First They Came for the Rocketeers, But I Wasn't a Rocketeer...

A stretch perhaps, that title. But not too far, I think.

Do you have a hobby (besides blogging) that might be of interest to some overzealous Department of Justice flunky? Think that's an overstatement?

Think again (WSJ - subscription req'd):

Since the passage of the initial post-9/11 antiterrorism laws in October 2001, hobby rocketry has been struggling to avoid regulation that enthusiasts say will destroy their sport, deter youngsters from pursuing an interest in science and waste the nation's limited law-enforcement resources. The Department of Justice says that federal agents need to keep an eye on who is buying model rockets because the toys are potentially dangerous and could be adapted by terrorists to attack airplanes and American soldiers.

The DoJ wants to do fingerprinting and background checks on anyone who buys more than a certain number of rocket engines - and that number is not very high. But rest assured, there is nothing too minor for BushCo. to completely screw up. Here's the closing paragraph:

One oddity of the government crackdown is the focus on rockets and not guidance systems. "The secret is in the guidance systems," says Arthur "Trip" Barber, a former captain of a U.S. navy guided missile destroyer, who is now vice president of the National Association of Rocketry. "I can build a rocket overnight but I couldn't build a guidance system in a lifetime."

Maybe the hobby rocket motor industry hasn't given enough money to the Bush campaign this cycle...