(Screen grab, Twitter)
SALT LAKE CITY – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) says aggressive gun control policies are racist and hurt low-income and minority communities.
His comments came during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that was scheduled before the mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado but happened the day after.
“The right of individual Americans to keep and bear arms was appropriately considered by our founding fathers as fundamental,” said Lee.
During the committee hearing, Lee questioned an expert who testified that gun control actually has racist roots.
Chris Cheng, an American marksman, sports shooter, and The History Channel’s Top Shot Season 4 Champion, said gun control has suppressed low-income and minority communities.
“When there are gun control bills under consideration, it threatens every single American’s right to defend themselves from real imminent threats. And that’s what frightens me about the gun control legislation in front of this body today,” said Cheng.
Cheng said everyone wants to see violence reduced, and gun control laws are well-intentioned. But he pointed out that an executive order under the guise of public safety and national security put Japanese Americans into internment camps unconstitutionally during World War II.
“We’ve seen that it’s rarely the empowered, very rarely the wealthy, or those with political connections to the government who have their rights interfered with,” said Lee as he spoke with Cheng.
In the hearing, Democrats discussed expanding background checks and banning assault rifles. Republicans put their focus on stopping criminals from gaining access to guns.
Ten Republican senators would have to join all Democrats to pass new gun reform bills.