Assault on 2nd Amendment draws fire

Today the Obama administration rolled out an aggressive series of proposals for new gun control measures.

The proposals include: an assault-weapons ban, expansion of background checks for all firearms buyers and limits on high-capacity ammunition clips.

Today’s press conference featured 23 executive orders aimed at tightening federal control over gun rights.

In President Obama’s first term he has issued 144 total executive orders.  Today’s total signifies a nearly 15% increase in the total number of executive orders for his term on this one issue.

In regards to the proposed legislative action, President Obama called for outlawing magazine clips of more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Today’s proposals would be the most sweeping change in gun control laws since the 1960’s.

Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-2) issued the following statement in response to the Obama administration’s proposals:  "The constitution was not written by the government to tell the people what rights they had. The constitution was written by the people to limit the government’s power. What the Obama administration is proposing in potential legislative actions and executive orders is a violation of 2nd amendment rights which guarantees us the right to keep and bear arms.

"In Oklahoma there are many law abiding citizens who hunt, fish and keep guns for self-protection. The last thing we need to do infringe upon the rights of those citizens. Criminals who chose to break the law will not be deterred by any number of executive actions. These rights are a fundamental way of life for people in my District and across the United States.

The President is politicizing a national tragedy to impose his own personal agenda. This is outrageous and an outright assault on civil liberties. I strongly oppose restricting the rights of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms and will do everything I can to protect our second amendment rights."

Freedom Watch files

Larry Klayman, the founder of Freedom Watch, announced today that he and Freedom Watch have filed suit against President Barack Obama’s and Vice President Joe Biden’s Gun Control Task Force.  The case, brought in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida (CV-26-22PRL), alleges that under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Defendants had a duty to the American people to provide at least 15 days notice to the public of the meetings which Biden has been chairing to recommend so called gun control measures following the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Klayman emphasized: “In their zeal to use this tragedy for political purposes and to try to ram quickly increased legislative gun control measures, if not gun confiscation and/or significant infringement through executive order, down the throats of the American people – in violation of Second Amendment rights – President Obama and Vice President Biden have thumbed their nose at the law and instead been holding closed door meetings with special interest lobbyists on both sides of the issue. The American people, whose rights to gun ownership stem from colonial times and are enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, are being illegally shut out of the process.

"In this regard, on January 7, 2013, Freedom Watch demanded in writing that the 15 days notice be provided and that Larry Klayman and it be permitted to be present and participate on behalf of the American people. This legal demand fell on deaf ears. There simply is no excuse for the president and vice president, as occurred with its Obamacare federal advisory committee, to make gun policy exclusively with lobbyists. Open government is more honest government,” Klayman wrote.

To view the complaint, click here for www.freedomwatchusa.org.

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla) statement follows:

“While we mourn with those who have lost loved ones, in no way should the actions of those few who act illegally impact the constitutional rights of the many,” said Inhofe.  “I will continue to strongly oppose any effort to undermine the Second Amendment and an individual citizen's right to keep and bear arms.”

Inhofe continued, “What people need to understand about today’s announcement is that it involved two very distinct actions by the president: 1) executives actions that the President will be implementing unilaterally, and 2) making recommendations to Congress for laws that it should pass. Most of the planned executive orders are common sense changes that are within the President’s current powers to implement, namely: 1)  Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign. 2)  Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations. 3)  Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime. 4)  Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.

“I will adamantly oppose any executive order that I believe infringes upon duly enacted laws by the Congress or on our Constitutional rights. Where I do disagree with the President is on his recommendations for laws Congress should pass.

We know from experience that an assault weapons ban will have no meaningful effect on gun violence, as many of the changes that are implemented by a such a ban are cosmetic in nature. Statistics demonstrate that a ban on particular weapons will not significantly decrease crime. Such a ban will, however, significantly decrease our rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

“The text of the Constitution clearly confers upon an individual the right to bear arms – and not just for the purposes of hunting as many liberals will claim. Our Founders believed that the people’s right to own guns was an important check on the powers of the government and ‘necessary to the security of a free State.’ I couldn’t agree more and I stand firm in my support of this right."

Statement from the National Rifle Association of America:

"Throughout its history, the National Rifle Association has led efforts to promote safety and responsible gun ownership.  Keeping our children and society safe remains our top priority.

"The NRA will continue to focus on keeping our children safe and securing our schools, fixing our broken mental health system, and prosecuting violent criminals to the fullest extent of the law.  We look forward to working with Congress on a bi-partisan basis to find real solutions to protecting America’s most valuable asset – our children.

"Attacking firearms and ignoring children is not a solution to the crisis we face as a nation.  Only honest, law-abiding gun owners will be affected and our children will remain vulnerable to the inevitability of more tragedy.

"Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America's oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group. Four million members strong, NRA continues to uphold the Second Amendment and advocates enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation's leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the armed services."