Nation of laws must protect the rights of the lawful

We appreciated the comments by U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee. A solid defender of the Second Amendment, Coburn said Congress is responsible for reviewing and adjusting laws when needed, and he looks forward to a full and open debate on this issue.

“Instead of repeating the failed policies of the past, Congress should work on thoughtful and constitutional ways to prevent unspeakable tragedies like this from happening again,” he said. “The fact that almost every public mass shooting tragedy occurs in a place where guns are prohibited shows that restricting Second Amendment rights tends to disarm everyone but the assailant.”

He also said it's incumbent on gun owners to do all they can to keep their firearms and ammunition from getting into the wrong hands, and that policy shouldn't be dictated by special-interest groups. Instead, Coburn said, “As elected officials, we should be beholden solely to the Constitution.”

Obama has never been one to let a crisis go to waste. He's not the first politician to exploit a tragedy in a pursuit of an agenda. But a government of laws must protect the rights of the lawful as well as protect us from the outlaws.