Senate candidate Raphael Warnock (D-GA) fought against allowing Georgians to be armed for church defense when legislation addressing the matter was under consideration in 2014.
The legislation, the Safe Carry Protection Act, broadened the number of places law-abiding citizens could carry guns for self-defense. The intent behind the bill was a reduction in the number of gun-free zones, therefore a reduction in the number of soft targets available to criminal or demented attackers.
4 News reported that the Safe Carry Protection Act took effect July 1, 2014, thereby allowing “Georgians with a license…[to] carry firearms into bars, libraries, schools, churches, government buildings and unsecured areas of airports.”
Warnock reacted to the changes by saying, “When I say pass the peace, I don’t mean pass the piece.”
He added, “The answer to America’s gun violence isn’t to encourage masses of people to carry guns”
Mother Jones quoted Warnock opposing the broadened carry parameters, saying, “Guns are not allowed in the state Capitol. But they want them in our churches and in our schools. Have you lost your mind.”
Georgia’s Safe Carry Protection Act lifts the prohibition against law-abiding citizens being armed in church by allowing individual churches to opt into the law. A similar law in Texas, adopted in 2017, allows churches to have an armed volunteer security team to protect congregants. It was the member of such a team in Texas that took out an armed attacker on December 29, 2019, saving countless lives.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.
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