Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy is going to sign an executive order that would ban people on terrorist watch lists from buying firearms. The state already has some of the most stringent anti-gun laws on the books (via NYT):
“Like all Americans, I have been horrified by the recent terrorist attacks in San Bernardino and Paris,” Mr. Malloy said. “This should be a wake-up call to all of us. This is a moment to seize in America — and today I’m here to say that we in Connecticut are seizing it.”[…]
On Sunday, President Obama, in a televised address to the nation on the threat of terrorism, called for federal regulations that would bar those on the federal no-fly list from buying guns.
“What could possibly be the argument for allowing a terrorist suspect to buy a semiautomatic weapon?” Mr. Obama said. “This is a matter of national security
Well, Mr. constitutional law professor, there is something called due process of law. You cannot be stripped of any rights without being charged, knowing what those charges are, and going through the legal process to ascertain guilt, innocence, or a not guilty verdict since the evidence presented still carried reasonable doubt. There’s a transparent legal process. That is conspicuously absent within the screening process for government terrorist watch lists, which are also incredibly secretive.
The liberal LA Times even said that those on terror watch lists should be allowed to buy firearms since this Bush-era program is fraught with constitutional issues. In essence, the president and the governor of Connecticut think rights enshrined in our constitution should be stripped based on mere suspicion. That’s horrifying.