The NRA Fights for Terror Suspects' Gun Rights

We prevent them from flying, but not buying weapons
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted May 6, 2010 11:40 AM CDT
The NRA Fights for Terror Suspects' Gun Rights
A woman points a handgun with a laser sight on a wall display of other guns during the National Rifle Association convention Friday, April 13, 2007, in St. Louis.   (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

If you ascribe to George W. Bush's “you're either with us or you're with the terrorists” logic, then the head of the NRA “should be just a few frequent-flier miles short of a free ticket to Gitmo right about now,” argues Dana Milbank of the Washington Post. The gun-loving group literally went to Capitol Hill yesterday to fight for terror suspects' right to buy weapons.

The Obama administration is trying to revive a law originally proposed by Bush, which would prevent people on the terror watch list—the people we don't allow to get on airplanes—from buying guns or explosives. Seemed logical enough to Mike Bloomberg, New York's mayor, who took a break from the Times Square bomber drama to testify in favor it. But not to the NRA, which argued that some people on the list might be innocent, and we wouldn't want to deprive them of their rights. Besides, they said, it's a conspiracy from “politicians who hate the Second Amendment” and secretly want to put everyone on the watch list. (More NRA stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X