We’ve all heard the “good guy with a gun” argument, but the recent statements from Republican candidate for Arizona state Senate Bobby Wilson take it to a whole new level. AZCentral reports that during a gun control forum at a church in Tucson, Wilson recounted how he had to shoot an attacker in self-defense when he was just 18 years old. His attacker was his mother.
He said his life story illustrates the importance of having "a good guy there with a gun" rather than gun-control legislation.
"You can pass all the laws you want to in this world, and when you've got somebody out there that wants to harm somebody, they're going to do it if you don't stop them," Wilson told the crowd.
The crowd was not pleased and booed.
AZ Central notes that he didn’t share the whole story during the forum. While he paints his mom as a deranged attacker that he had to shoot in order to save his life, records show he was charged with the murders of both his mother and sister, confessed, recanted, and then said he had amnesia about the night of their shootings. The charges were ultimately dismissed. The article makes it clear that Wilson presenting himself as a “good guy with a gun” may not be the best choice.