Theresa Greenfield, who has yet to debate U.S. Senator Joni Ernst in Iowa’s U.S. Senate race, spent time discussing gun control measures with Giffords PAC.
Giffords PAC, the political action committee started by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., a victim of gun violence, held a virtual rally for universal background checks with Greenfield.
Giffords PAC executive director Peter Ambler asked Greenfield what message she gives to Iowans about gun control when she “travels” the state. Greenfield has not traveled the state and has not held a public, in-person event since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Even her announced, virtual public campaign events are rare.
“I have done over 250 events now around the state and we’re going to keep traveling the state as we work our way to victory on November 3,” Greenfield stated.
Again, virtual events are not “traveling the state.”
“Look, Iowans – they’re a bunch of responsible gun owners, they really are. And I grew up on a farm. That’s where I learned to be responsible gun handler, eventually a gun owner,” she said. “That’s where I learned to shoot because I’ll tell you what, filling up the freezer in the fall, that’s a big deal. And it is with a lot of pride that you take your venison sausage to a winter card game or something. But I also had the responsibility as a teenager for protecting our livestock and making sure that you know the varmints didn’t get our baby pigs.”
They must have had quite a problem having Greenfield stand guard in the middle of the night, keeping coyotes out of their pig pens.
She also mentioned how she loved to shoot skeet with her dad, which I’m sure is a great memory of her childhood.
She told Giffords PAC that she supports bipartisan background checks, closing the “gun show loophole,” and funding gun violence research. These are points she brought up during a rare, in-person public event back before the primary.
Look, there is no gun show loophole. Licensed gun dealers at gun shows must do background checks just like they would if someone came to their store.
The “loophole” actually talks about private sales and transfers. In fact, those are the only gun sales where background checks are not required. In reality, I don’t know how background checks of private gun sales and transfers would be implemented or enforced. I believe this is a trojan horse for banning private sales, something House Democrats voted to do last year.
It’s also a step toward a federal gun registry, something I vehemently oppose.
“We have to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. We have to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and suspected terrorists. Absolutely. And but we have to make sure that responsible gun owners have that ability to hunt and to enjoy skeet with their children to like I grew up,” Greenfield said.
So, she wants to make sure that “responsible gun owners” can continue “to hunt and to enjoy skeet with their children.”
That’s pretty telling. The Second Amendment is not about hunting and shooting skeet; it’s about the right to self-defense.
Giffords PAC has worked to repeal “stand your ground” legislation, so I think it is fair to ask, where does Greenfield stand on that?
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