Yes, you read the headline correctly.
Now, before we get too deep into this story, I want to very clearly state that the state senator had no ill-intent with her actions.
That being said, the actions of one state senator still baffles my mind to this day and the headline is accurate none the less.
I will forever remember the day that State Senator Patti Anne Lodge pointed her gun at me.
First, I want everyone to understand why I am bringing this story up now.
You see, Senator Lodge was one of three Republican State Senators who killed Rep. Christensen’s school carry bill.
When closing out the debate on the issue, Senator Lodge said that she felt more training was necessary before teachers would be allowed to defend themselves.
As I sat there and listened to her attacks on the bill, I kept thinking about the incident in her office.
Last year, Zach Brooks, myself, and a Representative from the House went to a meeting with Sen. Lodge at her request.
The three of us sat directly across the desk from Sen. Lodge.
I sat in the front with the Representative right next to me. Zach Brooks was behind us but in-between us so that he was visible to her.
Also in attendance were two members of the law enforcement community. Who they were or which department they were from I do not recall.
The meeting lasted for quite a while as we discussed a number of firearm-related issues.
Partway through the meeting, Sen. Lodge was discussing how much she loved guns and pulled hers from her desk drawer.
When she pulled out the gun she made a slight adjustment and then pointed it right at us!
Thankfully, her finger was not on the trigger.
However, anyone who has ever shot a gun knows that you never point a gun at something you don’t intend to shoot.
Sadly, this wasn’t the end of her complete lack of safety with her gun.
As she was finishing pointing her gun at the three of us, she slammed it on her desk while it was still aimed in our direction!
After the meeting was over, we walked out to the foyer and down to the House side of the capitol.
We stopped and all couldn’t believe what had just happened.
In recalling the incident, Zach Brooks said, “It was an awkward point in the discussion where she felt like she needed to prove herself and show that she was pro-gun because she had a weapon with her. From the moment I could see her hand holding the gun above the edge of the desk, I knew she didn’t handle it very often. Her hand was nervously shaking as she was holding it like it was a slimy worm between her left thumb and index finger. As she reset her grip on it, she muzzled those of us across the desk. I was stunned and quickly looked at the two officers to my right to see if they saw what had just happened, and of course, they did.”
In all my years in the military, I had never seen anything like that. Quite frankly, I’m not sure I’ve ever had someone point their gun at me so haphazardly.
In the military, such an action usually gets your face put in the dirt and you are immediately removed from the range.
Yet, Senator Lodge has the audacity to kill a school carry bill because she felt teachers with an Enhanced Permit were not trained enough?
At a time when our kids are fearful to be in school, SB 1384 was a good step forward.
Our teachers do not need to be human shields.
They have every right to protect themselves just as Sen. Lodge does.
Yet, Senator Lodge as the Chairman of the State Affairs Committee killed the bill.
The final vote of the bill was 5-4 to kill it for the year.
Afterward, interestingly, Sen. Lodge shifted from the training argument to “local control.”
So, instead of saying the teachers need more government-mandated training, local school bureaucrats should retain power over teacher and student self-defense.
Local control, training, and other excuses do not belong in the hands of other people.
The natural right of self-defense only belongs in the hands of each individual.
Does Senator Lodge believe that the 2nd Amendment applies to her in the state capitol but not to Idaho teachers who need to fight back against a deranged lunatic?
first off……pointing a weapon at you in front of police officers…….should have gotten her arrested…..and removed from office……what an absolutely moronic thing for an official to do……this speaks volumes about her intelligence straight off. I would not have been as kind as to walk away. and the officers stood there and did nothing . what about serve and protect. doesnt seem like they were doing their protecting gig.
Why would she be given a pass on such an asinine display of mental ineptitude? This only shows the American people how above the law our Representatives think they are. I am appalled that no action was taken.
Our first responders are subjected to mental evaluations prior to employment, maybe it’s high time, and it amazes me it isn’t already a standard requirement, the candidates for leadership are subjected to the same.
Are our Idaho Senators and Representatives exempt from being charged while in office? Is that why she was not arrested or even given a warning? Didn’t anybody even say something?
Why was this not brought to the attention of the public at the time of the infraction?
She barely got re-elected so time to remove her.
Unbelievable that she would do this. Pure negligence and inapropriate on her part. She is NOT above the Law and the Officers should have removed her. What would happen had you done that towards her. Yeah, I thought so.
First of all, It was her office and you were on her turf. Evidently you were pissing her off. You also understand you can’t tell a woman what to do. You should have been smarter than that- a bunch of men and one woman with a gun. Consider yourself damn lucky- for you are the dumb ones- never get between a Grizzly and its cubs. or put a woman in a corner — she probably felt defenseless. As for the Bill- I’m with you – think Israel handles it right about teachers and guns. Would only want a woman who knew how to handle a gun. Also I think that Idaho needs to make sure everyone who gets a firearm permit- passes a gun safety course- no one grandfathered in. If you’ve been arrested for DUI- no firearms permit. Evidently they could handle their booze when driving- wonder how they do in the forest or with a firearm.
Well you should never be issued a permit because clearly you cannot handle the responsibility of not sounding like an ignoramus in a public forum. The right to defend oneself is naturally given. Requiring a permit to do so is nothing more than robbing a person of that right and selling it back to them with a tax. Barring someone from obtaining said permit because they comitted a misdemeanor is asinine. You must be convicted of a felony before your 2nd Amendment rights are taken. DUI is a misdemeanor like any other crime that gets you a ticket, so by your logic then someone who has a speeding ticket shouldnt be allowed to carry a gun either. I think your 1st Amendment rights should be restricted until you have taken a safety course and been issued a permit to ensure that you don’t shoot your mouth off like an idiot.
*The above comment was intended for Martin Clement*