A Wisconsin GOP state senator is being accused of calling for a “vigilante uprising” after he said that gun owners need to “clean our society of scumbags.”
While discussing a recent shooting at East Towne Mall in Madison, Republican Senator Bob Gannon said the incidentmight have been averted if more people carried guns. In that shooting, a teenager was shot in the leg but the injury was not life-threatening.
Gannon, however, could not resist commenting:
“Wisconsin does not have a death penalty law, but with significant practice and careful aim, law-abiding citizens can help clean our society of these scumbags. Criminals no longer have any fear of our courts or our prisons, so it’s time that the citizens of this fine state stand up and fight back.”
The gun-happy Gannon added:
“A gang banger in the mall with a gun is going to think twice if there could be a law-abiding (concealed carry weapon) holder standing behind them fully prepared to shoot center mass, as this is how you’re trained to eliminate the threat these creeps pose to you, your family, and all law-abiding citizens unwillingly dragged into their public crime spree.”
Democratic legislator Chris Taylor responded to Gannon’s remarks:
“Representative Gannon is living in a James Bond dream world. If more guns made us safer, we would be the safest country in the world. We should be making guns like the one used at East Towne Mall more difficult to obtain for those who abuse the law.”
Gannon maintained that he had been misunderstood, saying he had not called for vigilantism, only for self-defense:
“Maybe that’s too strong, but it’s my nature to say things in a strong manner to make sure people are paying attention.”
Maybe it’s just me, but I personally don’t want to go to the mall and have everyone carrying guns. I say leave carrying guns in public places such as malls to the law enforcement professionals who actually know how to use them. We don’t need to turn malls into Wild West shooting galleries.
This article was originally published by the same author at LiberalAmerica.org.