The Patriot Post® · Republicans Seek Reciprocity in DC

A day after congressional Republicans were attacked at a baseball field last week, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced the DC Personal Protection Reciprocity Act, which would require the District to honor as valid gun carry permits from other states. Massie correctly predicted that Democrats and their Leftmedia allies would seek to pin blame for the attack on Second Amendment rights. He stated, “After the horrific shooting at the Republican Congressional Baseball practice, there will likely be calls for special privileges to protect politicians. Our reaction should instead be to protect the right of all citizens guaranteed in the Constitution: the right to self-defense. I do not want to extend a special privilege to politicians, because the right to keep and bear arms is not a privilege, it is a God-given right protected by our Constitution.” As well said as the defense given by Rep. Mo Brooks.

Massie highlighted the fact that if it wasn’t for the Capital Police detail assigned to majority whip Rep. Steve Scalise, the Republicans would have been sitting ducks. “What’s always evident in these situations is this: The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” Massie observed.

While the state of Virginia, where the attack took place, does honor other states’ gun-carry permits, DC does not. The District has a well deserved reputation for being one of the most anti-gun cities in the U.S. with some of the nation’s strictest gun-control laws, particularly pertaining to hand guns. But the city is also in a unique situation of being subject directly to Congress and its ability to override decisions made by the DC City Council. So far Massie’s bill has 21 cosponsors, all Republican.

Rep. Massie is taking the offensive on defending Americans’ Second Amendment rights. He has resisted the temptation to cease pressing for gun rights because some people may “feel” uncomfortable about guns and has pointed out the ideological bankruptcy of the gun-control lobby. They seek to ignore the statistically proven fact that laws limiting access to firearms have proven to created environments that are more dangerous, not less. Robbing citizens of their God-given right to self-defense is not virtuous but dangerous and shameful.