By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
US Senators Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions (both R-Alabama) announced that they had sent a letter on Wednesday to US Attorney General Loretta Lynch, following her controversial comments after the recent terror attack on people in San Bernadino, California.
AG Lynch spoke to the Muslim Advocate’s 10th anniversary dinner. An emphatic Lynch announced that she intends to prosecute those who use “anti-Muslim rhetoric” that “edges toward violence.” Lynch told the assembled Muslims that “we stand with you” and promised to use the Justice Department to protect Muslims from “violence” and perceived discrimination.
Lynch said, “When we talk about the First amendment we [must] make it clear that actions predicated on violent talk are not American. They are not who we are, they are not what we do, and they will be prosecuted. My message not just to the Muslim community but to all Americans is, We cannot give in to the fear that these backlashes are really based on.”
Lynch said that her greatest fear is that there will be a backlash against Muslims.
Both Shelby and Sessions wrote to Lynch, “We write with great concern that you, President Barack Obama, and his Administration are leading and managing our national and homeland security in ways that are dangerous to America and our citizens. As our country faces a growing threat both inside and beyond our national borders, families in Alabama and across this country are looking for strong leadership and a commitment to keep our citizens safe from terrorists and the violence they wish to inflict. Over the past few weeks, the President, you, and other government officials have taken actions and made statements that suggest to us that the Department and the Administration are focused on efforts that are not up to the challenge that ISIS and the Islamic terrorists pose.”
Sessions and Shelby wrote, “Immediately after the terrorist shootings in San Bernardino, we were alarmed to hear your reported reaction – that your “greatest fear” after these terrorist murders was of anti-Muslim backlash. While we are wary of parsing phrases of public officials, this statement was widely reported enough to warrant outrage. We strongly disagree with your response to the unthinkable murder of innocent Americans. Our greatest fear after the heinous acts of Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik is that other Islamic terrorists will see an opportunity to enter our country and kill Americans – and that this Administration is doing nothing to stop it.”
The two conservative Senators continued, “Further, President Obama’s suggested actions after San Bernardino would neither address the tragedy nor keep us safe. We agree with his assessment that the strength of America rests squarely on our free and open society and values as crafted by our Founding Fathers. For the President to then suggest that our response to these murders should be to limit our Second Amendment rights is both ridiculous and irrelevant to the shootings. Neither Mr. Farook nor Ms. Malik’s actions would have been stopped by the policies that the President has suggested. Instead, we believe that President Obama is once again using a tragedy to push liberal gun control policies that would not even address the crime we witnessed – and make Americans less safe by restricting the lawful exercise of their Second Amendment rights. As you lead the law enforcement efforts for this President and our country, we demand that you put the safety and needs of our country first, and leave the politically correct efforts of interest groups to the advocacy and campaigns of those outside of our government. It is long past time that you and President Obama focus on the real threat facing our great nation: radical Islamic terrorism – not law-abiding Americans.”
Senator Jeff Sessions was elected to the US Senate in 1996. Senator Richard Shelby is the senior Senator. He defeated incumbent Sen. Jeremiah Denton in 1986. Shelby switched to the Republican Party in 1994.
