Addressing the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas

Addressing the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas

Hot takes are not my style; what is reported in the heat of the moment often turns out to be incorrect once the event is investigated. The shooting of elementary students in Uvalde, Texas by a disturbed young man on Tuesday, May 24 is one such case. After four days, there is more clarity about what happened, but also many more questions yet to be answered.

This event is a tragedy of the greatest magnitude. As a husband and father, my heart breaks for the families of the children and teachers killed. Without diminishing the losses of those in Uvalde, America has endured several weeks of high-profile shootings: the shooting of Taiwanese American church members in California on May 15, the killing of shoppers at the Topps grocery store in Buffalo earlier this month, and the attack on 23 people in the New York subway in April.

We know the commission of these crimes was not committed by a gun - each was the act of a person with agency to choose to follow the law or not. In Uvalde, this person received the consequences of his actions as he was shot and killed as law enforcement attempted to apprehend him. I will not honor his actions by writing his name. In the other events, the suspected shooters have been caught and will hopefully be charged with crimes, tried in a court of law, and be given an appropriate sentence if found guilty.

It is unfortunate that the far-left uses events like this to attempt to take away Constitutional rights of Americans. Whether it is through "red flag laws" which strip gun ownership without due process, through "universal background checks" which attempt to build a gun registry as a precursor to confiscation, or through banning arms in common use by calling them "assault rifles" these are all actions which would infringe on the legal ownership of firearms and will do nothing to stop the next criminal act.

I write to you to let you know that my commitment to upholding the Constitution remains firm. The Second Amendment is not about hunting, sport shooting or collecting; it preserves to the People of the United States access to the tools necessary to self-defense and the security of a free state, whether from enemies foreign or domestic. There are actions that we should take to protect our children in schools, but those actions must not include making it more difficult for American citizens to exercise their right to keep and bear arms.

Early voting has begun. Whether voting by mail or in person, as you cast your votes, consider which candidates are committed to your protecting your rights and which want you to pay for others' benefits.