Emotions and politics should never be fused in any meaningful way. We are a nation whose systemic goals are far more of an exact science than a meandering needle of national consciousness, and it would behoove us all to treat the country’s issues as though they were math equations.
Yet here we are, watching the Second Amendment succumb to the whims of the national mood.
The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday moved a bill banning assault weapons forward, but it’s unclear if the legislation has enough support to pass a floor vote.
Democratic Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Henry Cuellar of Texas have said they won’t support the bill, while Republican Reps. Chris Jacobs of New York and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois have said they are open to voting for a ban, according to The Hill. House Democrats have a four-vote margin.
The Assault Weapons Ban of 2021 was advanced in a 25-18 vote, but a date for a vote on the House floor has not been set.
Republican lawmakers were reacting swiftly and harshly.
Ranking member Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, argued the bill would take away upstanding gun owners’ rights.
“Democrats know this legislation will not reduce violent crime or reduce the likelihood of mass shootings, but they are obsessed with attacking law-abiding Americans’ Second Amendment liberties,” he said.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said, “They’re coming for your guns.”
Democrats have been exploiting the heartbreak of a number of mass shootings in recent weeks, including a particularly sorrowful incident in Uvalde, Texas, where a clearly-disturbed teenager killed 19 students and 2 teachers at a local elementary school.
