Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell—who succeeded her husband, longtime representative John Dingell, in Congress—has spoken before about growing up with an unstable father. She’s also proposed legislation that would increase the number of convicted domestic abusers who are not allowed to possess firearms. Early this morning Dingell discussed both issues on the floor of the House of Representatives during the Democrats’ gun-legislation sit-in; you can see the video above.
From her remarks:
I lived in a house with a man that should not have access to a gun. I know what it’s like to see a gun pointed at you. And wonder if you are going to live. And I know what it’s like to hide in a closet and pray to God, “Do not let anything happen to me.” And we don’t talk about it, we don’t want to say that it happens in all kinds of households, and we still live in a society where we will let a convicted felon who was stalking somebody, of domestic abuse, still own a gun.
Read this Bloomberg piece on Dingell (and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a former prosecutor) for more on the subject of domestic violence and gun possession.
