Illinois Rep. Sean Casten (D-6th District) is edging out Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-16th District) for the world’s most obtuse Congressman.
That’s no easy feat.
Only 48 hours after the tragedy of the Highland Park shooting, Casten went on an epic Twitter thread that goes on for 14 tweets, ranting about gun control. Along with updating his avatar to a recent picture (vanity, much?), Casten needs some lessons on actual gun laws—especially the ones in the district and the state he is supposed to be representing.
There is no reason not to ban assault weapons.*
— Sean Casten (@SeanCasten) July 4, 2022
“Assault weapons,” what are they? Seriously, when a gun control zealot leads with this, it is clear that they are merely spouting talking points fed to them rather than actually knowing what the terms they are using mean. The City of Highland Park also has had a ban on “assault weapons” since 2014—so how exactly would an additional ban have kept the shooter, Robert “Bobby” Crimo II, from planning and executing this attack?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Casten goes on.
“There is no reason not to ban anyone with a history of domestic violence from ever being allowed to own a firearm.*”
This is already codified in Illinois law. Casten (or the intern who posts for him) might want to do their research before they posture and virtue signal.
“There is no reason to ignore the first 13 words of the 2nd amendment, nor to assume that someone who is not in a well-regulated militia needs a gun.*”
Casten is deliberately ignoring the less than two-week-old Supreme Court ruling in NYS Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.
‘The Amendment “was not intended to lay down a novel principle but rather codified a right inherited from our English ancestors.” Id., at 599 (alterations and internal quotation marks omitted). After surveying English history dating from the late 1600s, along with American colonial views leading up to the founding, we found “no doubt, on the basis of both text and history, that the Second Amendment conferred an individual right to keep and bear arms.”’
The “well-regulated militia” has nothing to do with the citizen’s Constitutional right, but Casten would like that not to be the case.
“There is no reason not to have universal background checks.*”
What part of Illinois’ 72-hour waiting period for a federal background check and a Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) to purchase a firearm does Casten not understand? I wonder which universe Casten is referring to when he says he wants “universal background checks?” Certainly not this one, where they already exist.
“There is no reason not to require gun manufacturers to bear civil liability for any injuries or fatalities caused by their products.*”
Once again, more gun-control zealot talking points that mean nothing. Tried and failed, even by former New York AG and Mayor of New York Rudy Guiliani. So, yeah, good luck with that.
“There is no reason not to copy Australia’s success and institute a gun-buyback program to remove the number of guns in circulation.*”
Since the government doesn’t own the guns, and never sold them to American citizens, how exactly is the government going to buy them back? One look at what happened in Australia with the COVID lockdowns is enough evidence that armed Americans will go full Molon Labe if this is attempted.
So, once again, good luck with that.
“There is no reason not to institute comprehensive federal anti-gun trafficking laws.*”
Newsflash, Congressman Casten: YOU and the rest of your colleagues should fix the lack of enforcement in the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms) since they are the agency tasked with trafficking. “Operation Fast and Furious” is still an unresolved stain on that bureau concerning guns that they trafficked. So, house cleaning is in order, and Congress is in charge of that.
Once again, an intern who didn’t do his or her research.
“There is no reason to allow people who’s job does not require them to kill people to have weapons of war.*”
Aside from James Bond and the CIA, whose job requires them to kill people? That’s the stupidest statement I’ve seen lately. The shooter, Bobby Crimo, used a standard-issue, semi-automatic rifle that he obtained legally to perform his heinous act. Unless it is bolt action or antique, all other rifles are semi-automatic and are used every day by law-abiding citizens for protection (which might involve killing), hunting, sport shooting, etc. How is this a “weapon of war?”
Neither Casten nor Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering can explain what this means.
“There is no reason to allow civilians to have access to high-capacity magazines.*”
Casten wants to pull a Gavin Newsom, but the back and forth on California’s high-capacity magazine ban should indicate to him that it’s not a hill he wants to die on.
“There is no reason to limit ourselves to “thoughts and prayers” when our loved ones get shot.*”
This reflects a person who has no understanding or respect for the power resident in thoughts and prayers. Highland Park is a highly religious community. With this one statement, Casten denigrates them. A few weeks ago, Casten’s 17-year-old daughter died in her sleep. So, you would think someone who recently suffered such a tremendous loss would express compassion by 1) not politicizing a tragedy where people have lost loved ones, and 2) not diminishing what many people of faith feel is an essential way to manage grief and loss.
That would be the smart move here, but it is clear that Casten is not smart. For most Democrats, this is apparently a requirement for elected office.
“There is no reason not to politicize this tragedy.*”
tell me why 'this tragedy' is exploitable politically and this tragedy goes unmentionedhttps://t.co/iZvBTq0n10
— Curtis Woodard (@curtinsea) July 5, 2022
Cook County and Lake County are divided by mere blocks, but the daily deaths in Chi-raq and across Cook County get ignored, while one in Lake County gets politicized.
Casten has yet to give an answer on that, and probably never will.
“There is no reason we have to live like this.*”
“* Unless you think the most important thing to protect in America today is the filibuster. /fin”
Now we get to the heart of Casten’s rant. For Democrats, scorched earth and temper tantrums are the only way to get what they want, and they want the filibuster gone so they can continue to trample on our civil liberties. The actual democratic process is just so last century.
Strangely, Casten sailed to a win in the Illinois primary against an AOC-backed challenger because he was supposed to be the “moderate” Democrat. This rant proves he is so not.
Now that Casten has outed himself, he’s going to need some “thoughts and prayers” if he plans to win in November. As Maya Angelou said, “When someone shows you who they are believe them the first time“!
Casten’s Republican challenger Keith Pakau (R-Orland Park) is the mayor of Orland Park, voted the eighth safest city in the nation. Pakau is a veteran and is running on a crime-fighting, pro-citizen platform that includes energy independence and fighting inflation. According to every poll lately, these are the issues topmost on the minds of Americans. Pakau’s campaign slogan is, “People over politics,” and it is quite clear that Casten is playing politics.
If the people of Illinois’ 6th District are smart, they’ll take note of that. In the meantime, Casten’s impassioned thread is receiving the ratio it deserves:
Wasted a lot of time there sean
Fortunately I don't have to give you a "reason" to exercise my rights
Giving a reason would mean you get to decide if it's good enough
and that's not how rights work— unclecharlie2112 (@unclecharlie211) July 5, 2022
* Unless you think the most important thing to protect in America today is the filibuster. /fin
— Sean Casten (@SeanCasten) July 4, 2022
