cabelas with a card would trigger the new code because SOME of their merchanddise includes firearms.
          So a guy coiuld drop $40K on a nice new power boat, or on twenty seven new AR style rifles and a pallet of ammunition. Same code. So precisely HOW will this “identify suspicious purchases”?

          SMoke and mirrors, and passing them off as somehow “beneficial”. ?The whiles, spying upon us.
          Cash is king.. Drop it on the table and walk out with your goods. If they go BANG, you still have to endure the NICS check, whcih is not SUPPOSED to be used to make a gun registry, Yeah, and I gots me a chkiikin can fly to the moon and back in two weeks, all by herself.

        • @Tionico
          That is what I mean. Cabelas already has a code though. With them, it would be easy to change since everyone already knows. Many places aren’t so easy. Visa would have to cross reference every merchant for the presence of a federal firearms license. This is getting into ‘racketeering’.

  8. How are the politicians going to profit from the credit card companies doing this? They do nothing unless they get something in their pockets.

    • I imagine it’s about power. I think it’s an early step in an attempt to destroy the industry, just like they’re trying to destroy the American fossil fuels industry. They need to destroy it so they can “save it” and nationalize it. They’ll try anything to make those items more expensive and more difficult to get. They also need to know how you’re spending your money so they can calculate your so_shall cred_it* score and “steer” you in the proper direction.

      *avoiding moderation

  9. Why isn’t there a list of cards that do NOT do this? Wouldn’t that at least be a temporary fix? And if those cards became significantly more popular, maybe a permanent fix.

  10. If tracking any purchase or any activity is now a mere matter of “flipping a switch” somewhere in a nameless, faceless, financial institution; then I think we’ve already lost all vestiges of personal privacy. Individual liberties soon to follow…

  11. According to Visa (the only card company so far to make such a public statement)… > https://usa.visa.com/visa-everywhere/blog/bdp/2022/09/13/protecting-legal-commerce-1663103155809.html

    Over the past week, much has been said about the role of payments companies in facilitating transactions — and what role we should play, if any, in tracking cardholder purchases. We wanted to share Visa’s perspective on this important topic.

    As background, last week the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), a global standards-setting organization, decided to establish a new merchant category code (MCC) for “gun and ammunition stores.” Many misunderstand what that means and are, in turn, advocating the use of MCCs to “track” gun sales as a potential tool in combatting gun violence. That’s not what merchant codes are designed for, nor should they be.

    MCCs already exist for hundreds of different businesses, including beauty salons, bookstores, newsstands, bowling alleys and bakeries, among many others. They are four-digit category codes used only to classify the type of business a retailer operates. However, MCCs do not give Visa or any other payment network visibility into product-level data, also known as “SKU-level” data. When we process a transaction, we have no visibility into what items a consumer is purchasing — this is true irrespective of which MCC applies to a merchant.

    We do not believe private companies should serve as moral arbiters. Asking private companies to decide what legal products or services can or cannot be bought and from what store sets a dangerous precedent. Further, it would be an invasion of consumers’ privacy for banks and payment networks to know each of our most personal purchasing habits. Visa is firmly against this.

    As we do when ISO creates a new merchant code, Visa adopts the standards that apply to our industry. For us, that means working with our financial institution clients to enable them to implement this new MCC when ISO makes it available.

    A fundamental principle for Visa is protecting all legal commerce throughout our network and around the world and upholding the privacy of cardholders who choose to use Visa. That has always been our commitment, and it will not change with ISO’s decision. Our rules require financial institutions involved in transactions to evaluate and process all legal transactions. Our network does not allow any financial institution member to deny transactions for the purchase of legal goods or services based on which MCC they fall under.

    Visa provides our services to everyone, everywhere, so long as they are used for legal purchases. We believe that is the appropriate standard.”

    1. On tracking gun purchases: “That’s not what merchant codes are designed for, nor should they be.”

    2. On knowing what one purchases: “However, MCCs do not give Visa or any other payment network visibility into product-level data, also known as “SKU-level” data. When we process a transaction, we have no visibility into what items a consumer is purchasing — this is true irrespective of which MCC applies to a merchant.”

    3. On denying purchases: “We do not believe private companies should serve as moral arbiters. Asking private companies to decide what legal products or services can or cannot be bought and from what store sets a dangerous precedent. Further, it would be an invasion of consumers’ privacy for banks and payment networks to know each of our most personal purchasing habits. Visa is firmly against this.”

    This MCC thing needs to go away. It is trying to force the card companies to act as proxy government agents to infringe on law abiding American citizens constitutional rights under the 2nd and 4th amendments and is basically an unlawful unwarranted search and an invasion of privacy afforded under the fourth amendment (…”The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects… ” – purchases are ‘effects’ and its a right for the government to not have knowledge of that unless under warrant, thus its a right to keep those things private, thus this MCC is an ‘unwarranted’ invasion of privacy by the card companies acting as proxy government agents if they turn this data over to government willfully).

    Gun owners should be contacting their credit card companies and demanding they do not apply this MCC, but rather use the existing MCC code of ‘Sporting Goods’ which already includes “gun and ammunition stores” or go back to using the ‘general goods’ MCC.

    By the way. Merchants can change their MCC. The MCC is based upon what ever the merchant says is their primary business. So gun stores can say they are ‘Sporting Goods’. The only reason they got classed previously under ‘general good’ was that when they applied for their MCC they were specific in saying ‘guns and ammunition’ were their primary business and there was no specific ‘guns and ammunition’ MCC – if they would have said ‘sporting goods’ it would have been true too. Large chain retailers like, for example, Academy Sports will still keep their ‘Sporting Goods’ MCC even though they sale firearms and ammunition. So add a few sporting goods items to your product line, for example, backpacks, and sale those too, or not, and change your MCC to ‘Sporting Goods’

      • Visa didn’t want to do it. They were forced to. Dems are using corporations to implement their agenda. Expect to see more of this in the future.

        The Puppet Admin was caught red handed colluding with powerful companies to violate free speech and no one is talking about it.

  12. Clerk Draws Own Gun Against Armed Robbery Suspect [VIDEO] > https://concealednation.org/2022/09/clerk-draws-own-gun-against-armed-robbery-suspect-video/ (video at link)

    This one kinda brings a slight chuckle.

    A man armed with a Benelli shotgun at his side entered a Florida convenience store. The clerk had retrieved his firearm and was ready for him, having seen him on surveillance camera arming up outside.

    “Once the suspect realizes he has a gun pointed at him, he starts babbling nonsense about being from Chicago and “not being from around here.” After a brief exchange with the clerk, the suspect decided it wasn’t the best time for a robbery and slowly walked out of the store.

    The police located the suspect a few days later and arrested him. He was charged with openly carrying a prohibited weapon and attempted robbery with a firearm. They also recovered the shotgun.”

    “The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said it best: ‘Words seem to fail you when your felony attempt is thwarted by lawful and righteous force. … The Sheriff’s Office ended their statement with: ‘You’re not in Chicago anymore; you’re under arrest.’ “

  13. “In Washington, D.C., FOX 5 News polled their audience on the new MCC.”

    That “survey” is meaningless. First of all, we have no idea how many people responded. Maybe 20 people responded which is NOT a statistically significant representative sample. More importantly, Fox network tends to draw a lot of politically Conservative and Independent minded people and lacks representation from Progressive minded people. Their survey responses are almost guaranteed to be horribly skewed toward Conservative and Independent respondents.

    • Sure take it with a grain of salt. It should also be noted that Fox 5 News is a local news station that isn’t necessarily conservative. You won’t find a more liberal district than DC. They voted 92% for Biden and 93% for Hillary because they value diversity of thought. I wonder why they want to make DC a state?

    • “More importantly, Fox network tends to draw…”

      I think Fox 5 News is affiliated with Disney, not Fox News Network. Disney owns Fox (the cable channel, not the news channel). They’re completely separate entities with different owners.

      • “I think Fox 5 News is affiliated with Disney, not Fox News Network“

        Nope. It’s all billionaire elitist Rupert Murdoch, doing his best to aid the traitors and seditionists in their attempt to end American self governance

        “WNYW (channel 5) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the Fox network. It is owned and operated by the network’s Fox Television Stations division alongside Secaucus, New Jersey–licensed MyNetworkTV flagship WWOR-TV (channel 9).”

        “Fox Television Stations, LLC (FTS; alternately Fox Television Stations Group, LLC), is a group of television stations located within the United States, which are owned-and-operated by the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the Fox Corporation.”

        “Fox Corporation (stylized in all-caps as FOX Corporation)[5] is a publicly traded American mass media company operated and controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in New York City. Incorporated in Delaware, it was formed in 2019 as a result of the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by The Walt Disney Company; the assets that were not acquired by Disney were spun off from 21st Century Fox as the new Fox Corp., and its stock began trading on March 19, 2019.[6][7][8][9] The company is controlled by the Murdoch family via a family trust with 39.6% ownership share“

        • Gotcha. They’re affiliated with Fox News Channel, not Disney. They’re still a local channel and DC is 90%+ liberal. Your commentary is hilarious. Thanks for the laugh.

        • MINOR Miner49er. Nice try. but you Leftists have more to gain from sedition and treason that we do. You see we revere the Constitution, while you defile it with your even use of the word. Unlike your buds at CNN and MSMBC, FOX NEWS presents its new segments in a fair and balanced manner. None of your cronies like FOX for that very reason.

        • to Walter the Beverly Hillbilly

          quote———FOX NEWS presents its new segments in a fair and balanced manner.——-quote

          You get the ‘Stupid Award of the Year” on that idiotic response. You really need to go back to school and learn critical thinking.

          That comment was so far out in space even the Klingons fell down laughing their ass off.

        • to Walther the Beverly Hillbilly

          Fox News has never won even one accredited news award. Fox News has been condemned as a far right propaganda machine by all of the world’s leading news organizations.

          But then again one who has never learned critical thinking is easily duped by its propaganda and outrageous lies.

        • dacian, the Dunderhead, ROFLAMOBT! Sorry but STUPID OF THE YEAR award goes to you, with MINOR Miner49er runner up for the position.
          For you Leftists the only critical thinking that is allowed is that spoon fed to you by your Leftist masters during your indoctrination.
          Fox is ONLY condemned by your Leftist Lame Stream Media.
          The outrageous lies as those told on CNN and MSNBC.

    • “Their survey responses are almost guaranteed to be horribly skewed toward Conservative and Independent respondents“

      Of course, that’s how Fox ‘News’ propaganda works.

      • As opposed to how your propaganda works? If you once had intellectual honesty you flushed it years ago. Was it for money?

      • MINOR Miner49er Horse pucky! FOX again presents the news in a fair and balanced manner. Both sides get to present their point of view. The propagandists are CNN and MSNBC along with your rags, the LAT and the NYT!

      • MADDMAXX September 28, 2022 At 17:51
        Your comment is awaiting moderation
        Their survey responses are almost guaranteed to be horribly skewed toward Conservative and Independent respondents“

        You do understand this about respondents in Washington DC, right? You couldn’t find enough conservatives and independents to skew ANY survey, they would have to go to Southern VA to find that many right leaning individuals.
        Wow been awhile since I got “moderated” and this is the most innocuous post I’ve dropped in a week, cool.

  14. Gun control proponents are obsessed with “tracking” gun sales for some reason. I know that there are those that are fully in favor of back-door registration and confiscation but, for those who claim not to be or who recognize that such an effort entails a lot more than knowing who bought what, what is the utility of knowing what someone purchased? The gun isn’t going to do anything by itself and, given that the purchaser has to get all 4473’d anyway (at least, anywhere that accepts credit cards), what does knowing how much they spent on the gat accomplish. I recognize that the gun-control crowd has a wholly unrealistic and cartoonish image of the typical gun buyer but, do they really believe that some little data stream that shows that Billy-Bob spent $3723.14 on gun-stuff is going to prevent some sort of crime from taking place? From the way they fixate on the purchasing process, you would think that they believe that everyone who has ever committed a crime with a gun bought it the day before.

    Roughly half the guns I own are older that I am. I have no idea who the original purchaser was (except for a couple that I know my grandfather bought new) and I cannot imagine why I would care. (Unless, of course, I could prove that one of them was purchase by Bill Cody or Teddy Roosevelt. If I discover that to be true, well, those guns will be up for auction soon ’cause that could fund a lot of other purchases.)

    What do the gun-grabbers think they are going to accomplish? They won’t prevent any crimes. In a perfect world, they could maybe establish the Joe Citizen has spent 10 times the average on guns in the last year but, so what? That guy might have a big collection or he might just have finally dropped the cash for that Holland and Holland he has wanted for 20 years.

    The only conceivable excuse they could have, as far as I can figure, is to just make life suck a little bit more for the average gun owner. For people that claim we gun guys are terrifying and dangerous, they sure do seem to like to poke the bear a lot.

    I wonder if these goofballs are gonna figure out that cash and venmo are things.

    • “do they really believe that [insert latest thing] is going to prevent some sort of crime from taking place?”

      You’re approaching this all wrong. No they don’t think it will prevent crime. That isn’t the point. It’s never the point. We have the data to prove it. They don’t care.

      “What do the gun-grabbers think they are going to accomplish?”

      They’re laying the infrastructure for a so_shall cred_it system. The system is already being used. Look into to ESG. They will use that data to “guide” companies and individuals into behaving how they’re “supposed” to behave. It’s all about control. They want every big box store to go the route of Dicks Sporting Goods. The mom and pops will be easier to pick off. The ATF is already trying it when an FFL forgets to cross a t or dot an i.

      “I wonder if these [_] are gonna figure out that cash and venmo are things.”

      Yes, they’re working on that too. They’d prefer a digital currency that they control.

      *If you’re wondering about [_] and spelling, I’m avoiding moderation. It’s annoying.

    • The end goal is gun confiscation, period. And those who want it desperately need a gun registration list. What better way to implement one, than to “track” ammo and gun purchases? People cannot be treated like slaves if they are armed. Commie-loving Democrats, and equally power-hungry RINO’s, are all-too ready to disarm Americans. Until they do that, they actually have to behave themselves. And, as one remarked years ago, on another thread: If they are treating Americans this badly while we are armed to the teeth, imagine how bad it will get if they can actually disarm everyone.

  15. Credit card coding for gun purchases will only track law-abiding purchasers so this dum idea will have absolutely zero impact on illegal gun sales. Criminals steal guns or they buy stolen guns for cash in some dark alley or dive bar. Give me a break.

  16. Credit card coding for gun purchases will only track law-abiding purchasers so this dumb idea will have absolutely zero impact on illegal gun sales. Criminals steal guns or they buy stolen guns for cash in some dark alley or dive bar. Give me a break.

    • See above. This isn’t about fighting crime. None of their efforts are about fighting crime. Quite the opposite actually.

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