Democratic presidential candidate former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke answers a question Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, during a Democratic presidential primary debate hosted by ABC at Texas Southern University in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Beto O’Rourke has been on a mission since the El Paso mass shooting to convince the American people that his gun confiscation plan is the only way to stop gun violence.

He amplified his position during last week’s Democratic debate when he said “Hell yes” in response to ABC News debate moderator David Muir’s question about whether or not he was going to take away people’s guns:

MUIR: Some of the stage have suggested a voluntary buy-back for guns in this country. You have gone further. You said, quote, “Americans who own AR-15s and AK-47s will have to sell them to the government, all of them. You know that critics call this confiscation. Are you proposing taking away their guns and how would this work?



BETO O’ROURKE: I am, if it’s a weapon that was designed to kill people on a battlefield. If the high impact, high velocity, when it hits your body, shreds everything inside of your body because it was designed to do that so you would bleed to death on a battlefield and not be able to get up and kill one of our soldiers. When we see that being used against children and in Odessa, I met the mother of a 15-year-old girl who was shot by an AR-15 and that mother watched her bleed to death over the course of an hour because so many other people were shot by that AR-15 in Odessa, there weren’t enough ambulances to get to them in time. Hell, yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47. We’re not going to allow it to be used against a fellow American anymore.

Since the debate, a growing number of Democrats have criticized O’Rourke’s remarks, suggesting that 1) what he’s advocating is not doable and 2) what he said will hurt Democrats for years to come.

Sen. Chris Coons (DE) is one of several Democrats who spoke out against O’Rourke’s debate comments over the weekend. South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, also a presidential candidate, is another:

Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and agreed with Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., saying the clip of the former O’Rourke’s statement about AR-15s and AK-47s “will be played for years at Second Amendment rallies with organizations that try to scare people by saying Democrats are coming for your guns.”



Buttigieg said, “Look, right now we have an amazing moment on our hands. We have agreement among the American people not just for universal backgrounds checks, but we have a majority in favor of red-flag laws, high-capacity magazines, banning the new sale of assault weapons. This is a golden moment to finally do something.”



Buttigieg went on to say, “When even this president and even [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell are at least are pretending to be open to reforms, we know that we have a moment on our hand. Let’s make the most of it and get these things done.”

Watch:

.@PeteButtigieg calls out @BetoORourke for his comments on gun control. @realDonaldTrump and Mitch McConnell are "at least are pretending to be open to reforms, we know we have a moment on our hands," he said. Source: https://t.co/XcRKJz26Qk pic.twitter.com/2NU967wpMR — Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 15, 2019

Here’s how O’Rourke responded:

Leaving millions of weapons of war on the streets because Trump and McConnell are “at least pretending to be open to reforms”? That calculation and fear is what got us here in the first place. Let’s have the courage to say what we believe and fight for it. https://t.co/SSnFT600Vm — Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) September 15, 2019

When candidates say, "At least Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell are pretending to be interested," shit, that is not enough. Neither is poll-testing your message. Gun violence is a life or death issue—and we have to represent the bold ideas of people all over the country. pic.twitter.com/jE2uiXaENZ — Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) September 15, 2019

Because Beto is the only one who gives a d*mn about innocent American lives or something (except when it comes to innocent unborn lives, of course).

The general consensus I get from moderate liberal commentators and even the Democrats who have criticized Beto’s plan and remarks is that what happened in his hometown of El Paso last month is motivating him to take action and be bold, and that his plan and remarks come from a place of emotion and frustration.

That’s precisely why he belongs nowhere near the White House. Because no matter how passionate, emotional, and personal an issue may be to a candidate, an unconstitutional plan is still unconstitutional.

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— Based in North Carolina, Sister Toldjah is a former liberal and a 15+ year veteran of blogging with an emphasis on media bias, social issues, and the culture wars. Read her Red State archives here. Connect with her on Twitter. –