There’s a certain hypocrisy in lawmakers who say they’re pro-gun, and who pass pro-gun laws, but then try to hide behind metal detectors and gun-free zone signs.
Yeah, I know that I sound a little like an anti-gunner with that particular line, but they have a point on this one. When you’re pro-gun, you don’t fear law-abiding gun owners. There’s no need to, because you know they don’t represent a threat to you or yours.
In Nebraska, they’ve covered a fair bit of pro-gun ground in recent years, but there’s more work to be done.
Instead of doing that, though, it seems that lawmakers are considering something a little different, and it’s not a good look for anyone involved.
Nebraska lawmakers will gather public feedback Monday on a proposal to add new security measures to the State Capitol, including a potential ban on firearms for the public.
The Executive Board will host a public hearing on Legislative Bill 1237 at noon on Monday. The board proposed the changes after consulting with security professionals in response to concerns about rising political violence nationally, according to State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, the board chair.
LB 1237, as written, would establish a list of weapons and substances that would not be allowed on Capitol grounds without prior approval, including firearms, pepper spray, explosives and spray paint. The bill also would direct the Nebraska State Patrol to implement ways to detect prohibited materials by Jan. 1, 2027.
The bill has drawn stiff criticism from gun-rights groups, including the Nebraska Firearms Owners Association, which has made multiple social media posts opposing the bill. Its posts have called the bill’s co-signers, including all 10 members of the Exec Board, “oathbreakers.” The group has encouraged members of the public to testify against the bill.
“(LB 1237) is a willful violation of the oath of office and demonstrates a complete disregard to our innate right to have the means and tools to protect ourselves from illegal acts of violence,” the group said in several Facebook posts.
Hansen claims the process started after a meeting last year with Capitol Security and the Nebraska State Patrol to enact new security for the building.
That doesn’t make it any better, though.
Hansen, a Republican, should understand that the issue here is that this treats lawful gun owners and gun carriers as criminals, all while people who actually intend harm to state lawmakers won’t really be thwarted in their efforts. I mean, lawmakers have to leave the building eventually, and that’ll involve taking them beyond any security that might be in place.
The most recent killings of lawmakers and other public political figures all took place away from statehouses or other secured facilities, such as at their homes or during speaking engagements in a public setting.
This isn’t going to change because Nebraska threw up metal detectors.
I’m more than a little disgusted by this proposal. Yes, because it goes right back to treating law-abiding gun owners as if they’re the problem here. They’re not and they’ve never been. It’s very unlikely they ever will be, at least in Nebraska.
So why do this?
Because one thing everyone tries to do when securing a facility is to dictate that every bad thing be kept outside, because that’s all they can think about right then. In theory, if they manage that, then nothing violent can happen inside the facility beyond assaults with fists and feet.
However, security is rarely about balancing security and rights. That’s fine if you’re talking about a prison, but it’s quite another if you’re talking about the state capitol. That’s the house of the people. Folks have a right to go there and address their representatives. Their rights should be respected within those confines. All of them.
I hope Nebraska wakes up and avoids this, but it’s up to gun owners there to make sure they know this is a bad idea.
Editor’s Note: The radical left will stop at nothing to enact their radical gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.
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