Two weeks after the horrible shootings in Alexandria, Virginia, Rep. Don Beyer (D-Alexandria/Arlington/Fairfax) has a Wall Street Journal op-ed and a “tweetstorm” with his thoughts on what to do – and what NOT to do (e.g., weaken gun safety laws) – about gun violence in America. As always, Rep. Beyer nails it. And as always, I’m proud that Beyer’s my Congressman – thank you for all the great work you do!
- “Beginning the day of the Alexandria shooting, NRA-backed bills were introduced in Congress to exploit the tragedy and weaken gun safety laws.”
- “That day the Natural Resources Committee, on which I serve, planned to start the process of deregulating silencers (which I strongly oppose).”
- “They halted the ‘Hearing Protection Act’ when news of the shooting broke. More like the ‘Gun Profit Protection Act.’ It should be dropped.”
- “But more insidiously, there are new bills also in the works to override state concealed carry permit laws in DC and across the country.”
- “This exploitation of the Alexandria shooting is insidious, but at root it’s about the NRA inspiring fear in order to boost gun sales.”
- “With a federal concealed-carry reciprocity law, people who have a record of domestic violence could carry hidden, loaded guns in every state.”
- “It’s true also for people facing mental health crises. We know about the links between crises or domestic violence and gun violence.”
- “Why on earth would we make the problem worse and allow more guns into the hands of people the gun lobby points to after every mass shooting?”
- “It’s about profits. The profits of gun manufacturers have fallen in 2017, because the NRA can’t lie to people about Obama ‘grabbing guns.'”
- “It’s so cynical and so wrong. Nakedly turning Americans against each other for profits. Condemnation of this should be bipartisan and swift.”
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