Op-Ed: Anti-Red Flag Law

In the midst of a new wave of constitutionally illiterate politicians trying to erase the Bill of Rights, the time is now for conservatives across the country to embrace a bolder, stronger strategy to defending the Second Amendment.

Washington’s never-ending obsession with shredding our right to keep and bear arms has gone on long enough. This is why I recently introduced Senate Bill 1081 in the state Senate, a bill that represents the aggressive legislative approach America needs. The bill, titled the “Anti-Red Flag Act,” would nullify any new attempt from the federal government to bring red flag laws to the Sooner State.

Red flag laws represent a barefaced attempt to seize property from more law-abiding Americans than ever before. In summary, these laws allow an individual’s firearms to be confiscated following nothing more than an anonymous accusation from either a family member or a law enforcement officer, directly violating at least four amendments to the Constitution.

The unconstitutionality of this is absurd, and, unfortunately, they’ve already been passed in 17 states and Washington, D.C. Additionally, several governors (Republican and Democrat) have recently jumped on board.

We cannot keep playing defense while expecting our constitutional rights to survive for very long with politicians who regard them as an inconvenience or even an obstacle to their schemes. Simply standing our ground and waiting for the gun control lobby to strike again has not worked — and it never will. With the passage of SB 1081, it is my hope that lawmakers across the nation will become inspired to champion similar legislation in their own states (and Congress) that not only safeguards the rights of every American but pre-emptively takes a stand against future efforts to dismantle our constitutional rights.

In doing so, however, we must recognize the full extent of the threat posed by Washington. Just last month, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., began collaborating on a new federal grant program designed to incentivize states to adopt red flag gun control. This plan was met with swift support from high-ranking members in both chambers of Congress.

Despite politicians in both parties being so readily willing to infringe on the people’s rights, the Second Amendment is abundantly clear: “... being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

And that is exactly what Oklahoma is: a free state. We will not allow due process to be torn apart. We will not allow career politicians 1,000 miles away to dictate our lives for us. And we will not allow Washington, D.C., to bribe or lull us into an existence of servitude.