Georgia's Senator Warnock repeats President Biden's idea
On May 18, in the wake of an increase in mass-shooting events around America, Georgia Democrats - Senator Raphael Warnock and Congresswoman Lucy McBath called for heightened gun controls in the Peach State. The pair were repeating a suggestion made by President Joe Biden who on the same day, had taken the opportunity to call for more gun controls too.
Commenting on the need to tackle the rise of gun-related crime as he spoke outside of the Capitol Building, Warnock had this to say:
“If we can’t keep our own people alive, save our own babies, if we can’t guarantee parents that when you drop your kids off, they’ll be OK, then what are we doing in this building?”
The Georgia Democrat continued:
“And so there’s no action that’s taking place in light of these recent tragedies, and what’s more is that there’s virtually no conversation happening in the Congress, even as the nation is focused on these issues.”
Georgia has seen more than its fair share of mass-shootings recently, with the most recent occurring on May 3 at a medical facility in Atlanta where one person was killed and four more were injured by the shooter.
Guns remain a partisan political issue
Their renewed call follows similar pleas by Democrats to restrict gun ownership in the United States and which follows every mass shooting event. Just one month ago, Biden suggested that the school shooting in Nashville was cause for greater gun controls and restrictions on private ownership of assault weapons.
The topic of gun control always results in predictable responses from both Democrats and Republicans however, and for every Democrat who wants tighter controls, there are Republicans who believe the answer is to allow citizens to be armed in order that they may defend themselves.
Permit-less concealed carry of firearms became legal in Georgia this year, and the premise of such a law is to allow law-abiding citizens to carry guns as a means of personal protection. The challenge is that without proper background checks and licensing it can be very hard for law enforcement officers to tell which guns are owned legally and legitimately and which are in the hands of bad guys.
'Good guys with guns'
Perhaps the best example of how polarized Republicans are from Democrats when it comes to gun control, is Georgia's most controversial and outspoken Republican - Marjorie Taylor-Greene.
The Georgia Congresswoman is a keen advocate for constitutional freedoms including the second amendment right to bear arms. In the immediate aftermath of the recent mass-shooting in Atlanta, MTG took to Twitter to share her admiration for a new ride-hailing company in Georgia that offers trained, armed drivers as part of its service.
It would appear from the website of the company in question that Georgia's Marjorie Taylor-Greene is listed as one of their high profile clients.
Whether the pleas from Georgia Democrats will result in tighter gun controls remains to be seen.
Do you think that there should be more controls placed on gun ownership in Georgia or do you think that the right to bear arms is more important than controls to limit mass shootings? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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