White House on Piers Morgan Petition: Keep First Amendment in Mind

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney responded to a petition on the We the People site that called for the deportion of CNN host Piers Morgan for his views "targeting the 2nd Amendment." The petition gathered 109,334 signatures, well over the 25,000 threshold to merit an official response.

Carney's statement is no surprise --- actually, the We the People site has taken on a more absurdist tone in recent weeks --- but he also used it as an opportunity toalso report Obama's statements on gun violence.

Carney writes, "Let’s not let arguments over the Constitution’s Second Amendment violate the spirit of its First. President Obama believes that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. However, the Constitution not only guarantees an individual right to bear arms, but also enshrines the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press -- fundamental principles that are essential to our democracy. 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."