“I’m not going to be a Gabby Giffords, I don’t mind dying, but whoever shoots me better shoot well or I’m shooting back.” – Congressman Ralph Norman (R) South Carolina
Rep. Ralph Norman, a Republican from South Carolina, apparently thought that the best thing he could do while meeting with constituents at a diner Friday was to pull out his loaded .38-caliber handgun and place it on the table for several minutes. That’s not quite how those in attendance saw it. “Rep. Norman’s behavior today was a far cry from what responsible gun ownership looks like. I had looked forward to a respectful dialogue with my representative about common-sense gun violence prevention policies,” said Lori Freemon, volunteer with the South Carolina chapter of Moms Demand Action for gun Sense in America. “Instead, I felt unsafe when he insisted on showing us his loaded gun and keeping it out on the table for much of our conversation.” Norman is not new to controversy. During the primary between Ralph Norman and challenger Tommy Pope, a video surfaced of floor debate discussing a bill to allow police officers to be treated for PTSD under Worker’s Compensation. Ralph Norman stated, “Any one of us could get a crayon and coloring book and start coloring and chewing on the desk and we would be deemed mentally incompetent and we would get paid – there would be no ending to it.” Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) called Norman’s comments about Giffords “inappropriate and inconsiderate,” adding “I sincerely hope you never have to experience what my friend Gabby Giffords experienced.” On January 8, 2011, just a week into her third term, Giffords was a victim of an assassination attempt near Tucson, at a Safeway supermarket where she was meeting publicly with constituents. She was critically injured by a gunshot wound to the head; six people were killed and thirteen injured in the shooting, among them federal judge John Roll and a 9-year-old child, Christina-Taylor Green. After the attack, she attended a rehabilitation facility in Houston, Texas, where she recovered some of her ability to walk, speak, read and write, and later attended President Obama’s State of the Union address on January 24, 2012. Appearing on the floor of the House the next day, she formally submitted her resignation to a standing ovation and accolades from her colleagues and the leadership of the House.
This is not the first time a lawmaker has brandished a weapon in an official capacity. State Rep. Charles Young Jr., D-Meridian, told his colleagues “let’s grow up,” and displayed his handgun and concealed carry permit at the State House floor podium. He was then was escorted from the chamber at his own request.
Be the first to comment