Piers Morgan Deportation Petition Denied by White House Due to First Amendment
The White House officially responded to a petition seeking the deportation of CNN talk show host Piers Morgan after the former British journalist came out in favor of more stringent gun laws in America.
White House press secretary Jay Carney revealed that the petition to deport Piers Morgan was denied due to protections provided by the First Amendment.
The White House was obligated to consider the petition after it received over 100,000 signatures, which far exceed the 25,000 signatures needed for an official White House response.
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In a press release, Carney stated that the topic of gun control is controversial, but reminded individuals of the right of freedom of speech.
"Americans may disagree on matters of public policy and express those disagreements vigorously, but no one should be punished by the government simply because he or she expressed a view on the Second Amendment- or any other matter of public concern," the statement read.
The petition gained national attention after conservative radio host Alex Jones endorsed the petition and encouraged all of his listeners to participate.
The petition, which was submitted to the White House website "We the People," was created on Dec. 21 by Kurt Nimmo, from Texas, who charged the British host that his comments regarding the state of guns in America constituted a "hostile attack."
"British Citizen and CNN television host Piers Morgan is engaged in a hostile attack against the U.S. Constitution by targeting the Second Amendment," Nimmo wrote in the petition.
"As a result of his comments, those supporting the petition feel that his comments as a public figure, serve to weaken the Bill of Rights due to his perceived influence on the American people," he continued.
Jones made a recent appearance of Morgan's show where he claimed emphatically that: "1776 will commence again if you try to take our firearms! America was born on guns and whiskey. It's true we're a violent society. ... You're a foreigner. You're a redcoat. You're telling us what to do."
