Raising a Red Flag on Red Flag Gun Laws By Cheryl Todd

What is a “Red Flag Gun Law”?

• RFRO (Red Flag Restraining Order)
• GVRO (Gun Violence Restraining Order)
• ERPO (Extreme Risk Protection Order)
• STOP Order (Serious Threat Order of Protection)

Broadly speaking they permit a spouse, parent, sibling, or person living with a troubled individual to petition a court for an order enabling law enforcement to temporarily take that individual’s GUNS AWAY right away. Sound like “Common Sense”? Not once you know the facts.

What do the experts say?

• AZCDL – Realistic policy solutions should focus on keeping dangerous PEOPLE contained and away from the people they might harm
• DRGO – The process to accomplish that is arrest and detention of PEOPLE, with urgent psychiatric evaluation and treatment when indicated
• CPRC – Red flag laws had no significant effect on murder, suicide, the number of people killed in mass public shootings, robbery, aggravated assault, or burglary.

What do the Founding Father’s say?

Red Flag Gun Laws infringe on:

• 2ndAmendment: The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
• 4th Amendment: Unreasonable search and seizure
• 5th & 14th Amendment: No person shall . . . be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.
• 6th Amendment: Rights of the accused

So, what would trigger law enforcement to confiscate the property of law-abiding gun-owners?

In short…who knows?

The low evidentiary threshold required that allows law-enforcement to impact the lives of law-abiding gun-owners creates an atmosphere where…

If it isn’t your gun-phobic neighbor…

it might be your gun-phobic doctor…

or your gun-phobic child’s teacher…

or…even…your gun-phobic lawyer!

Basically, anyone who reports to the authorities that THEY are uncomfortable with you owning firearms can initiate the confiscation of your property.

And, if you truly ARE a threat, you are left free to find other tools, guns and other means of inflicting harm or death on yourself or others.

In short, Red Flag Gun Laws are unconstitutional and are about confiscating the property of law abiding citizens. These laws are dangerous and ineffective. Contact your State and Federal Representatives and ask them to VOTE NO on any and all forms of these Red Flag Gun Laws.