Mass Shooters Will Be PROSECUTED – Under New Laws
(TargetLiberty.org) – Two Democrat legislators have introduced a new bill openly linking America’s most popular guns with terrorism. If the proposal becomes law, mass shooters who use so-called “assault weapons” to commit their crimes would become subject to terrorism charges — and so would anyone accused of “enabling” the atrocity.
On July 28, Representatives Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX) proposed the Mass Shooter Prosecution Act. This legislation would allow law enforcement to treat some events as terrorist attacks, even though they don’t meet the actual definition of terrorism because they don’t have a political goal.
Mass shootings are acts of terrorism. Yet the gunmen who have taken so many lives & wreak havoc on communities don't face federal terrorism charges.
My Mass Shooter Prosecution Act would legally make mass shootings a terrorist offense. https://t.co/Q7o4uaO03B
— Rep. Seth Moulton (@RepMoulton) July 29, 2022
The proposed act would cover mass shootings committed with “a machinegun or a covered semiautomatic weapon” and involving the mail or “any facility of interstate or foreign commerce” — a catch-all phrase that includes the internet.
No mass shooter in the US has ever used a machine gun, but the legislation’s inclusion of “a covered semiautomatic weapon” worries Second Amendment proponents. The definition given in the bill exactly matches that of the “assault weapons” the House voted to ban on July 29 and includes AR15-style rifles, the best-selling firearms in the US.
Can politicians really define terroristic acts by whether the attacker’s rifle had a pistol grip or an extendable stock? Or is the clause included to demonize owners of semi-automatic rifles, in general?
Additionally, by opening the possibility of prosecuting “enablers,” the bill seems to threaten First Amendment rights. Someone who shares conspiracy theories online might face terrorism charges if authorities believe their words encouraged a gunman. Is this truly the best way to deter mass shootings?
Copyright 2022, TargetLiberty.org
