Across the nation, elected officials and candidates for office are again talking about “reasonable” gun control options in order to “make us safer”. Those candidates often speak in terms of the need for various gun control efforts including “Red Flag” laws. But, no matter what they are called all of these proposals are clear and present dangers to your rights as protected by the Second Amendment because all of them are at their core gun control infringements.
One of the more common gun control ideas is the suggestion that we need “Red Flag” laws. These proposals are even backed by some who identify as Republicans. But, the fact is that these are simply nothing more than gun control laws.
In most states, including Tennessee, there are existing laws that deal with situations where a specific individual poses an immediate risk of harm to himself/herself or to others. In Tennessee, these laws are referred to by different names but are often referenced as “emergency involuntary committals”. Under these laws, once a qualified medical professional, usually a doctor, evaluates the person and concludes that the individual poses an immediate risk of harm then a court can issue an order to hold the person for up to approximately 2 weeks for emergency psychiatric evaluation. During that time, the individual is the subject of the assessment, the individual is being monitored and both medical professionals and a judge are considering whether and to what extent there is a mental health situation that should be addressed. These laws can be used whenever someone presents an immediate risk of harm.
In contrast, Red Flag laws are nothing but gun control. The proponents claims that they are critical to stop violence because they operate when there is an immediate risk of harm caused by an individual to himself/herself or a third person, but the laws do not address the threat – the individual. Instead, they misplace the focus but going after firearms – even if they are owned by others. Yet, these Red Flag laws leave the threat – the individual – free and at liberty to cause harm whether with other items (perhaps knives), with physical force, or by simply getting or stealing another firearm. Red Flag laws are gun control masquerading as intervention to stop a risk of harm when no such result is actually achieved.
Presently, there are ads running all over Tennessee by individuals who want you to vote for them. They want you to believe that they will protect your rights under the 2nd Amendment. Do not blindly trust them because even those who identify as Republicans may be feckless when it comes to gun control – just look at the fact that 10 sitting Republican senators voted with the Democrats in Congress on a massive gun control agenda recently which included support for Red Flag laws.
TFA has prepared a survey for every candidate in the state to sign pledging their opposition to Red Flag laws. Don’t wait for the candidates to sign these. You can download it, email it to them or even print a copy and go get their signatures (or try to). Many will sign it and, if they do, make sure it gets sent to TFA! However, we also know that many will have all the excuses in the world not to sign it – just like they will not truly fight to defeat the Red Flag law agenda.
Take action now! You are part of the grassroots movement and you can make a difference by getting involved in the movement to defeat the Red Flag Law Lie.
The Red Flag Pledge (blank) is on this news post on the TFA's main website.
