A Republican Party leader in the United States has rebuffed the idea of gun control after the deadly school shooting in Texas' Robb Elementary with a bizarre justification: Planes weren't banned after the 9/11 terror attacks. Lauren Boebert was speaking on Fox News' Hannity Special when she made the remarks.
“When 9/11 happened, we didn't ban planes. We secured the cockpit,” she said in Thursday's broadcast, according to the Daily Beast.
“I want our schools secured, I want their children protected, and I want teachers that can protect themselves and their student. And you know what? We can achieve this without trying to disarm law-abiding citizens,” the Colorado representative, a staunch supporter of firearms, further said.
Watch the video:
Boebert: When 9/11 happened, we didn't ban planes pic.twitter.com/nvWUBz8KNO
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 27, 2022
During the 2020 elections, she staunchly opposed introduction of laws for stringent gun control in the US.
According to Daily Beast, she owns a restaurant where the staff members openly carry firearms.
Further reporting about Thursday's broadcast, Newsweek said that Ms Boebert went on to suggest that the Democrats are attempting to use the tragedy in Texas to push "their radical political agenda," and bring in stricter gun laws.
"And of course, leave it to Barack Obama to make this issue more divisive instead of allowing the nation to come together, mourn and heal," she added, which according to Newsweek was a reference to former US President's tweet linking the Uvalde tragedy to the two-year anniversary of George Floyd's death.
Social media users were upset over Ms Boebert's remarks and pointed out that planes were not banned after 9/11 but security was massively increased.
“When 9/11 happened and nearly 3,000 people died, and LESS THAN TWO MONTHS LATER we created an entire government agency in response, a agency that requires us to show government-issued ID, get screened with full body scanners, etc,” a user tweeted.
“Um no, we made it harder to get on planes. So for example, in this situation we would make it harder to get the guns (planes) into your hands to be used as a weapon,” said another.
Ms Boebert is a politician, businesswoman, and gun rights activist from the United States. She is the US representative representing Colorado's 3rd congressional district and is a member of the Republican Party.
Her remarks came as former US President and Republican Party leader Donald Trump defended prominent gun-rights lobbying group National Rifle Association (NRA) amid growing calls for gun reforms.
"Every time a disturbed or demented person commits such a hideous crime, there's always a grotesque effort by some in our society to use the suffering of others to advance their own extreme political agenda," he said while addressing the NRA annual meeting in Houston, Texas.
He added that decent Americans should be allowed the firearms they need to defend themselves against "evil".
The former president called for increasing school security instead of focusing on gun reform. "If the United States has $40 billion to send to Ukraine, we should be able to do whatever it takes to keep our children safe at home," he said.
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