The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is important to a lot of people in America. Unfortunately, for some of them, it’s so important that other priorities — including the lives of innocent children — are the price. It’s for these Americans that Matt Gaetz seems to be speaking, when he chooses to defend the right to own a firearm over and above the right to stay alive until adulthood.
Ranting about gun control during a House hearing, Gaetz was defending this particular preference, describing those individuals as “fellow Americans who cherish their guns, cherish their Second Amendment Rights, and have actually committed no crime!”
"Do they cherish their children?" pic.twitter.com/66YJ8TEr6R
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 2, 2022
As seen in the clip above, Gaetz quickly went on the defensive, declaring that the children of these gun activists are not at risk. It’s not clear if he’s deluding himself, or if he’s only really talking about those activists who can afford expensive private schools with extensive security, but Cicilline isn’t letting him get away with that dodge.
He keeps pushing back, telling Gaetz, “All children in America are at risk!”
There’s one more back-and-forth between the two before order is called:
Gaetz: “It’s not the law-abiding gun owners, David!”
Cicciline: “Were the children in Uvalde at risk?”