By: Kayleigh Hamilton
The man who saved gun rights was the last person anyone expected.
He had been a radical anti-gun activist for most of his career.
But he suddenly saw the light and saved his constituents from having their guns taken.
Politics can often be very predictable, especially when dealing with hot-button issues like gun control.
If someone is a Democrat, there is a nearly 100% certainty that they will vote against gun rights, unless they represent a very conservative district in their state.
But occasionally, things happen that no one saw coming. And that is exactly what transpired in Colorado.
Democrats were attempting to push a so-called “assault weapons” ban, and they were counting on the vote of Sen. Tom Sullivan.
After all, Sullivan first decided to run for office after his son was killed in the infamous Aurora theater shooting.
Everyone thought Sullivan would be nearly certain to vote for whatever gun control measure came up in the State Senate.
But when the “assault weapons” ban came up, the exact opposite happened. Sullivan realized it would be a disaster for the state and voted against it.
According to the Associated Press, “A bill to ban the sale and transfer of semi-automatic firearms was nixed in Colorado’s Democratic-controlled Legislature on Tuesday as lawmakers pressed forward with a slew of other gun control bills on the 25th anniversary year of the Columbine High School massacre.”
The bill was withdrawn in committee after the sponsor realized she did not have enough support, and that was largely because of the efforts of Sen. Sullivan.
The article continues, “On that committee sits Democratic state Sen. Tom Sullivan, who would have been a ‘no’ vote, along with Republican lawmakers who have decried the bill as an encroachment on Second Amendment rights.”
“Sullivan’s son, Alex, was one of 12 killed in the 2012 Aurora theater shooting at a midnight screening of ‘The Dark Knight Rises.’ The tragedy catapulted Sullivan into activism around gun control and then public office, where he has spearheaded many bills on the issue.”
“Sullivan said the weapons that the bill seeks to curtail are involved in only a small fraction of gun deaths and injuries. Those firearms include a long list of semi-automatic rifles, along with some pistols and shotguns, with certain characteristics, such as a threaded barrel or detachable stock.”
“Their prohibition wouldn’t make much of a dent in gun violence, Sullivan argued, and the proposal takes up immense political oxygen in the state capitol — energizing the opposition and detracting from more effective and less controversial gun control measures.”
It’s clear that Sullivan hasn’t entirely flipped to the other side, seeing as he is still pushing for some degree of gun control in Colorado.
But he clearly believes the so-called “assault weapons” ban went too far, and he was willing to risk the wrath of his fellow Democrats to oppose it.
Now, gun owners in Colorado can breathe a temporary sigh of relief thanks to the last politician they ever expected to defend their rights.