Tuesday, 20 February 2018
Massie Says His Bill Would Have Saved Lives in Florida Shooting
Written by Joe Wolverton, II, J.D.
On January 2, Representative Thomas Massie (shown, R-Ky.) introduced H.R. 34, the Safe Students Act, to repeal the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990.
In response to a question posed to him on his Facebook page on February 16 regarding his bill and the recent Florida high-school shooting, Massie insisted that had the bill been passed when he first submitted it, “many lives could have been saved.”
The bill, originally introduced by Representative Ron Paul (R-Texas) in 2007, repeals the Gun-Free School Zones Act (GFSZA) of 1990, which makes it “unlawful for any individual knowingly to possess a firearm at a place that the individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a school zone.” In 1995, the Supreme Court held the GFSZA unconstitutional, which prompted Congress to amend the bill in 1996. The Supreme Court has not ruled on the constitutionality of the amended act.*
“Gun-free school zones are ineffective. They make people less safe by inviting criminals into target-rich, no-risk environments,” said Massie. “Gun-free zones prevent law-abiding citizens from protecting themselves, and create vulnerable populations that are targeted by criminals.”
Massie’s explanation is logical and perhaps therein lies the difficulty in getting it passed in an era where feelings matter more than reason and where passion is substituted for informed deliberation.
In light of the special rules on gun possession imposed by the GFSZA, one wonders why public schools are the only category of government buildings not protected by armed guards and metal detectors.
One never hears congressmen calling for the removal of the scores of well-armed guards who protect every door leading into the Capitol Building, but they cry and clamor against any suggestion that schools be similarly protected…
(more) https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnew...orida-shooting
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