Less than a week after the Sandy Hook shooting, CNN host Piers Morgan got into a heated debate with Larry Pratt, the executive director of Gun Owners of America, which you can see part of below:
Shortly after, a movement to deport Morgan, a British citizen, for “attacking the Second Amendment, appeared on the White House’s “We the People” petition website.
It was, and still is, stupid. But it achieved the magic number of 35,000 signatures within 30 days, which meant that the White House had to respond to it. This is, in part, that response:
Let’s not let arguments over the Constitution’s Second Amendment violate the spirit of its First. President Obama believes that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. However, the Constitution not only guarantees an individual right to bear arms, but also enshrines the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press — fundamental principles that are essential to our democracy. Americans may disagree on matters of public policy and express those disagreements vigorously, but no one should be punished by the government simply because he or she expressed a view on the Second Amendment — or any other matter of public concern.
The fact that a movement to deport someone for having an opinion came up, and actually became a thing, astounds me. That there were, and still are, people who were willing to ignore the First Amendment to “protect” the Second (“That man had a thought that wasn’t congruent with mine! Get him!”) seems insane, especially considering that the original petition cited Morgan’s vehement disagreement with the Second Amendment to be “undermining the Bill of Rights.”
The White House didn’t come out and call this petition flat-out stupid—but they damn well should have.
This article appears in Jan 10-16, 2013.
And how does this qualify for local news?
Any proposal that is not very liberal is “stupid” to you guys. Would you be totally amazed to learn that your opinions are considered stupid by many Tucsonians who have broad education and successful lives?
Let’s have a small government with limited powers except when it comes to women, anyone who disagrees with me and especially foreigners.
Live in Wyoming, be a liberal. See where that 1st Amendment right gets you. That is a big part of the problem in this country now, “if you don’t agree with what I’m saying then you’re wrong.” Whatever happened to compromise? Or listening to another point of view. We may all learn something from the latter
Duke Kent: So glad that group of people have you as a spokesman. Is that an elected position? Is there a specific term or do you keep the gig indefinitely?
However, trying to deport someone because you don’t agree with something they say is stupid. Sorry to be the one to break it to you (and the educated people across town you represent).
Try even asking what the problem is with the UN.People really cannot explain just what it is they do not like about the UN.This dislike of the UN is one of those things passed down through family beliefs expressed around the Thanksgiving dinner table.Sure the UN is not efficient and a case for corruption can be made, but talking out our problems is so much prefered than using the military.By the way,the UN uses white,not black helicopters.
Huh, I’m a little nervous that my previous comment has only received “likes” considering some of the views expressed. Still haven’t figured out that sarcasm HTML, so to be clear: The hypocrisy of promoting one Constitutional Amendment to the detriment of another is just some more of the same for many “conservatives”. Can’t spend a dollar for aid unless it is my district, can’t restrict freedom unless it is freedom of reproductive choice…
Duke: This is a little off subject Mr. Educated but it’s “Tucsonans” not “Tucsonians”. Just saying……
Where is the movement to deport Rupert Murdoch who has done more to undermine our democracy than anyone else I can think of? His Fox News makes people more ignorant.
First, let me say I don’t always agree with Fox News but they are generally correct. Second, the First amendment will collapse IF the second amendment ceases to function. How do I know that, well the experts all agree it does! Who are these experts? Stalin, Lenin, Hitler, Kim Jung Il, quadaffi, and what’s his name in Iran! Oh, I also need to mention all the thieves in prison that are for gun control also, it would make stealing from you easier.
piers was laughed at by larry, it was professionally personal and piers used this as part of his platform instead of seeing the laughter as it was meant. all that was really needed was a gong for bad performance, not deportation.
The quaint notion that the “Constitution guarantees the individual right to own guns” is all of 2 years old — handed down by the reactionary, activist, execrable right-wing Roberts court…
And it’s easily susceptible to remediation by changing ONE vote on that body…
Which is likely to be accomplished during the next 4 years…
If not then, then CERTAINLY during eight years of the following Clinton Administration…
Because the republicans are surely shooting themselves in the foot at every opportunity (pun intended)…and show themselves incapable of beating ANY Democrat running for the White House…
I would agree with Pratt; the evil is in his heart, not in his gun. But there is a chance he can find redemption and have that evil cast out. Empathy, not fear, will be he result of that change. And when Pratt walks in the Light, he will no longer need a gun.