Congressional bills have been proposed for blocking persons on the International Terror Watch List and the No Fly List from legally purchasing firearms. Data released by the Government Accountability...

Congressional bills have been proposed for blocking persons on the International Terror Watch List and the No Fly List from legally purchasing firearms. Data released by the Government Accountability Office reported that between February 2004 and December 2014, individuals on the watch list attempted to purchase firearms or explosives on 2,233 occasions—and more than 90% of the time, they were approved for the purchase. In a 2015 televised address, President Obama asked, “What could possibly be the argument for allowing a terrorist suspect to buy a semiautomatic weapon? This is a matter of national security.” Opponents of the proposed prohibition answer that persons may be placed on these lists by error; the criteria for being placed on the list is unknown; it is a secret that one is on the list and one would not discover this until he or she attempted to purchase a weapon; there is no formal review and appeal process for persons who find that they are on the list; and finally the right to purchase a firearm is guaranteed by the Second Amendment as an “inalienable” right and cannot be taken away by unelected bureaucrats. Should persons on one or both of these lists be prohibited from purchasing firearms? Explain.