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Republican Senator Just Got Shouted Down at Her Own Town Hall for Saying Mass Shootings Are a 'Mental Health' Issue
She's up for reelection next year.
It's been two weeks since two horrific mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas resulted in the deaths of 31 people, but Americans' calls for common sense gun reform haven't relented.
This is most recently evident at an Iowa town hall for Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA). Ernst, who is up for reelection in 2020, has an A-rating from the National Rifle Association and received a nearly $10 thousand donation during her 2014 senate campaign.
Her constituents didn't hesitate to let her know how they felt about that.
One teacher in attendance at the town hall stood up to ask when she could focus less on mass shooting drills and get back to teaching children how to read and write. The audience applauded, but when Ernst tried to redirect the root of gun violence back to mental health, they shouted her down, brandishing red "Disagree" signs.
Watch the videos below:
A teacher who teaches at this Johnston school tells Joni Ernst of the active shooting drills she has to train for.… https://t.co/7xGni7gNlD— Iowa Starting Line (@Iowa Starting Line) 1566046068.0
And the second part of Joni Ernst’s answer on gun violence and the crowd’s reaction: https://t.co/TY90rJBWfD— Iowa Starting Line (@Iowa Starting Line) 1566046309.0
As Ernst repeatedly cited mental health, constituents shouted "Do something!" and "What about the guns?" She continued to lament the lack of mental health resources in the United States, to which one constituent shouted:
"We're short Congress people that take action!"
Twitter users echoed the constituents' calls for action.
@IAStartingLine @SenJoniErnst : saying that there are laws on the books that aren’t followed (so you shouldn’t mak… https://t.co/QVl98XfGyR— Suzy Bass Forristall (@Suzy Bass Forristall) 1566056023.0
@IAStartingLine @SenJoniErnst and the GOP are stuck on the same old NRA talking points. Trying to stall until react… https://t.co/3Pfs7VH1Kz— TimBro15 (@TimBro15) 1566094776.0
@IAStartingLine @neeratanden @SenJoniErnst is only recycling @SenateGOP and @senatemajldr talking points. Will she… https://t.co/mOyHJ29XsE— Angela Ryan (@Angela Ryan) 1566048032.0
@IAStartingLine It appears @SenJoniErnst’s strategy is to ignore and talk over the people who disagree with her to… https://t.co/LAy0H5VdUA— Kim Mathers (@Kim Mathers) 1566052032.0
@IAStartingLine @SenJoniErnst is sticking to the points of the letter she sent after I called her office. I basical… https://t.co/1tcMzuxLqu— Earthaworm (@Earthaworm) 1566075246.0
Two thirds of Americans support a ban on assault weapons. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has yet to bring a gun violence bill passed by the House in February to the Senate floor.
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