Politics

Sharpton on 2nd Amendment: ‘People do not have the right to unregulated rights in this country’ [VIDEO]

Nicholas Ballasy Senior Video Reporter
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Following a public policy meeting of African-American leaders, National Urban League president Marc Morial and National Action Network president Al Sharpton called for a new national assault weapons ban, saying the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution should be regulated.

“The Constitution and the Bill of Rights are not absolute. One cannot yell fire in a crowded theater and hide behind the First Amendment,” said Morial when asked by TheDC if he supports California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s assault weapon ban bill. (RELATED: Feinstein calls for banning more than 150 types of firearms during dramatic press conference)

“And we absolutely think that the idea of banning a military style assault weapon, a weapon that I am confident that Thomas Jefferson and James Madison never laid their eyes on, is not inconsistent with the rights of those who self-protect, those who shoot, who want to participate in sporting and hunting,”

“No one has been more aggressive in our defense of the Constitution than this nation’s civil rights leaders. …We respect the Second Amendment,” Morial added. “None of these provisions speak in absolute terms.”

TheDC asked Rev. Sharpton if he agreed with Morial’s comments.

“Absolutely, I mean if you look at the Second Amendment it was that you would have militia to protect yourself in case the government came and attacked citizens,” he responded.

“First of all, if the government were to come to disarm you, you would not be able to use an automatic weapon to defend yourself. Let’s be serious. We’re in a world of drones now so the Second Amendment would not help you in that area. It is absurd to try to cite that.”

“People do not have the right to unregulated rights in this country,” Sharpton continued. “And I think that for those that use the Second Amendment [they] are conceding that they have no argument on why you need a magazine with 100 rounds of ammunition or 30 rounds of ammunition.”

Sharpton also said “everybody is regulated with every right,” using airports as an example.

“I don’t have the right to tell them at the airport that I cite the Constitution so I’m not showing you my ID and walk through,” he said.

Morial said he is “waiting for someone to suggest that the Second Amendment gives them the right to own a tank and to park it in their driveway.”

The group of more than 60 leaders were meeting to discuss “federal policy recommendations” for President Obama and Congress.

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