Ken Paxton and the NRA bullies are at it again

Last time I wrote about the NRA and Dallas, it was to lament the city’s tourism office getting in bed with the gun-rights-at-all-costs advocacy group. That’s a story that still needs to spread more.

Now, however, the city has done the right thing and the NRA is showing off its typical bullying pathology, aided by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, fresh off harassing Catholics showing compassion to immigrants at the border.

What’s at play this time is not a million-dollar gift to the NRA but a decision by the State Fair of Texas not to allow visitors to the upcoming fair to pack heat. Given the millions of visitors in close proximity at the fairgrounds, and the fact that three people were injured in a shooting at last year’s state fair, this seems like a reasonable decision.

Except to Paxton and the NRA, for whom there never is any reason not to carry weapons.

Here’s the NRA’s take, expressed in an Aug. 12 statement to KERA public radio in Dallas:

“Gun-free zones are not crime-free, so creating new ones doesn’t make Texans any safer. By taking this action to prohibit the lawful carrying of firearms at Fair Park, a publicly owned property, the Texas State Fair Board may have highlighted an oversight in current law that needs addressing. And if state lawmakers agree, we will work with them to do so next session.”

As if on cue, Attorney General Paxton — who survived an impeachment effort last year only because Donald Trump intervened on his behalf — popped right up with a threat: “Dallas has 15 days to fix the issue. Otherwise, I will see them in court.”

Paxton said he could seek civil penalties of between $1,000 and $1,500 per day if the city doesn’t do what he wants.

Here’s the rub: Paxton doesn’t get to tell the State Fair of Texas what to do.

The City of Dallas owns Fair Park and leases the property to the State Fair of Texas for the fair’s 24-day run every year. The State Fair of Texas is a private nonprofit organization, not a state agency.

“Paxton and the NRA are trying to bully them into submission — tactics well known to both.”

And the leadership of the state fair adopted its own policy that says all firearms and other weapons are banned from the fair, which begins Sept. 27. That includes licensed concealed carry. (The policy doesn’t apply to current or qualified retired peace officers who are on or off duty.)

What state fair officials are doing is perfectly legal. Paxton and the NRA are trying to bully them into submission — tactics well known to both. This is their playbook. And the State Fair of Texas and City of Dallas need to stand their ground.

“Our volunteer board of directors, which represents a mix of viewpoints from throughout our community, made this decision regarding weapons at the fair,” said Karissa Condoianis, senior vice president for public relations for the fair. “We have long been and continue to be a strong supporter of all rights of responsible gun-owning Texans.”

KERA reports that at least 70 Republican state legislators and nominees signed a letter to the State Fair’s board of directors asking them to rescind the policy.

This group perpetuates the lie that good guys with guns are the answer to bad guys with guns. They claim the FBI has undercounted the number of cases where private individuals have stopped active shooters.

“Law-abiding citizens in the United States use firearms daily to defend themselves against criminals,” the letter states. “Recent tragedies have demonstrated the sad reality that you can die while waiting on law enforcement to save your life.”

That would be a good point, except that those “recent tragedies” include the horror of the school shooting at Uvalde, Texas, where dozens of “good guys with guns” failed to save the lives of children and teachers.

The NRA claim that average citizens are more trustworthy than law enforcement goes against the conservative line of support for law enforcement at all costs. Which way is it? You can’t have it both ways.

Paxton and the NRA are highlighting once again the insanity of their desire to allow firearms everywhere and anywhere. You’d think their brains are scrambled from riding the Ferris wheel too many times.

 

Mark Wingfield serves as executive director and publisher of Baptist News Global. He is the author of Honestly: Telling the Truth About the Bible and Ourselves and Why Churches Need to Talk About Sexuality. His brand-new book is Troubling the Truth and Other Tales from the News.

 

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