BELLEVUE, WA – Oklahoma State Rep. Mike Shelton’s attitude about the rights of private citizens in an emergency reflects a mentality that might better serve a police state than one of the United States, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) said today.
Shelton, a Democrat, was quoted by KOCO News in Oklahoma City this week arguing against legislation that would make it illegal for authorities to confiscate privately-owned firearms during emergency situations, as happened in New Orleans last year. The Second Amendment Foundation and National Rifle Association sued in federal court to stop that gun grab.
Said Shelton: “During states of emergency, I think police need total control. They don’t need to worry who has guns and who doesn’t. If the governor calls for Oklahomans to relinquish their guns, the public needs to do so.â€
“Shelton’s attitude is outrageous, especially for someone who holds public office and is supposed to serve the people, not violate their civil rights,†said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “In an emergency, the police really shouldn’t worry who has guns or who doesn’t, but only because it should be the least of their concerns. Armed citizens, as has been proven in many cases, are often times the only semblance of neighborhood and personal security.
“How dare Shelton suggest that law-abiding citizens blindly give up their only means of personal defense at the whim of a governor, or anyone else,†he added. “Unfortunately, Shelton’s attitude reflects that of far too many Democrats, whose party leaders still seem far more interested in locking up people’s guns than they are in locking up criminals.
“Rep. Shelton is not only in favor of disarming law-abiding citizens, using a natural disaster as an excuse to take their firearms,†Gottlieb noted, “he’s also opposed to legislation that protects citizens who stand their ground against criminal attack. His philosophy seems to be one of surrender and submission, leaving me to wonder just whose side he is on.â€