Ladies and Gentlemen:

I strongly oppose the rewrite of the State Department’s arms control regulations (ITAR), which could potentially grant the State Department a wide-ranging power to monitor and control gun-related speech on the Internet.

The new language — which includes “making technical data available via a publicly available network (e.g., the Internet)” — could put anyone who violates this provision in danger of facing decades in prison and massive fines.

So posting information on virtually any firearm or ammunition could be defined by the Obama administration as requiring, not only government permission, but potentially a government license. This means violators would potentially face significant criminal penalties.

I also oppose the addition of the word “software” into these regulations, as it appears to be a not-so-veiled effort to ban 3-D printers.

I urge you to repeal these new regulations in their entirety. Whether you like it or not, the First and Second Amendments are still the law of the land!

Sincerely,

Catherine Austin FItts
Former Assistant Secretary of Housing
Solari Inc.

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Oppose Obama’s Proposal to Make Information-Sharing on Guns Illegal