For better or for worse, when tragedy strikes close to home it can often change one’s political opinion, especially if the tragedy is directly related to that opinion. For example, the late-James Brady wasn’t a gun control advocate until after John Hinckley Jr. shot and nearly killed him trying to assassinate former President Reagan in 1981. That tragedy directly led to a lifetime of activism on behalf of gun control and the signing of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act twelve years later, in 1993.
Believers in the Second Amendment and the inalienable, God-given right of humans to defend themselves against attackers for whom gun laws mean nothing may disagree with folks like Brady on politics, but most would likely agree that his personal views and even activism, if misguided, are at least understandable given his experience.
So when Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise was shot by a madman at a Congressional baseball practice last June, some may have wondered if HIS views on gun control would change, especially in light of Sunday’s horrific tragedy in Las Vegas.
Thankfully, the answer is a decisive ‘hell no.’
During an interview with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum on Tuesday, Scalise discussed his current views on gun rights given recent events and his own experience as a victim.
When MacCallum asked if his views on the Second Amendment had shifted, Scalise said, “I think it’s fortified it.”
.@SteveScalise on Second Amendment: "When there was a shooter, luckily we had Capitol Police there with their own guns." #TheStory pic.twitter.com/Ve3H3hb9k7
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 3, 2017
The GOP congressman went even further, suggesting that those trying to politicize the Las Vegas tragedy to call for stricter gun control should instead be doing what they can to help victims.
“Because first of all you’ve got to recognize that when there’s a tragedy like this, the first thing we should be thinking about is praying for the people who were injured and doing whatever we can to help them, to help law enforcement. We shouldn’t first be thinking of promoting our political agenda,” Scalise said.
More from gun violence survivor Steve Scalise: "To promote some kind of gun control, I think, is the wrong way to approach this." pic.twitter.com/eFjWtUJfGj
— Lois Beckett (@loisbeckett) October 3, 2017
Scalise then went on to make the salient point that many of the bills liberals are trying to pass “wouldn’t have done anything to stop this.”
“So, to promote some kind of gun control, I think, is the wrong way to approach this,” Scalise continued. “And frankly what I experienced was when there was a shooter luckily we had Capitol Police there with their own guns. Every single day in America regular citizens that have a passionate belief in the Second Amendment that have their own guns use those guns every single day to protect themselves against criminals. And those stories never get told, or hardly ever get told. But that’s a different side of the story that I think is important. People use guns way more to defend themselves from criminals than criminals use guns to hurt people.”
Thank you, Congressman Scalise, for your level head, clear thinking, and common sense despite your own personal tragedy. Your voice of experience and wisdom is exactly what we need as we wage the battles to come.
Op-ed views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of BizPac Review.
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