In last night’s presidential address, President Obama made a point of stating that people on the no fly list be barred from being able to purchase firearms, which to many, might seem to be a reasonable restriction.
But… there are other factors involved in it, as US Senator Mike Rounds brings up in a recent interview with South Dakota Public Broadcasting:
U.S. Senator Mike Rounds questions a call by the Obama Administration to prohibit someone on the no fly list from owning a gun in the United States.
and..
But Senator Mike Rounds worries this would violate the constitution.
“Being able to fly is one thing but constitutional protections for someone to be able to have an arms, to have the right to bear arms, to keep and bear arms, is a constitutionally protected right. And, if you’re going to take that away from someone there has to be a due process involved in it,” says Rounds
And Senator Rounds brings up a good point. the Second Amendment. If you want to restrict someone from flying that’s one thing, but due process needs to come into play if you’re going to strip someone of that right granted under the Second Amendment. Which also brings in the The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.
Terrorism is specifically designed to instill fear in the hearts of people. We should not let fear serve as an excuse to allow others to promote a political agenda designed to take rights away from us.
This is absolutely correct. The idea that this president has along with the liberal left to use terrorist activity to restrict guns on citizens, esp without due process, is ludicrous. Obama must not have any faith in his TSA?
I agree with you, but will add one more thing. Hillary Clinton has repeatedly made known her vehement opposition to gun ownership, so we must defeat her in 2016 or we will have the same battle again!
The audacity of stupid. The Founding Fathers® deemed the right to travel as so basic, so integral, to our way of life they didn’t bother to put it in the constitution. If you’re going to suspend such a basic right for security theatre, why not include guns and warrantless wiretaps? Hypocrite much, Marion?
I’d consider this compromise:
1) A person can’t buy a firearm if on the “no-fly” list so long as the enhance and speed up getting off the list (might be sufficient due process Senator Rounds is referencing). They throw people on the list with an abundance of caution and they require one to get there name off.
2) Anyone who is in America on a Visa from a country with known radical Islamic activity must in-person provide updated place of residence within 30 days and every 90 days, confirm they are meeting terms of Visa (in school, working etc.), and any attempt of such person to buy a fire-arm or ammunition triggers an alert across all pertinent law enforcement.
Obama is apparently not aware that there are
1. A “no fly list” and a
2. “Terrorist watch list”
Either list can be manipulated for political reasons without much recourse for persons on the list.
With a president like Obama, it’s a recipe for punishing political enemies.
Not just “no way Obama”, but
HELL NO!
There is a story about 70+ DHS EMPLOYEES on Obama’s watch list. So these people can work for the federal government, in the department of homeland insecurity, but they can’t own a gun??? Holy $!
Terrorists. They do not even care if they survive, so why on earth would they care that they broke the law? I try not to underestimate them. I believe that they are capable of buying guns on the black market or, crazy as it may sound, stealing them.
Why would Obama worry about something as trivial as the Constitution??
He’s got a phone, and he’s got a pen…remember?