Exclusive: Jesse Jackson Says Yes, Terror Watch Lists Have Been Abused

Civil Rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson told Breitbart News he was concerned about political manipulation of the federal government’s Terror Screening Database to restrict civil rights.

“Well, Dr. King was on the terror list, Mandela was put on a terror list, so there are extreme abuses,” said the two-time presidential candidate, who was walking from the Capitol after he had just finished rallying supporters of Democratic efforts to legislate new restrictions on gun rights.

Democrats and Republicans are working on different proposals that would block gun purchases to individuals, whose name was entered by federal employees into the Terror Screening Database and its subset No-Fly List.

“There other extreme abuses are to allow purchasers who are known to be purchasers of major weapons of mass destruction, who are known to buy body armor and bullets that cannot be stopped that can go through walls and take down airplanes,” he said. “That’s where the difference is.”

Jackson said he is skeptical of constitutional arguments because the Constitution said black slaves were three-fifths of a white American.

“Those that were for the right to bear arms,” he said. “Were for the right to shoot bears in the wild or fight with the British.”

Jackson said he watched the sit-in organized with House Democrats. “It showed the power of disciplined non-violence. If they had been on the floor committing acts of violence, they would have been dismissed. If they had stayed in silenced, dismissed. But, with non-violent action, you put your body on the line–when the moment calls, we almost always win.”