The tragic shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida has opened up a wide open debate on a number of topics. Should weapons like the AR-15 be readily available legally and easily in the United States of America? Should those suspected of ties to terrorism be allowed to even purchase a gun? It’s a passionate debate, but one that has largely been clouded by emotion and devoid of logic.
United States Senator Dianne Feinstein has joined the debate.
After the Pulse shooting, Democrats immediately seized on the political opportunity. The gun control agenda sparked again, with the same old used talking points about how gun control would have prevented the tragedy. Would background checks had stopped a security guard from having a weapon? Not likely, but this doesn’t matter to those with a political agenda.
But beyond this, Senator Feinstein and others have taken the debate to a new extreme. Anyone on a watchlist should not be allowed to acquire a gun.
In theory, the idea of a terrorist not being able to legally purchase a gun seems like a logical idea. Who wants bad people to have weapons and misuse them by murdering innocent people? Nobody, not even gun rights advocates, want that. But how do we decide who a terrorist is and what defines a bad guy?
Was 8-year-old Mikey Hicks a terrorist when he found himself on the watchlist simply because he shared the name with a Michael Hicks who was being monitored by the federal government? Does the fact that some government agents decided that sharing a name warranted enough suspicion mean he’s a bad person?
Does Senator Feinstein believe it was right for this little boy to be touched thoroughly at an airport and be humiliated in front of parents and other people?
This is wrong and most people would agree. This is why due process exists in America. If you’re suspected of being guilty of a crime, the accuser brings a case against you and then you have your day in court. The principle of innocent until proven guilty is central to the freedom this country stands for.
Unfortunately in recent decades, this has eroded. People like Jose Padilla, a United States citizen, have been detained and held without charge for a number of years simply because the President declared him an “enemy combatant.” That’s it.
In America, a judge no longer has to preside over a case and allow the accused to defend themselves. The President of the United States or government agents can decide your guilt for you. This is enough to have your access to rights guaranteed under the Bill of Rights taken away.
This is about more than just a gun. Liberals may feel that this is all worth it just over a gun. But we now live in a lawless society. The judicial system is a mere charade that exists to give the appearance of separation of powers.
