The morning of February 14, 2018, 14 promising young students and three dedicated educators walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School as everyday Americans; they were carried out as victims of a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. On February 15, there was nothing to fill the emptiness but a string of tough questions. Why? How? And, perhaps most inescapable: What now? This question was especially urgent back in Florida, where less than two years before the Orlando Pulse shooting left 49 people dead and 53 wounded.
If the citizens of Florida’s Panhandle looked to their government for guidance and reassurance in the harrowing days following Parkland, they were sorely disappointed. Matt Gaetz, House Representative for Florida’s 1st congressional district, released a predictably lukewarm, cursory statement:
Apparently, Gaetz’s efforts to protect the citizens of FL-01 stopped there. As Pensacola News Journal’s Andy Marlette asks:
Will Congressman Gaetz’s broken heart...
a) Inspire Gaetz to prioritize school safety even if it means creating or strengthening gun restrictions that are opposed by the NRA?
b) Prompt Gaetz and Congressional colleagues to author legislation that will result in a measurable reduction in U.S. mass shootings?
c) Make your children physically safer when they go to school tomorrow?
d) None of the above
It’s not a difficult question to answer.
A women who knew one of the teachers killed in Parkland asked Gaetz to consider the legality of assault rifles. She also inquired as to whether or not Gaetz has ever been personally touched by gun violence. His reply:
"No I haven't," Gaetz said as the woman tried to interject. "I've allowed you to have more time probably than others will have, so thank you. I will say this in response to your question. Your question I believe, respectfully, represents a fundamental misunderstanding of the Second Amendment. ...The Second Amendment is not about self-defense. The Second Amendment was written so that the citizens of this country could maintain an armed rebellion against their government."
Apparently, Florida children can continue to be slaughtered at school so long as people are prepared for some hypothetical future-rebellion. As if that weren’t tone-deaf enough, Gaetz answered a question about the epidemic of gun violence in communities of color by breezing past the question entirely:
"When we start saying that we've got to do something different for communities of color than for other communities, I think we contribute to a culture of division in this country," Gaetz continued, "rather than realizing that we're all in this together, and that we shouldn't be treating one community that looks one way any different than a community that looks the other way."
While Gaetz is well known for dismissing the propositions and requests of his constituents, the bizarre lack of awareness demonstrated by these responses is difficult to deny. Democrats cannot simply attribute his obstinacy to his political party affiliation. After all, Gaetz’s Republican primary opponent, Cris Dosev, called for balance and finding reasonable middle ground in the debate over gun reform.
No, Gaetz’s stances are uniquely severe, earning him a consistent A+ rating with the NRA, as well as an official endorsement. In fact, Marion Hammer, NRA lobbyist and former NRA president, calls Gaetz “one of the most pro-gun members of the Florida Legislature.” And though Gaetz is notorious for blowing off voter input, he reliably toes the line that his NRA donors draw. Gaetz is a vocal advocate for open carry, “stand your ground” laws, and a national standard for the carrying of concealed firearms by non-residents. He strongly opposes gun-reform legislation by default, as well as the suggestion that, “More restrictive gun control laws are needed to protect public safety.” He also regurgitates the NRA-championed policy of arming of teachers. Though his support stands in direct opposition to teachers’ unions in his own district, Gaetz is unable to explain the rationale or benefits of arming teachers. He is so unimpressive in his desperate attempts to hide his sycophancy that Orlando Weekly’s Colin Wolf wondered aloud, “Is Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz just three kids stacked on top of each other in a suit?”
Perhaps Gaetz says it best himself. Per his website:
When many called for the repeal of Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law, Matt fought to ensure that “not one damn comma” of the law was changed. Matt killed all taxes on gun club memberships, and passed legislation stopping insurance companies from discriminating against gun owners. Matt is once again leading the fight for our 2nd Amendment Rights in Congress by cosponsoring nationwide Concealed Carry Reciprocity legislation.
But bombastic rhetoric alone is not rewarded by NRA dollars and endorsements. According to The New Yorker, Gaetz willingly sponsors bills developed by Hammer, admitting, “she works on it with the analyst. Then I look it over and file it. I’m not picky on the details.” This is not a reassuring statement when those “details” might cost one of his constituents his or her life. Yet when it comes to Hammer, Gaetz is more than happy to serve as a loyal mouthpiece, conceding that, “If you’re with Marion ninety-five per cent of the time, you’re a damn traitor.”
While Gaetz does the bidding of the NRA, his Democratic opponent, Jennifer Zimmerman, prefers nuanced solutions that work for all Northwest Floridians on both sides of the aisle. For starters, Zimmerman approaches the topic of gun reform as a woman of science who sees the value in objectivity and logic. Rejecting quick fixes for complicated problems, Zimmerman advocates solutions supported by accurate data and backed by evidence of efficacy. In fact, Zimmerman has also been endorsed by Everytown for Gun Safety, a group combating gun violence through common-sense gun reform and data-driven solutions.
Zimmerman is also steadfast in her support for hunters and sport shooters. From her website:
Responsible and law-abiding gun owners should know that their interests and rights are protected. However, I am certain we all share the concern of keeping guns out of the hands of those that should not have them.
There’s only one politician Panhandle voters can trust to pursue sensible legislation which protects the rights and liberties of all while providing safety and security to families and children.
As last month’s horrific shooting at a Jacksonville video game tournament demonstrated, the nightmare continues for the people of Florida as election day nears.
A sincere thanks for your prayers, Matt. Much like those prayers, that halfhearted “thank you” will never amount to much. You were elected to protect the citizens of FL-01 and make their lives better through legislative action, not feign helplessness in a time of national crisis. Until you stop the tired platitudes and enact real, concrete changes, you are willingly complicit in the deaths of innocent American citizens.
You can learn more about Jennifer Zimmerman below.
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-Laura Herbek, Staff Writer