Following the murder of four unarmed Marines in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Thursday, Lt. Col. Allen West called on President Obama toimmediately issue an executive orderending gun-free zones at U.S. military sites.
During an appearance on Fox & Friends, Friday,West was adamant:
The battlefield is here. And its just a simple act of leadership, a change in policy to enable [military personnel] to be able to defend themselves.
He is the commander-in-chief, and how many more of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines have to lose their lives here in the United States of America, the place where theyre supposed to be able to have respite away from a combat zone, before he takes action?
Hecited past shootings at military facilities, including the 2009 Fort Hood massacre, during which Army Maj. Nidal Hasan shot and killed 13 unarmed people and wounded 32 others.
Twitter responded to the gun-free-zone controversy as wellincluding Townhalls Katie Pavlich and The Blazes Dana Loesch:The gun-free zone policy dates back to a 1992Defense (DoD) Directive which was reissued in 2011. It says, in part:
The authorization to carry firearms shall be issued only to qualified personnel when there is a reasonable expectation that life or DoD assets will be jeopardized if firearms are not carried.
Clearly, the time to realize the reasonable expectation that members of our military arenow in jeopardy has arrived, and provideour brave men and women with the capability to defend themselves.
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Source: http://www.ijreview.com/2015/07/370760-allen-west-demands-that-obama-issue-an-executive-order-ending-gun-free-zones-at-u-s-military-sites/
