A Georgia state senator has introduced a bill that would make residents ineligible to buy a gun while going through a divorce. The legislation was written at the behest of Fulton County Assistant District Attorney April Ross, who was shot and paralyzed by her estranged husband. Georgia Carry opposed the bill, explaining that, “Many times emotions run high during divorce proceedings, but prohibiting any disarmed person from their Second Amendment right is not the proper method to attack the issue.”
While the case of Ross is tragic, we have an additional cause for alarm about this bill: It aims to target abusive or vindictive spouses, but would also disarm their potential victims. Someone divorcing a violent spouse may have an especially urgent need for a firearm. Let’s not forget the fate that Carol Bowne met at the hands of a former boyfriend because the state didn’t allow her to defend herself.
