Almost immediately following a shooting in the Five Points South neighborhood of Birmingham, elected Democrat officials responded by calling for a so-called Glock switch ban and the repeal of Alabama's 2022 permitless carry law.
"We must take immediate and meaningful actions like banning Glock switches and repealing the horrific permitless concealed gun carry law in order to keep these weapons from those who should never have them in the first place," House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville) said in a statement released Sunday night. "This isn't a culture war issue over the right to own a gun, this is about the safety of everyone. People have simply had enough of senseless and often preventable gun violence."
State Rep. Shane Stringer (R-Citronelle), who led the 2022 legislation removing the state's requirement for a concealed carry permit, rejected the charges from Daniels and others who blamed Alabama's gun laws.
During an appearance on Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5's "The Jeff Poor Show," Stringer said the solution was to address the "criminal element."
"[I] think that, you know, to be realistic about it, we're going to have to look at the root problems of a lot of these crimes," he said. "And this one, particularly, I think it's going to come back to gang activity. You know, given somebody — and truthfully, let's speak truthfully, we're addressing it with permits and stuff like that. All you're addressing is the law-abiding citizens because that's who gets permits. The criminals do not. So targeting law-abiding citizens that own guns is not the solution. We're going to have to find ways to address these criminals and the criminal element. And if it means building more prisons, then let's build them."
Jeff Poor is the editor in chief of 1819 News and host of "The Jeff Poor Show," heard Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon on Mobile's FM Talk 106.5. To connect or comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com or follow him on Twitter @jeff_poor.
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