By senorgrand:
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Open Letter on the No Fly List
President Obama, Dianne Feinstein and other noted opponents of civil liberties have been advocating that we use the No Fly List to keep “terror suspects” from exercising their their Second Amendment rights.
I spent some time reading-up on the No Fly List. Here’s what can land you on that list:
1) Being an ACLU attorney opposing the No Flight List
2) Protesting the death penalty
3) Having a terrorist use your name as a false identity
4) Being a known leftist agitator
5) The US Government want you to be an informant
6) Being a noted peace activist
7) Being Muslim
This is in addition to the reports of babies, Iraq War veterans, US Senators, famous musicians, and spouses of famous politicians of being prevented from flying.
Now gun prohibitionists want to use this same list to prevent some people from exercising their constitutional civil liberties.
If we are going to use secret lists of the government’s enemies to suspend constitutional rights, is it so unlikely that such lists won’t be expanded to include other civil liberties? Why not suspend the Fourth Amendment rights of these individuals so that we can tap their phones, search their homes and pat them down without warrants or probable cause? Why not suspend their Sixth Amendment rights so that we can detain them indefinitely without trial, establishing “baby Gitmos” all across America? Why not suspend the Eighth Amendment, so we can reinstate waterboarding and other forms of torture on American citizens who find themselves on this list? While we’re at it, let’s suspend the Fourteenth Amendment so we can just rename the No Fly List what it should be more accurately called: The Muslim Watch List.
I know that people are scared right now and looking for easy solutions to make them safer. I also know that during times of heightened anxiety about national security, it is all too easy to allow fear to fuel your underlying racism.
But I encourage you not give-in to your own fears of Muslim Americans legally owning firearms. These people have committed no crimes and should have the protection of the whole constitution, not just the parts you feel comfortable with.
I beg you to look into your heart and ask yourself if the reason you’re scared is because of guns or because you’re scared of Muslims.