Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-New York). Official picture.
A Democratic Congressman has been criticized for appearing to call for a "2nd amendment" solution in response to President Trump. USA Today. Democratic Congressman Tom Suozzi, from New York's 3rd district, suggested as much at a town hall meeting. He said that if the courts and public pressure couldn't stop Trump, the 2nd amendment could. When asked by a constituent what the 2nd amendment was, he said it was the right to keep and bear arms. Suozzi's remarks have been harshly criticized and viewed as a threat against the president.
My Comment:
I know this is an old story but I kind of wanted to talk about it anyways. It's been a slow news day and this is a good strange story that severely switches up the stereotypes between the parties. It's like bizzaro world or opposite day.
I'm conflicted. On the one hand Suozzi is totally correct that the 2nd amendment is for overthrowing a corrupt and evil government. I obviously don't agree that Trump is either, but it's not like his argument about the 2nd amendment is wrong. The 2nd amendment was the final check and balance against government overreach and it was put into the constitution for a reason. He's absolutely insane for suggesting that it be used in response to Donald Trump, but the underlying argument is solid.
On the other, how the hell is a Democrat making this argument? They have for a very long time said that the original intent of the 2nd amendment was for anything other than the private ownership of weapons. And when Trump supposedly said something similar, even though he really didn't, they attacking him in the media for the better part of a week. Hell, one of the people at this town hall didn't even know what the 2nd amendment is? These are the people that are going to overthrow the government with guns?
It's also the complete opposite message that Democratic Party has gone on gun rights for years and years now. The party officially says that there is no right to bear arms. They say that anyone who points out that revolution might be necessary one day is a dangerous lunatic who needs to have their guns taken away. Somehow I don't see them saying this about Suozzi and since this story is old and I haven't seen anyone from the left saying that, I guess I was right.
Hilariously enough, the extreme gun control in New York, where this congressman is from, would make any uprising against Trump pretty much impossible. Obviously the real gun owners would not go for it leaving the people that would actually want to, untrained liberals, most from New York City, all by themselves. And they would have a difficult time obtaining weapons, especially in New York City where the laws are even more strict than the state. Not to mention that most gun sellers wouldn't sell to a left wing lunatic spouting revolution against Trump.
An uprising from the left really isn't viable even outside of New York. Unlike a right wing uprising, the rank and file in the military and police would not be on the side of the revolutionaries. The left also doesn't have the culture of guns and training that the right in this country has. Most people on the left don't have guns and live in parts of the country where it is hard to purchase them. They would be completely outclassed, not only by the government, but by armed civilians as well. It's a horribly stupid idea.
Plus, I don't think there really is any will to rise up against Trump. Part of it is that Trump is a huge hate sink for the Democratic Party. Without him, the party would likely fall apart due to the tension between the neoliberals and the far left. As much as they would hate to admit it most liberals need Trump. And I just don't see the left actually being willing to give up their comfortable lives in a war when elections could accomplish the exact same thing without the bloodshed.
If anything positive for this it might get a few people into guns that wouldn't otherwise be. Of course some of them might be psychotic like that guy that shot up the congressional baseball game. But that might be the exception and not the rule. I am guessing if people take this congressman's advice and go to the gun range they might figure out that the Republicans were right about guns all along and one of the main reasons for going to war in the first place, gun rights, would no longer be an issue. That would be a good thing for everyone involved.
Still, Congressman Suozzi was pretty stupid to say this. He is reinforcing the prejudices of the right, who think that the left wants to kill them all anyways. This could end up radicalizing people on both the right and the left. He is also being hugely hypocritical for suggesting something that the Democratic Party officially says doesn't exist. It was a stupid statement but one only newsworthy because of how unusual it was.
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