Gun Control

Received a response to my email from Okla Sen Lankford:

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns about the horrific shooting at the Covenant Christian School in Nashville.

My heart breaks for the victims and families of this tragedy.  I hope you will join me in lifting these families and community up in prayer.

[SIZE=12pt]Schools should be a safe place where children can learn and grow without any fear of being in danger.  No teacher or student should have to fear for their lives.  Parents should have full confidence their child is safe when they drop them off at school.  This devastating attack has left both the Nashville community and the nation with heavy hearts and many questions.  [/SIZE]

Any action to solve the issue of escalating violence in our nation deserves careful evaluation.  I have heard feedback from many Oklahomans on how we can solve this difficult issue.  I appreciate these different perspectives and opinions. 

[SIZE=12pt]As we have seen with other instances of gun violence, the root cause is often mental health, broken families, self-isolation, self-radicalization, and violent crime.  To solve these issues, we have to encourage healthy families, create better access to more mental health services, and restore respectful dialogues about the harm hatred can cause.  This approach grapples with the real issues our nation is facing instead of just "doing something."  I have no problem with having an honest and open conversation about gun violence, but any solution should address these underlying issues.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]With that said, we need to make certain that current federal firearm laws are being fully enforced.  Federal law already prohibits multiple categories of individuals from purchasing or possessing a firearm.  For example, the law prohibits individuals from possessing a firearm if they have been a convicted of a felony or a [/SIZE]domestic[SIZE=12pt] violence [/SIZE]misdemeanor. [SIZE=12pt] Federal law also requires licensed firearms dealers to initiate a background check on all gun sale transactions.  It is important to note that it is a federal crime to transfer a firearm from one individual to another if there is reason to believe the transferee belongs to one of the nine prohibited categories.[/SIZE]

I am encouraged by programs like the COPS School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) which focuses on school hardening.  The funding can be used for the installation of new technologies to increase school safety, coordination with local law enforcement, metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrents. 

I joined other Senators to introduce the Protect Our Children’s Schools Act to allow schools to use unspent federal COVID-19 funding to improve K-12 physical school security.  This is a good example of a solution that could make a real difference and help protect our children while they are at school.  [SIZE=12pt]Congress has the responsibility to enact solutions that can prevent tragedies like this from happening while keeping our constitutional rights intact. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]We may not agree on the solutions to resolve this issue, but I will always be willing to have respectful dialogue.  I am also confident we can work together on areas on which we have common ground for good of the nation.  [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]Please feel free to contact me again via email at  [/SIZE]www.lankford.senate.gov [SIZE=12pt] more information about my work in the United States Senate for all of us. [/SIZE]
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Decoy73 said:
Thanks for sharing.  I’d follow up by asking why other industrialized countries who also have citizens with “mental health “ issues, broken families, self isolation, etc. don’t even come close to our levels of gun violence and mass shootings?   
 
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good point

 
commando said:
so they got in the wrong car....got out and went back to their car....the guy followed them and shot them in their car.   that isn't stand your ground...that is attempted murder
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That depends.  In Texas, it's a pardonable offense if the shooter is MAGA and has text messages saying he would shoot cheerleaders and claim self-defense and if those cheerleaders were deemed "woke".  

 
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