Thursday, January 13, 2011

How Will Lawmakers With Guns Work Exactly?

Now that some of our lawmakers have decided to carry guns to protect themselves from voters on shooting rampages, I'm wondering exactly how that will work.

Let's say they're at a town hall meeting with their gun. Do they take the gun and put it on the table so that everyone can see it? If so, how do they know they'll be able to grab it once trouble starts and not be shot first? Do they wear it in a holster and become quick draw artists? Do they keep it trained on the audience in case someone fires?

Will they undergo firearms training so that the audience is confident the lawmaker will hit the person they are aiming at and not some innocent bystander? Will the lighting in the hall be good enough so that the lawmaker will be able to identify exactly who fired the shot? What if someone fires and a couple people jump up with guns drawn? Will the lawmaker shoot all of them out of an abundance of caution? Will the lawmaker remain calm under fire and be able to aim accurately?

What do they do if someone sneaks up behind them in a crowd? Will they have eyes in the back of their heads and be able to see them before the assailant gets off the first shot?

How will guns at political events affect the political dialogue? Will voters feel comfortable disagreeing with an armed politician? I don't know. This isn't my idea. It's up to those who are proposing gun-toting lawmakers to answer the questions.

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