Gov. Bill Lee of Tennessee ordered a special session to address gun control. However, he couldn’t actually make his fellow Republicans pass anything, so after a lot of debate and handwringing, absolutely nothing happened.
For anti-gun lawmakers, this was an absolute travesty. They couldn’t actually convince anyone to change their mind, so clearly the problem is someone else.
Enter President Joe Biden.
News broke earlier this week that Biden was going to institute an office of gun violence prevention, something the anti-Second Amendment crowd had long begged for. Now, those Tennessee lawmakers who completely blew it during the special session are looking to Washington going forward.
Democratic senators and representatives from Tennessee will be present Friday at the White House when President Joe Biden is expected to announce a new office on gun violence prevention.
The office will provide guidance to states on how to slow violence — and the stakes are high in Tennessee.
…
“After a crushing state special session on gun violence where no action was taken, this announcement is welcome news for Tennesseans who want new approaches to stop future shootings,” Sen. Raumesh Akbari, (D-Memphis), and Rep. Harold Love, (D-Nashville), wrote in a statement. “Tennesseans deserve better than what they’re getting from our state government so we are thrilled to play a part in this announcement and we look forward to helping this office realize its potential.”
Just so you know how unbiased this report is, by the way, the final paragraph claims Tennessee Republicans not only refused to pass gun control, they made it easier for people to buy guns, all without a single link or mention of a specific policy.
Funny that.
Anyway, back to Tennessee and the anti-gunners rejoicing over Biden’s new office.
It seems that, like many gun control supporters, they’re convinced this office will somehow do things that state legislatures and Congress haven’t done: Institute gun control in some way.
Admittedly, I don’t think they believe it will create gun control by fiat or anything of the sort. However, it’s clear they think an office like this was needed to coordinate gun control efforts at various levels. To be fair, if you’re looking at things strategically, that makes sense.
What doesn’t make sense is using taxpayer dollars to fund an effort to strip us of our rights, especially when lawmakers can’t seem to convince their colleagues during statehouse debates.
Moreover, this office can’t change one inescapable fact, namely that gun control doesn’t actually work.
That’s why it didn’t pass in Tennessee during a special session meant just for gun control. Republican lawmakers knew it wouldn’t actually do anything, that Lee’s order for a special session was motivated not by an understanding of the facts but by grief.
Believe me, I get it.
Yet that doesn’t change reality and neither will Biden’s new gun control office–I don’t care what he wants to call it, this office is about pushing gun control and absolutely nothing else.
When all is said and done, these Tennessee anti-gunners will be thrilled by anything that legitimizes their efforts. At the end of the day, though, this isn’t going to change anything.
Let them be excited, but don’t let them use this as some kind of wedge to push gun control down the throats of the American people. And damn sure don’t let them use our tax dollars to fund the effort to lead us further down the road to tyranny, which is precisely where we’re headed if this office gets what it wants to.
Tennessee lawmakers can be excited all they want but if they think this is somehow going to change hearts and minds, they should prepare for disappointment.
