Yet again, freshman U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has engaged in a Twitter war with someone from the opposite side of the political aisle. This time, her target was fellow freshman Congressman Dan Crenshaw, a Republican from Texas.
According to Breitbart News, Ocasio-Cortez’s social media jabs at Crenshaw began on September 4, 2019 after the Representative tweeted the story of fellow Texan Lachelle Hudgins, who used a handgun to fend off would-be robbers. Reportedly, the suspects attempted to snatch Hudgins’ pocketbook through her vehicle’s window. But, to their dismay, she swiftly grabbed her firearm, fired it, and wounded one of the alleged criminals.
According to ABC13, Hudgins remarked, “It was all I had in my gun. I shot until I couldn’t shoot anymore.” She went on to say, “I saved my life.” The original tweet from Miya Shay at ABC13 that Crenshaw retweeted stated in part, “Five men tried to rob a young woman this morning. They didn’t expect her to grab her handgun and fire. Today, she is unharmed, and at least one suspect is shot.”
Along with the retweeted story, Crenshaw wrote, “Situations like this story are why we protect the 2nd Amendment.” The Representative added, “Side note: With universal background checks, I wouldn’t be able to let my friends borrow my handgun when they travel alone like this. We would make felons out of people just for defending themselves.”
None too happy with Crenshaw’s tweet, Ocasio-Cortez responded, “You are a member of Congress. Why are you ‘lending’ guns to people unsupervised who can’t pass a basic background check? The people you’re giving a gun to have likely abused their spouse or have a violent criminal record, & you may not know it. Why on earth would you do that?”
Crenshaw addressed the New York Congresswoman’s concerns by tweeting, “Just so I’m clear: you think my friends are domestic abusers/criminals? Seriously that’s your argument? That they can’t pass a background check? Wrong. People lend guns to friends, esp if they don’t own a gun, for self-defense and hunting purposes. This is America outside NYC.”
The freshman Congresswoman fired back, “You said w/ universal background checks, you wouldn’t be able to ‘lend’ guns to friends. If a background check would be a problem, then you shouldn’t ‘lend’ a gun. And btw, NY is one of the safest states in the country when it comes to guns, incl rural areas.”
The outspoken Representative continued to imply that Crenshaw’s friends may indeed be violent individuals. Ocasio Cortez tweeted in part, “Herein lies an important point abt domestic abuse: most of it is hidden. You could know an abuser & have no clue. I’ve had friends come out to me as victims. It’s not obvious. Unsafe relationships are COMMON.”
She later added, “This idea of ‘I know the guy, there’s no way he beats his wife’ as the way we keep guns out of the hands of abusers is ridiculous. Any person who has been abused, assaulted, etc knows that abusers often present as ‘upstanding.’ There’s no way you’d know. That’s why it’s common.”
Not one to go away quietly, the freshman Congresswoman continued her tweet firestorm by saying, “Rapists can have Ivy League degrees. Abusers can look like ‘good dads’ or have high incomes or ‘great jobs.’ Good appearances are often a cover for abusers. In fact, many abusers RELY on their public reputation to intimidate partners from leaving (ex: ‘no one will believe you.’).” She also stated, “Domestic abusers can be master manipulators. Plus, domestic abuse is a HUGE indicator for gun violence. That’s why ‘vouching for friend’ isn’t a substitute for a background check. You wouldn’t lend a car to someone w/o a license.Why lend a gun to someone w/o a background check?”
On the September 5, 2019 broadcast of Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” co-host Ainsley Earhardt commented that where she grew up in South Carolina, people often “share guns and loan each other guns routinely.” She remarked, “It doesn’t mean that they’re abusing their spouse at home, or are violent or have criminal records. AOC can say that, she lives in New York City, that’s fine, she can have her opinion. But she’s not educated when it comes to what people are using their guns for in other parts of the country.”
The recent mass shootings in Texas and elsewhere have rekindled the continuously burning fire of the gun control debate. Unfortunately, Ocasio-Cortez’s and others’ mean-spirited attacks on gun rights supporters does nothing to stem the tide of mass shootings in the country.
