Major donors to the Texas GOP have published an open letter calling for Congress to take action on gun control, including expanding background checks and ‘red flag’ laws, as well as raising the minimum age to purchase a gun to 21.
The letter, which ran in the Dallas Morning News on Sunday, is written in support of Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) who was recently tapped by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to “negotiate” with Democrats on gun control.
“He’s the right man to lead this bipartisan effort, as he has demonstrated throughout his career,” the letter reads.
The group describes ‘red flag’ laws as a “vital” way to improve gun safety while noting recent mass shootings have provided “momentum building” to push for raising the minimum age for purchasing a gun.
“Most law enforcement experts believe these measures would make a difference,” the letter reads. “And recent polls of fellow conservatives suggest that there is strong support for such gun-safety measures.”
NEW: Some of Texas’ biggest GOP donors — self-proclaimed “gun enthusiasts” — signed a letter in today’s @dallasnews calling for more background checks, red flag laws and raising gun purchase age to 21. They add: “We vote for Republican Senators. We believe in the 2nd Amendment.” pic.twitter.com/plUCPb90cr
— Tony Plohetski (@tplohetski) June 5, 2022
The group of GOP donors in the published letter describes themselves as “conservatives” and “gun enthusiasts.”
“There are many of us across these great United Sates,” they warn. “We are organizing.”
“We vote for Republican Senators. We believe in the 2nd Amendment,” the group insists.
We "believe in the 2nd Amendment", so we want to restrict access to it for law-abiding citizens. https://t.co/jnzMBGZUDc
— Ultra MAGA King bot (Let's go Brandon) (@always_on_hold) June 6, 2022
The note, however, is nothing more than an advertisement. It is not news, nor is it worth noting as a principled stand for these donors.
The letter clearly states that is paid for by Todd Maclin, a former senior executive at J.P. Morgan Chase, and is undersigned by 250 individuals that include “major Republican donors.”
Maclin appears to have donated to Texas Governor Greg Abbott in significant amounts, as well as to other Republicans, but has a large number of donations to Democrat politicians as well, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and former President Barack Obama.
As such, he’s not quite the “conservative” he’s portraying himself as in this paid advertisement.
It should also be noted that the argument to raise the minimum age in this letter isn’t referencing so-called assault weapons, as is often stated on the wish lists of anti-gun lawmakers. It simply references “to purchase a gun.”
Young men and women will be allowed to use guns in the armed forces under 21-years of age, but they won’t be able to protect themselves and their families at that age at home? That gives this group a stance further to the left than most moderates.
The last part is a lie, probably the entire thing. https://t.co/JWhd8Yp00I
— Joe (@JoeC1776) June 6, 2022
As with each horrific shooting, an immediate emotional response tends to lead to bipartisan calls for ‘red flag’ laws to be implemented and expanded.
The problem, however, is that these ‘red flag’ laws allow authorities to confiscate firearms from individuals deemed a risk to themselves or others, without having been convicted of a crime, violating the right to due process.
The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution states that no one shall be “deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.”
Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL), an actual conservative, delivered a stinging rebuke to Republicans who back ‘red flag’ gun laws labeling them a “traitor to the Constitution.”
.@RepMattGaetz's Powerful Message To Senate Republicans
"If you back red-flag laws...you betray your voters, you are a traitor to the constitution, the 2A, the 5A, you do nothing to make mass shootings less likely, and you put a target on the back of your constituents." pic.twitter.com/D8y2MSt6va
— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) June 2, 2022
“If you back red flag laws as some reflexive response to some emotion that you have, you betray your voters,” Gaetz said.
“You are a traitor to the Constitution, the Second Amendment, the Fifth Amendment, you do nothing to make mass shootings less likely.”
Representative David Cicilline (D-RI) responded to Gaetz’s comments, “Spare me the bullshit about constitutional rights.”
These GOP donors seem more in line with Cicilline in their view of those Constitutional rights. Rest assured, there is a bipartisan effort to curb the Second Amendment in this nation today.
It isn’t by actual conservatives. It’s being aided by GOP donors masquerading as conservatives and pushing for gun control.