WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 30: Independent Women's Forum Senior Fellow Gayle Trotter testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about gun control on Capitol Hill January 30, 2013 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty Images
Individuals on both sides of the gun control debate provided testimony during Wednesday morning's U.S. Senate hearings on gun violence. Speaking in favor of firearms, Independent Women's Forum Fellow Gayle Trotter ripped Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) for misunderstanding the Second Amendment and advocating for a ban on semi-automatic rifles.
Sen. Whitehouse used one specific example of an 18-year-old Oklahoma mom who shot and killed a home invader with a 12-gauge shotgun, which he said would not be banned under Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (D-Calif.) gun control legislation.
"It proves the point that with ordinary firearms, not 100-magazine, peculiar types of artifacts -- people are quite capable of defending themselves," he added. For the record, no one is fighting for 100 round magazines and it's unclear if he is referring to a specific incident.
“I respectfully disagree," the woman replied.
She continued: "I understand your also a graduate from the University of Virginia School of Law and you were close to Monticello where Thomas Jefferson penned our Declaration of Independence and close to Montpelier where James Madison was instrumental in drafting the Bill of Rights. I think you can understand that, as a woman, it is very important not to place undue burdens on our Second Amendment right to choose to defend ourself."
Whitehouse was unmoved and reiterated the fact that the woman who defended her home used a 12-gauge shotgun. which would be "perfectly allowed."
"Would it have been unreasonable for her to use a different gun to protect her child," Trotter replied calmly.
The Democratic senator again when back to "100-round" magazines, saying: “I think if she was using a ’100 weapon'…Let me put it another way. She would clearly have an adequate ability to protect her family without the need for a 100-round piece of weaponry."
Slightly annoyed, Trotter then made the argument that women are left defenseless in certain situations and are forced to defend themselves and their children from threats. She told Whitehouse, being a "large man" couldn't understand. Then she tore into him.
“You are not a young mother who has a young child with her," she said. "And I am passionate about this position because you cannot understand, you are not a woman stuck in her house, having to defend her children, not able to leave her child, not able to seek safety, on the phone with 911, and she cannot get the police there fast enough to protect her child, and she is not used to being in a fire fight."
With no additional point to make, the senator said his "point" was that the mother defended herself and her child using "lawful firearms."
Watch the video via CSPAN/Mediaite below:
Featured image via Getty
