Congress Should Defend Due Process, Not Tear It Down
FreedomWorks today strongly criticized a reported proposal to prohibit individuals suspected of, though not prosecuted for, ties to terrorism from legally purchasing a firearm. The watch list has flaws and has also been used wrongly to prevent innocent Americans from flying, including the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Fox News commentator Stephen Hayes. No constitutional right, including the right to bear arms, should be taken away on a hunch. Due process is required.
Additionally, as pointed out by NBC News, “experts question whether the so-called ‘no fly, no buy’ approach would be effective, noting that it would not have prevented several of the most grisly recent mass shootings in Orlando, Florida; San Bernardino, California; and Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.” FreedomWorks could not agree more.
“We should evaluate how we can better enforce existing laws across the board without trampling over our most basic, constitutionally protected freedoms,” said FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon. “The notion that the federal government can disregard these freedoms based on the suspicion that someone is engaged in nefarious behavior is frightening. The presumption of innocence and due process are the foundation of the American legal system. We should defend and reaffirm these freedoms.”
“The debate over this is just as much about the right to due process protected by the Fifth and Fourteenth amendments as it is the Second Amendment. We absolutely must defend the Constitution and the freedoms protected by the Bill of Rights. These documents are what make the American experiment so special,” said Brandon. “We hope that Congress will resist any effort to undermine the presumption of innocence and due process.”
FreedomWorks aims to educate, build, and mobilize the largest network of activists advocating the principles of smaller government, lower taxes, free markets, personal liberty and the rule of law. For more information, please visit www.FreedomWorks.org or contact Jason Pye at JPye@freedomworks.org.
