Sen. Doug Jones Slams NRA ‘Scare Tactics,’ But Says People Shouldn’t ‘Demonize’ Pro-Gun Groups

JONES I stand in ░░░░░░░░ moment now and so ░░░░░░░░ you so does our ░░░░░░░░ I believe we finally ░░░░░░░░ a tipping point regarding ░░░░░░░░ violence now not because ░░░░░░░░ the shooting in Parkland ░░░░░░░░ but thanks to the ░░░░░░░░ of young voices across ░░░░░░░░ country led by students ░░░░░░░░ Marjory Stoneman Douglas High ░░░░░░░░ Much like the students ░░░░░░░░ took to the streets ░░░░░░░░ Birmingham in 1963 were ░░░░░░░░ by fire hoses and ░░░░░░░░ dogs who woke the ░░░░░░░░ of America s civil ░░░░░░░░ these young men and ░░░░░░░░ are waking the conscience ░░░░░░░░ America regarding gun violence ░░░░░░░░ m pleased that one ░░░░░░░░ those young men Alfonso ░░░░░░░░ of Marjory Stoneman Douglas ░░░░░░░░ School is here with ░░░░░░░░ as my guest in ░░░░░░░░ gallery today You know ░░░░░░░░ can spend days in ░░░░░░░░ chamber debating the meaning ░░░░░░░░ the Second Amendment We ░░░░░░░░ let our nation further ░░░░░░░░ itself while more lives ░░░░░░░░ lost We can fret ░░░░░░░░ what people are saying ░░░░░░░░ us on social media ░░░░░░░░ whether we might lose ░░░░░░░░ contributions We can again ░░░░░░░░ the path of inaction ░░░░░░░░ the face of yet ░░░░░░░░ mass shooting and expect ░░░░░░░░ results Or we can ░░░░░░░░ another path Let us ░░░░░░░░ what we can agree ░░░░░░░░ act on it and ░░░░░░░░ to make our country ░░░░░░░░ safer place We can ░░░░░░░░ reasonable here because we ░░░░░░░░ want the same thing ░░░░░░░░ safer country a safer ░░░░░░░░ At its core the ░░░░░░░░ Amendment was an effort ░░░░░░░░ protect Americans Let us ░░░░░░░░ the same But in ░░░░░░░░ to do that we ░░░░░░░░ to build more trust ░░░░░░░░ this body and encourage ░░░░░░░░ More importantly we need ░░░░░░░░ fundamentally change the way ░░░░░░░░ talk about difficult issues ░░░░░░░░ our country and set ░░░░░░░░ example for our fellow ░░░░░░░░ to follow to dial ░░░░░░░░ the rhetoric Remember that ░░░░░░░░ every action there is ░░░░░░░░ equal and opposite reaction ░░░░░░░░ not just one of ░░░░░░░░ s laws of motion ░░░░░░░░ also one of political ░░░░░░░░ Extreme views promote equal ░░░░░░░░ opposite extreme views For ░░░░░░░░ who want more gun ░░░░░░░░ instead of focusing your ░░░░░░░░ on banning certain weapons ░░░░░░░░ frankly and as a ░░░░░░░░ matter just simply cannot ░░░░░░░░ this Congress focus instead ░░░░░░░░ efforts to keep those ░░░░░░░░ and others out of ░░░░░░░░ hands of those who ░░░░░░░░ do us harm You ░░░░░░░░ t simply demonize the ░░░░░░░░ R A and pro ░░░░░░░░ groups I know that ░░░░░░░░ groups sometimes take what ░░░░░░░░ including me consider extreme ░░░░░░░░ They also represent millions ░░░░░░░░ law abiding gun owners ░░░░░░░░ are concerned that their ░░░░░░░░ to bear arms are ░░░░░░░░ risk For millions of ░░░░░░░░ gun ownership and enjoyment ░░░░░░░░ a cultural issue with ░░░░░░░░ held beliefs Addressing the ░░░░░░░░ is simply not like ░░░░░░░░ stock transactions or cutting ░░░░░░░░ And to those who ░░░░░░░░ seek to maintain the ░░░░░░░░ quo like the N ░░░░░░░░ A or anyone else ░░░░░░░░ stop using scare tactics ░░░░░░░░ try and convince law ░░░░░░░░ gun owners that the ░░░░░░░░ government is hell bent ░░░░░░░░ taking their guns away ░░░░░░░░ is simply not going ░░░░░░░░ happen and everyone knows ░░░░░░░░ We also need to ░░░░░░░░ past the idea that ░░░░░░░░ guns in society will ░░░░░░░░ us all safer The ░░░░░░░░ and the data simply ░░░░░░░░ not support that We ░░░░░░░░ t need guns in ░░░░░░░░ hands of school teachers ░░░░░░░░ having more good guys ░░░░░░░░ guns is not the ░░░░░░░░ Americans just simply do ░░░░░░░░ want to return to ░░░░░░░░ days of the Wild ░░░░░░░░ This topic like so ░░░░░░░░ others has become a ░░░░░░░░ that is less about ░░░░░░░░ a thoughtful conversation and ░░░░░░░░ evolved into a clash ░░░░░░░░ cultures As leaders we ░░░░░░░░ reject the us against ░░░░░░░░ mentality because ultimately we ░░░░░░░░ all Americans who are ░░░░░░░░ by a common bond ░░░░░░░░ shared values and love ░░░░░░░░ country There will always ░░░░░░░░ the forces that seek ░░░░░░░░ sow division and discord ░░░░░░░░ challenge and our mission ░░░░░░░░ to prevent them from ░░░░░░░░ We can seize this ░░░░░░░░ by changing conversation in ░░░░░░░░ country Let s start ░░░░░░░░ productive dialogue and work ░░░░░░░░ a comprehensive bill that ░░░░░░░░ ideas we should be ░░░░░░░░ to agree on There ░░░░░░░░ already a half a ░░░░░░░░ proposals in this body ░░░░░░░░ have bipartisan support.”