One of the outcomes of last month's shooting in Uvalde, Texas has been several Democrat politicians making public statements calling for stricter measures on firearms to prevent future mass shootings.
Among those was President Joe Biden, who took to the cameras to give a primetime address to the nation on Thursday.
In his speech, Biden rejected those who invoked the Second Amendment to oppose such measures.
During an interview with Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5's "The Jeff Poor Show" on Friday, U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) chalked Biden's rhetoric up to pre-midterm election politics.
"I wasn't surprised," Palmer said. "He's made the statement that the Second Amendment is not absolute. If the Second Amendment is not absolute, then the other amendments aren't either. This is a guy who is honestly showing his true colors, for one thing. But he is desperate for something to galvanize his base going into the midterm elections."
Palmer argued that other factors beyond gun control must be considered, including societal and mental issues.
"At the end of the day, I don't think gun control is going to address the issues that are driving the violence in the country," Palmer said. "The criminal element is always going to get the weapons that they want. All you have got to do is go to Chicago on one weekend and see that. But there are other issues, Jeff, that I think have to be taken into account. And I know this is not popular with a lot of people, but the breakup of the family -- I've thought about this a lot in my growing up years, the fact that I had a dad that I looked up to, and so many of these shooters coming from broken homes.
"And then the other aspect is the mental health. There's a new study out where they're evaluating brain structure, and there's a clear distinction regarding the brain of the people who have these psychopathic tendencies. I point out to people that the absolute worst attack on the schools occurred in 1927 in Bath, Michigan, and it was a bombing that killed 38 kids. It is a much bigger issue than what President Biden wants to make it out to be."
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com.
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