In an April interview, titled “America has a God, Not a Gun Problem” Tennessee General Assembly House member Joe Towns, a Democrat from Memphis, sounds like he either hasn’t read or doesn’t agree with the ideological talking points being used by the Justins and other members of the House Democrat Caucus when it comes to what they call “gun violence”.

As the interview moves along from the expulsion of the two Justins, Rep. Towns says:

“Those issues that they’re talking about everybody’s concerned with those issues. Truly people don’t know what the hell to do. Folks don’t know how to stop people and it’s not necessarily guns that’s doing the hurt and the harm in our community. What you have in this country is a heart problem.”

Towns says the “heart problem” is about hate and all the terrible things that come from it.

Regarding violent crime in Memphis, Rep.Towns believes that “most of the killing is being done by children today, 13, 16, 18, 20” and refers to “recent statistics that show that most violent crime is being committed by juveniles.”

And he again emphasizes that “it’s not just one thing, it’s not just guns”.

In the case of Nikki Goeser’s murdered husband, it was a person with mental illness.

During Thursday’s floor session, Majority Leader William Lamberth, sponsor of HB7003, explained that his bill would allow for lifetime orders of protection from felons convicted of violent crimes which would now include aggravated stalking.

Lamberth referenced Nikki Goeser’s situation to explain why his bill should become law.

Nikki’s husband was murdered in front of her in a Nashville restaurant. At the time, the law did not allow concealed carry permit holders to bring their firearm into an establishment serving alcohol. “While [Nikki] obeyed the law, Ben’s murderer did not. [The murderer] had no permit to carry, and he brought a gun into a gun-free zone.” https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/nikki-goeser-my-husband-was-shot-dead-in-a-gun-free-zone-now-his-imprisoned-killer-sends-me-love-letters

While in prison, the man who murdered Nikki’s husband Ben, continued to stalk her by writing letters from prison and yet, earned an early prison release because of “good behavior credits”. In July, he received an additional sentence in federal court for stalking, tacking on an additional year of prison time.

Rep. Carringer (R-Knoxville) stood to voice support for Lamberth’s bill while also thanking Nikki who is her constituent, for her efforts with bills like HB7003.

Rep. Joe Towns also stood in support of Nikki and passionately described his disgust about what happened to her and her husband. Towns said he knew Nikki and worked with her at the capitol where she was on staff; he clearly thought highly of her and his sincerity about what happened to her should not be questioned.

Towns described seeing Nikki’s “broken-heartedness after her husband was murdered” and as he continued, he became visibly worked up, saying it is:

…unconscionable, unthinkable to have to deal with a sap-sucker harassing you after something like that. What I think is happening today is you’re saving two lives because in some situations in neighborhoods, if you’re stalking my sister or my mother you won’t need the police – okay, because there are some of us that would so something to you about messing with our families. So you savin’ two lives by doing this [bill]. You can take that anyway you want to I don’t care how you take it. I’m just letting you know what the facts are okay with me and mine. Don’t mess with me and mine….it’s unconscionable and unpardonable to terrorize a woman after you murder somebody in their family. The police are slow there are some people who’ll get to you before the police get to you…

Rep. Towns sounded like he was in favor of using “street justice” which The Free Dictionary defines as “the punishment given by members of the public to people regarded as criminals or wrongdoers”.

So, “it’s not just guns”.