No-Fly List Is Not A Reason To Bar Gun Sales

Last week the three California Republicans seeking to replace U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer had their only televised debate before the June 8th primary.  On the big issues, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and former Rep. Tom Campbell were in agreement.  That was until they got to talking about the federal government’s No-Fly List.

If you are unfamiliar with the No-Fly list, let me give the exact text from the TSA’s own website:

The “No-Fly” list has been an essential element of the aviation security – it keeps known terrorists off planes. TSA and our Federal partners, including the intelligence and law enforcement communities, have worked together to combine our collective knowledge into one list that protects our country, transportation systems, and airline passengers.

So when a question was posed to the candidates, “Should people on the No-Fly list be able to purchase a gun?” All logic and reason left the building, which is not a rare occurrence for any gathering of California GOP members.

Tom Campbell said no.

Chuck DeVore said yes, people on the terrorist watch list have a Second Amendment right to buy firearms, so long as they have not been convicted of a crime.

Carly Fiorina agreed with DeVore and added, “That’s why Tom Campbell has kind of a poor rating from the National Rifle Association, right there,” Fiorina chimed in.

Campbell tried to defend his position saying that people should wait until they are off the no-fly list before buying a gun. Fiorina disputed that, saying that many people undeservedly land on the no-fly list, while DeVore said it would infringe on one’s right to a trial.

“That is not an infringement on anybody’s Second Amendment rights,” said Campbell, a former law professor at Stanford. “It seems somewhat unusual to take that position – except perhaps in a Republican primary.”

So of these three its clear that Tom Campbell is the only one with a functioning brain.  DeVore and Fiorina are saying that people the national intelligence agencies have deemed a potential threat and are too dangerous to fly on airplanes to, from, or in the United States– should be able to buy guns.

By DeVore and Fiorina’s logic, Faisal Shahzad, the suspect in the Times Square car bomb plot could buy firearms today; since he has not been convicted of a crime.  With this and Rand Paul’s “accidents happen” mantra GOP has ceased to be the party of “no”, its quickly becoming the party of “nonsense”.