Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is rejecting Democrat calls for more gun control and instead urging the presence of more “armed good guys” to stop would-be attackers.
The Hill reports Cruz spoke to the NRA Leadership Forum on Friday and he focused aspects of American culture that he believes are in disarray. He noted lower levels of church attendance, widespread use of prescription drugs alongside the obsession some mass shooters have with video gaming.
Cruz said, “We know that many of these who seek to commit the most heinous crimes, they’re isolated from human contact. They’re living a virtual life in the absence of community of community and faith and love.”
He rejected calls to broaden background checks, suggesting such an expansion would not prevent most of the mass public attacks that are witnessed around the country.
Cruz focused on hardening schools and said, “What stops armed bad guys is armed good guys.”
The Hill column included mention of Mike Bloomberg-affiliated Everytown for Gun Safey’s claim that “22 percent” of gun buyers get their guns privately, thereby bypassing background checks.
The Hill did not mention the Uvalde shooting suspect passed a background check to acquire his gun, as did the Buffalo gunman and the Parkland attacker, among others.
Cruz’s point was the majority of mass public shooters are already getting their guns via background checks, so an expansion of such checks would do nothing to reduce attacks.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.