Jacob Sullum obtains a clarification from Gun Owners of America's Larry Pratt, who claims that he was misquoted and that he opposes the South Dakota gun law barring legal permanent residents from ownership, which the local ACLU is challenging.
3. Aliens living in this country still possess their God-given rights.
Note, however, that within our constitutional system of government, some rights of citizenship (such as the right to vote) are fully protected only for actual U.S. citizens. This is, perhaps, where the confusion has arisen.
On the one hand, I argued that aliens should not be able to vote in our country. But fundamental human rights such as the right to self-defense as embodied by keeping and bearing arms, on the other hand, SHOULD MOST DEFINITELY extend to everyone, period.
4. As for the xenophobia that some have accused me of because of the misunderstanding relating to Wayne Smith, well, that's laughable. I've been happily married to a Central American immigrant for nearly 50 years—and I fully support her right to keep and bear arms as much as I support Smith's.
Xenophobia was my initial guess, although obviously I was mistaken. Pratt was originally quoted as saying, "If the guy wants to enjoy the full benefit of residing in the United States ... become a citizen. He's been here for 30 years. What's he waiting for?"
