A couple of days ago, U.S. Rep Jim Jordan (R) and U.S. Rep Thomas Massie (R) published an op-ed piece in Fox News in support of the second amendment and slamming the ideas of those pushing for and even hinting at more gun control legislation such as ‘Red Flag’ laws and expanding background checks.
Gun control has been a major hot button issue lately since the most recent mass shootings in Dayton, OH, and El Paso, TX has set off strong emotions in almost all Americans on both sides of the political aisle.
Of course, it’s to be expected that Democrats would be immediately calling for new gun control measures, as they do after nearly every mass shooting tragedy in the U.S. But this time around some unlikely politicians are also pushing for more laws, some even for ‘Red Flag’ laws. Some examples of Republicans bucking the usual pro-gun trend: Rep Dan Crenshaw (R), has called for ‘Red Flag’ laws, and then explained later that he believes Republicans would implement them better than Democrats. Rep Brian Mast (R) has also called for more laws, but he’s not new to the game.
Rep Vern Buchanan (R) is another one, urging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to “swiftly pass legislation I voted for in the House to expand gun background checks when the Senate reconvenes next month. More than 90 percent of gun owners – and the rest of America – support this approach.”
The Florida Senate President, Bill Galvano (R) is also “promising to deliver” on new gun control measures after his organization took money from Michael Bloomberg’s ‘Everytown for Gun Safety’.
The U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R) and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R) also voiced support for ‘Red Flag” laws.
Well, Jim Jordan and Thomas Massie are NOT having it! In the detailed op-ed re-tweeted several times on the Rep’s Twitter pages, they highlight why ‘Red Flag’ laws could be disastrous. The article says that the Federal government should not be in the business of using taxpayer money to bribe states to adopt unconstitutional laws. It goes on to mention that in the 17 states that already have ‘Red Flag’ laws, there is no evidence that these laws have reduced the frequency of mass shootings.
They go on to cite in the op-ed piece a story of a Maryland man who tragically lost his life in a ‘Red Flag’ law seizure.
From the Fox News op-ed:
The criteria for “red-flagging” a person in the various states are already vague. In some states, the laws allow only police officers, family members, romantic partners, and cohabitants to refer someone for gun confiscation. The reality, though, is that anyone can refer someone by first referring him or her to the police. This system is ripe for abuse.
Every state in the union already has a law that allows individuals to be involuntarily confined to a medical facility briefly, on the basis of a mental health professional’s opinion that they are a danger to themselves or others. Whereas these laws seek to treat individuals in need, red flag laws only irritate individuals by taking some of their firearms and leaving them without mental health help. Furthermore, red flag laws don’t require expert testimony, but only suspicion by unqualified individuals.
After President Trump has recently hinted that he is not so sure about which gun laws he wants to enact yet, it’s clear that the pushback from Republican constituents and stalwarts like Jim Jordan and Thomas Massie have President Trump remembering who put him in office.
In some excerpt retweets of the op-ed, Jim Jordan further pounded the pavement on showing that he will NOT be backing down on his stand on the second amendment, unlike so many other politicians and even Republicans.
He tweets:
“Universal background checks, Red Flag laws, and the so-called “assault weapons” ban all have two things in common:
-They WON’T stop evil people from doing bad things
-They WILL infringe on the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens”
And in an earlier tweet:
“More gun legislation? Let’s look at facts before rushing new laws to President Trump’s desk.
SEE TWEETS FROM @Jim_Jordan BELOW:
Universal background checks, Red Flag laws, and the so-called “assault weapons” ban all have two things in common:
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) August 22, 2019
-They WON’T stop evil people from doing bad things
-They WILL infringe on the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizenshttps://t.co/BK3UrLHFLE
"More gun legislation? Let's look at facts before rushing new laws to President Trump's desk."https://t.co/BK3UrLHFLE
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) August 21, 2019
Rep Massie tweeted an excerpt from the article:
“If these proposals become law they will inevitably fail to produce the intended results and there will be a push for even more gun bans. It’s time to slow down and look at the facts before rushing new laws to the president’s desk.
SEE TWEET FROM @RepThomasMassie BELOW:
“If these proposals become law they will inevitably fail to produce the intended results and there will be a push for even more gun bans. It’s time to slow down and look at the facts before rushing new laws to the president’s desk.”https://t.co/S8b6VgI6jB
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) August 22, 2019
In a Bloomberg video from February of last year Thomas Massie says signs that say gun-free zone do not keep shooters away.
SEE VIDEO BELOW:
