No Possible Explanation for Tea Party's Joe Walsh

Oct 6, 2011

Statement of Brady Campaign Acting President Dennis Henigan on Illinois Representative Joe Walsh’s October 3 letter responding to Henigan’s recent statement:

“Rep. Walsh recently argued that concealed carry of loaded guns should be legalized in Illinois because the Second Amendment is 'the last line of defense between us and our government.'  When I suggested he ought to explain why his words should not be read as a thinly veiled justification for violence against government officials, the Congressman responded to me with a letter that is nothing but an exercise in misdirection and obfuscation.  The letter is a dutiful repetition of gun lobby talking points, but not once does it explain, or even refer to, Walsh's earlier statement that guns are ‘the last line of defense between us and our government.’

Rather than defend his earlier statement, Walsh's letter raises new, and equally troubling, questions.  He says that the Second Amendment was written because ‘Americans should be able [to] defend themselves from tyranny no matter what form it takes on.’ He then says that ‘Americans and especially Illinoisans are subject to a new form of tyranny -- a big government bent on slowly dismantling our rights to own and carry a firearm.’

Again, Mr. Walsh, what are you saying here?  That if Illinois does not allow the carrying of loaded, concealed guns in public, the Second Amendment justifies resistance by force of arms?  Are you asserting a right of gun owners to threaten or engage in violent acts against government officials if the Illinois legislature does not agree that people should be free to carry loaded guns into restaurants, coffee shops and movie theaters in your state?

We can have an honest debate about the dangers of guns in public places.  But it threatens the very foundations of our form of government to suggest that the use of lethal weaponry is a legitimate political remedy for those who are dissatisfied with the gun laws enacted by our democratically-elected officials.  That an elected official himself would take such a position is beyond any possible explanation.”

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The Brady Campaign is the nation's largest citizens' lobby to prevent gun violence. We represent the voice of the overwhelming majority of Americans who are tired of living with the constant tragedy of gun violence and are in favor of strong laws and policies that will save lives. We are the light that exposes politicians who are putting the American people at risk, empowering the American people to hold them accountable for decisions and actions that undermine public safety.

We are driven by the focused vision of a nation where all Americans are safe at home, at work, at school, and in our communities.

Dan Gross is the President of the Brady Campaign and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. A photo and more information about Dan Gross is available here.

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