In a 2022 post on her personal Facebook account, Marilyn Lands shared a petition to stop the sale of so-called "assault weapons," something that many far-left Democrats have been attacking for years.
In the post, Lands attempts to use the children killed in the horrific murder at Sandy Hook Elementry to achieve her political goals, a common tactic used among groups and politicians alike to inflict a response from voters. This is the same approach they have taken on the abortion issue as well in this race.
Historically, anti-gun advocates offer such data, adding that according to the CDC, 48,830 people died in 2021 of gun-related deaths. However, sometimes, they neglect to mention that nearly 60% of those are by suicide.
Further, according to Pew Research, only 3% of that overall number are from what the CDC considers "assault weapons."
A terrorist attack recently in Belgium showed that gun bans — including those on semi-automatic firearms and standard-capacity magazines — don't prevent crime. In that country, the ownership of firearms, including semi-automatics, is severely restricted. Several other European nations have also had to deal with the same issues.
This type of rhetoric is what Democrat candidates, even in purple districts, are employing as an enticement for outside money, endorsements, and now national media exposure. Their approach: you must take on and fight for the radical far-left agenda.
Lands will face her Republican opponent, Teddy Powell, in a special general election on Tuesday.
1819 News reached out to Lands' campaign, asking her to clarify what a clear interpretation of an "assault weapon" was, but as of publishing, she had not received a response.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email Bradley.cox@1819news.com or on Twitter @BradleyCoxAL.
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