By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Sunday, the ‘New York Times’ used its front page for a Sunday editorial attempting to make the case that Americans giving up some of their unprecedented Second Amendment gun liberties to make mass shootings like the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California less frequent. State Auditor Jim Zeigler disagrees.
Auditor Zeigler said of the editorial, “Second amendment supporters need to read this and let others know. The big push is starting to take guns away from law-abiding citizens as a supposed means of stopping shootings by terrorists and criminals. This is the first time since 1920 that the NY Times has run a front-page editorial.”
On Sunday, December 6 President Barack H Obama (D) did call for more restrictions both on who can own guns and on what kinds of guns we would be allowed to buy. Pres. Obama said in his primetime speech, “To begin with, Congress should act to make sure no one on a no-fly list is able to buy a gun. What could possibly be the argument for allowing a terrorist suspect to buy a semi-automatic weapon? This is a matter of national security.”
Nobody wants to see terrorists buy guns; but most people on the no-fly list have never been convicted of anything. In fact 72 Department of Homeland Security employees somehow made the watch list. Should the Department of Homeland Security be able to bureaucratically deny Americans their gun rights, without any kind of jury trial solely on suspicion?
U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R from Montgomery) said, “President Obama is wrong to use the terrorist threat to advance his anti-gun agenda. Trying to strip law-abiding Americans of their 2nd Amendment right to own firearms is no way to combat terrorism. I will fight any attempt by President Obama to erode our 2nd Amendment rights.”
Pres. Obama continued, “We also need to make it harder for people to buy powerful assault weapons like the ones that were used in San Bernardino. I know there are some who reject any gun safety measures. But the fact is that our intelligence and law enforcement agencies — no matter how effective they are — cannot identify every would-be mass shooter, whether that individual is motivated by ISIL or some other hateful ideology. What we can do — and must do — is make it harder for them to kill.”
California already has strict laws banning the kinds of assault weapons used in the San Bernardino attack. The Islamo-fascist terrorist couple just bought conventional California legal AR platform weapons and then modified the weapons themselves in preparation for the attack.
Auditor Zeigler disagrees with President Obama and the ‘New York Times’. Zeigler said, “A prepared citizen with a gun can prevent or lessen an attack. Waiting on law enforcement to respond can often be too late to stop attackers. Armed citizens can respond virtually immediately. Citizens in Alabama are figuring this out, and some government officials are starting to see the light – or feel the heat.”
Zeigler said, “Maybe the rest of the nation will follow Alabama’s example on this vital change – allowing our citizens to be their own first line of defense.”
America has reached a fork in the road with dealing with terrorism. The Obama Administration would like to see more limited access to guns. Zeigler would rather more Americans carry guns so that when there is an event like the San Bernardino Public Health Department Christmas Party there are many more guns in the room so the citizenry can confront the terrorists.
Auditor Zeigler said of the President’s speech Sunday night, “On this Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, President Obama’s oval office speech cries out for comparison with the Presidential speech given Dec. 8 of 1941. Obama announced no new military strategy, gave no clear plan for protecting America, and continued to blame Americans.”
Auditor Jim Zeigler was elected in 2014. Zeigler is an attorney. He previously has served the people of Alabama as Public Service Commissioner.
