Gun Politics New York

The Yonkers Times has an article worth reading, “The House Majority Runs Through New York’s 17th Congressional District.”

Incumbent Mike Lawler might not be an outspoken 2A advocate, but he follows me on Twitter and unlike so many other local Republicans, isn’t pissing me off.

Former Congressman Mondaire Jones is trying for a comeback. He has an antigun record and is proud of it:

“… He effectively advocated on behalf of everyday people in his district by … passing the most significant gun safety legislation in a generation …”

The other declared Democrat candidate is Liz Whitmer Gereghty who is trying to position herself as a “moderate” alternative.  From her campaign website:

Commonsense Gun Safety Reform

What Republicans don’t want you to notice is that their refusal to enact common sense gun safety legislation that the vast majority of the country supports results in public schools having to allocate more and more of their budgets to security and you feel that in your tax bill. The cost of gun violence in America is estimated at $557 billion EVERY YEAR – almost $1700 per American. For comparison, in 2021, Medicare spending was $829 billion, or 10% of the federal budget – the cost of our gun violence epidemic is staggering but Republicans don’t want to talk about that. We are actually paying to be less safe in our schools, our houses of worship and our public spaces.

True public safety is not achieved by making schools feel more like prisons, ignoring the need for training and resources for law enforcement, and ensuring people are so angry and afraid they shoot and kill someone who mistakenly pulled into the wrong driveway. Public safety is not about minimizing body count but about working to prevent a tragedy. We should be investing in mental health professionals and social workers, training on violence interruption and deescalation, and access to emergency resources. Mike Lawler and his Republican colleagues want to talk about crime, about backing the police, but never about common sense gun safety legislation that would make our communities and our law enforcement officers safer.

Over the last few years we have heard a lot about cashless bail and defunding the police. I agree that those accused of non-violent crimes should be able to go to work, pay their rent and take care of their children while they await their day in court. We should not be ruining peoples’ lives or their children’s lives if they cannot afford bail. But cashless bail doesn’t make sense for violent offenders. Similarly, “defunding” the police is not a solution any more than only funding police in pursuit of public safety. Complex problems are never solved with slogans. We can be both tough on crime and committed to investing in resources and strategies to prevent it.

In the New York Assembly, Mike Lawler voted against requiring a license for possession of semi-automatic firearms, against authorizing the state to sue gun manufacturers for damages caused by guns, and against requiring social media account disclosure for those applying for a handgun license. While serving in the US House, he has repeatedly called the Trump indictments a weaponization of the Department of Justice. New Yorkers have known for a very long time that Donald Trump has little respect for the law and that accountability is way overdue. We cannot continue to accept leaders who will fear monger around crime but won’t do anything to address our gun violence epidemic and abandon their support for law enforcement when their allies are being held accountable.

At this point, 2A supporters should stick with Lawler.