The day U.S. Republican congressmen and their staff were attacked with gunfire during baseball practice for a charity game against Democrats (June 14) also marked Flag Day, the U.S. Army's 242nd birthday, and President Donald J. Trump's 71st birthday.
Only because Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., was at the practice ballfield in Alexandria, Va. — where the Republican congressional baseball team was — was there armed security.
Only congressional leadership gets a protective detail. Had Rep. Scalise decided to skip practice yesterday, we would be mourning the lives of multiple Republican U.S. senators and representatives. A thank you goes out to those two brave Capitol Police officers.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., described seeking cover behind a tree. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, said if not for the armed Capitol Police that "it would have been a bloodbath."
Their survival should not have been dependent on luck. At least a few of these congressmen should have been capable of fighting back — by being armed themselves.
It didn't surprise many of us who are involved in both politics and Second Amendment advocacy that the shooter was a Democratic voter, one who had praise for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and who also had anti-conservative/anti-Republican postings on his social media pages.
In this hot political climate, leftists and their anti-fascist movement are becoming modern-day brown shirts. If you disagree with liberal ideals or ideas, you need to be silenced by them shouting over you — or by their violence. We watched as riots tore through the streets of our nation as President Trump was sworn in. We see college campus attacks on any conservative speaker. We hear the calls for violence from Hollywood elites. We hear CNN and MSNBC hosts try to justify these leftist actions and hate.
It should be apparent in this climate that being conservative or Republican is now a dangerous thing.
These elected Republican representatives need to introduce legislation, not only for themselves — but for all congressmen — to be allowed to carry firearms wherever they go; receive strong professional firearm training, and receive an allowance to purchase handguns of their choice.
The "Steve Scalise Legislator Protection Bill" should be introduced immediately on the floor of the U.S. House. Obviously, it would not be mandatory, but it should be each individual’s option. It should also be common sense that those entrusted to run our government should be also trusted with firearms, since our country cannot foot the bill for armed security for all 435 Representatives and 100 Senators.
The experience may even open the eyes of some politicians to the capability and rationale of concealed weapons for self-defense.
I don’t want to hear any stories about senators hiding behind trees or in a dug out. I don’t want to hear any representatives saying that they were trying to "find something, anything" to fight off a gunman.
I don’t want to see state funerals just because my representatives' luck ran out. I’d rather they had the option of fighting back.
#CongressionalCarry
John Cylc is an eight year U.S. Army veteran. He is also a contributor to LifeZette. To read more of his reports — Click Here Now.
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