I’d like to highlight some happenings at a joint legislative committee meeting
As John Moritz reported in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Moms Demand activists were denied an opportunity to speak during a three-hour session by Chair Missy Irvin, though extensive remarks were allowed by
Highlights:
* The discredited John Lott said universal background checks wouldn’t prevent mass slayings. It’s an irrelevant point. Background checks have, of course, deterred innumerable crimes by denying weapons to would-be criminals. But he’s also wrong on the specific. At least two mass shootings — including Dylan Roof’s slaughter in a black church — could have been avoided by proper execution of background checks.
* Sen. Trent Garner, the gun nut driving the push for more guns in schools (and school resource officers aren’t enough, the “experts” say. We won’t be safe until untold numbers of teachers and staff are packing concealed weapons.) was particularly unreceptive to opposing viewpoints. Some Tweets tell the tale.
The JPR committee, made up of our lawmakers, didn’t let a single one of these moms, teachers, parents, constituents speak.
Unacceptable #arleg. #arpx @MomsDemand https://t.co/xAKCAWuCjv
— Daniel Bishop (@dbishop0) July 9, 2018
And the fact that after the meeting @Garner4Senate yelled:
“I don’t care if you present, you aren’t my people” tells me everything we need to know. #ThrowThemOut #arleg #arpx— Daniel Bishop (@dbishop0) July 9, 2018
Facts didn’t matter much to Garner.
This is a bizarre lie. The National Association of School Resource Officers opposes it. The Major Cities Chiefs Association opposes it. The Police Executive Research Forum opposes it.
How dare Arkansas lawmakers allow this fraud to give testimony that will impact kids’ safety? https://t.co/SrCLxw6VvZ
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) July 9, 2018
I’m sure Garner’s “people” are with him. But I’m also sure every voter in his district