December 4, 2015/News, Press Releases
Gun Debate Emerges Following California Shooting
Key Point:
Malloy said he thinks it’s common sense to close a loophole that allows Americans on intelligence-based terror watch lists to purchase guns. [CCDL President Scott] Wilson says there isn’t a defined right to transportation.
“We don’t have a constitutional right to fly on an airplanes but we do as law-abiding citizens if we have not been convicted of a crime, or under indictment for a crime have a right to own firearms. That’s a constitutional principle that this country was founded on.”
CT Dems’ Reaction:
The Connecticut Citizens Defense League, just like their allies in the national and state Republican Parties, is fighting to make sure terrorists have access to deadly weapons. This is beyond extreme. To try to use the Second Amendment to claim that Congress cannot regulate terrorists’ ability to do harm to our citizens with firearms is just plain wrong.
And yet Republicans in the Senate last night – spurred on by the extremest views of the NRA and CCDL – blocked a bill that would have blocked people suspected of terrorism from obtaining weapons.
The silence of Connectiucut Republican Party Chairman J.R. Romano and all other GOP officials is deafening. This is a time to show leadership, not stay silent and implicitly endorse the gun lobby’s insistence in protecting the rights of terrorists to buy weapons.
“This is the most common sense action we can take. Terrorists should not be allowed to have weapons. Connecticut Republicans need to show some leadership and break with extremists in the gun lobby by calling on GOP leadership to pass this no-brainer legislation.” – Connecticut Democratic Party spokesman Leigh Appleby
NBC-CT: Gun Debate Emerges Following California Shooting
“We have a national emergency” Gov. Malloy said following an event in New London. “Our children are being killed on a daily basis. Our coworkers are being killed on a daily basis.”
He went on saying, “Since 2001, over 400,000 individuals in America, Americans, have died as a result of gun violence” and said nearly 4,000 Americans have died due to international terrorist attacks.
“You can’t have it both ways. You can’t be worried about terrorism around the world that’s taken the lives of 3,800 Americans in the same period of time and not be worried about gun violence in America that’s taken more than 400,000 lives.”
Gun rights advocates like those at the Connecticut Citizens Defense League say politicians are wrongly using the attack in San Bernardino to forward an anti-gun owning agenda.
“Our elected officials here in Connecticut love gun control and they will use any means they can to affect that gun control” said CCDL’s President Scott Wilson.
“They continually overlook the fact that criminals, terrorists, people who are out to harm people do whatever they can do to get a gun or any other kind of weapon, we’re looking at IEDs that were used. They will hurt and kill people no matter how they can do it.”
Malloy said he thinks it’s common sense to close a loophole that allows Americans on intelligence-based terror watch lists to purchase guns. Wilson says there isn’t a defined right to transportation.
“We don’t have a constitutional right to fly on an airplanes but we do as law-abiding citizens if we have not been convicted of a crime, or under indictment for a crime have a right to own firearms. That’s a constitutional principle that this country was founded on.”
Malloy says Americans have to come up with solutions to prevent more people from dying at the hands of people who acquired guns legally and illegally.
“It is undeniable that America has a problem and I’ll take any reasonable approach to resolving that problem.”