It is no surprise that many Republicans are opposed to what is happening in the United States Senate, with the bipartisan effort at a gun deal. Just look at what happened to Senator John Cornyn when he showed up to speak at the recent Texas GOP convention in Houston.
Missouri Senator Roy Blunt is one of the 10 Republicans currently working on a bipartisan attempt to create gun control legislation. One of the rumored components of the bill is red flag laws. The proposal is that the federal government would reward states with money for implementing red flag laws in the state.
“A red flag law is a law that permits police (and, in some states, family members, coworkers, and others) to petition a court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person who they believe may present a danger to others or themselves. A judge makes the determination to issue the order based on statements and actions made by the gun owner in question. Refusal to comply with the order is punishable as a criminal offense. After a set time, the guns are returned to the person from whom they were seized unless another court hearing extends the period of confiscation,” according to Wikipedia.
Missouri lawmakers have sent a letter to Senator Blunt, expressing their displeasure at what they believe is currently being discussed in the bipartisan group.
“In the letter, they noted that most versions of red flag laws authorize courts to seize guns from someone considered dangerous without requiring a criminal conviction and, in many cases, without the targeted person in court,” reports the Missouri Independent. ‘The proposal in question seeks to allow Congress to deflect responsibility for enacting such horrid laws by essentially punting to the states,’ the letter states. ‘Knowing that forcing such immoral and unconstitutional provisions nationwide would not garner enough votes to overcome a filibuster, Senator (Chris) Murphy instead proposes to bribe states with their own tax money to do his dirty work for him.'”
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The letter goes on: “You may believe your vote on this proposed bill comes at little risk, as Missouri has demonstrated time and again that our General Assembly would not vote to pass such laws. While that may be true, many other states will not have such resolve. If this measure comes to fruition, a vote for it will directly enable the spread of confiscation laws throughout the country, and further normalize support for the eventual disarmament of this nation. It’s reasonable to conclude that not all aspects of Senator Murphy’s proposal are objectionable, and bipartisan discussion surrounding any legislation is a healthy part of the process. However, under no circumstances should you allow any bill to advance that contains gun control or firearm confiscation of any kind, no matter how small or indirect it may seem.”
The Missouri letter makes a lot of sense. Many states will not have the respect for the Second Amendment that Missouri does, and that will lead to states being able to confiscate guns under the guise of “red flag laws.” Do you feel comfortable allowing your state to determine if someone is mentally healthy enough to possess a firearm?
