Legislators, resist the urge to pass the laws of the "red flag"

The recent tragedies in El Paso (Texas) and Dayton (Ohio) have reignited a controversial debate in our country, a debate that has both captivated our titles and filled our homes.

As a result of these heart-rending tragedies, we have seen elected leaders at all levels of government asking for solutions to the problem of violence that is still rife in the United States – and rightfully so. It's hard to imagine the idea that dozens of people are stealing their lives so senselessly.

However, the reckless and short-sighted reactions of many of these elected leaders should be worrisome. As a representative of the state of Bismarck, North Dakota, I have witnessed that. Indeed, at the beginning of this year, I was forced to help lead the charge against HB 1537, an attempt to introduce "red flag" legislation into my state.

Now, for the second time, the Democratic and Republican sponsors of the original Red Flag bill are being urged to resurrect this bill in my state.

And with the idea that holds the attention of President Trump, our governor, and many of my colleagues in the North Dakota Legislature, it is no exaggeration to say that many constitutional rights may be violated. from all sides. Unfortunately, this is the case in countless other states too.

We could easily reject Bill 17-76 (a rather poetic figure, in my opinion), but other states were not so lucky. Indeed, 17 states and the District of Columbia have already adopted their own version of the law. In addition, a bipartisan party federal grant program designed to encourage state governments to enact "red flag" laws is already making its way to the US Senate.

Make no mistake: this effort – however well-intentioned it may be – is a direct and devastating attack on a fair trial.

As if the many flagrant constitutional violations were not enough, the "red flag" initiative clearly does not even achieve the desired goal. Take Indiana, for example. While one Decrease of 7.5% after the enactment of the "Jake Laird" law (the "red flag" version by the state), no reduction in the total number of suicides (with or without a firearm) was found. Yet, the "red flag" laws continue to be presented as effective deterrents against homicides and suicides, despite the overwhelming amount of evidence it speaks on the contrary.

Even the best intentions can have unintended and even devastating consequences. As our second President John Adams warned us, "Freedom, once lost, is lost forever." That is precisely why, for elected officials all over the country who still believe in freedom, the need to unite against this new assault on our freedoms could not be more critical.

The time to fight is now.

Rick Becker is a member of the House of Representatives of North Dakota, where he heads the caucus Bastiat, a voluntary coalition of lawmakers from the state of North Dakota.