What began as a question from actress Alyssa Milano about the scriptural basis for owning a gun has led to a meeting Tuesday with Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.
After Milano’s Twitter query, Cruz responded with a 10-tweet explanation, equating gun ownership with self-defense. At the close, he said he would “be happy to sit down & visit next week about uniting to stop gun violence & about the Constitution. If we can have a civil & positive conversation—in the spirit of 1 Peter 4:8 as you suggest—despite our political differences, that might help resolve the discord in our Nation.”
Milano announced Thursday that she had accepted the invitation, event though the two “don’t agree on this issue.” The liberal activist suggested she would enter into the discussion with “mutual respect & humility.” (RELATED: Alyssa Milano Asks Where The Bible Says Gun Ownership Is A ‘God-Given Right’ — Ted Cruz Shows Her’)
I’ll be meeting with @tedcruz on Tuesday about guns.
We don’t agree on this issue.
But if we can talk with mutual respect & humility, maybe all of us come together to effect positive change.
I will enter this with an open heart, ears and mind. I hope he does the same.#NoRA
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) September 5, 2019
Cruz confirmed the meeting Thursday, tweeting, “I’m looking forward to it! And if all of us can together have more positive, civil discussion & debate on the substantive issues of the day, that would go a long way to helping unite and heal our divided Nation.”
I’m looking forward to it! And if all of us can together have more positive, civil discussion & debate on the substantive issues of the day, that would go a long way to helping unite and heal our divided Nation. https://t.co/HCpLepcohv
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 5, 2019
Milano apparently had a change of attitude, or at least one that was based on “mutual respect & humility.” She initially suggested the two could “live-stream the meeting so the American people can her your bullshit 1st hand.” (RELATED: Bette Midler Calls Ted Cruz “Spineless,” He Responds With Compliments — And Facts)
I’d love to come in and meet with you on the gun issue and many other issues that include life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, @tedcruz and also, 1 Peter 4:8.
I’ll be in DC next week. We can live-stream the meeting so the American people can hear your bullshit 1st hand. https://t.co/S3ljfjjOtG
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) September 2, 2019
The Twitter exchange all started when Milano railed against a Tweet from Texas state Rep. Mark Schaefer, whom the actress declared was “clearly owned by the gun lobby” because he said gun ownership was a “God-given right.”
Can someone cite which passage of the Bible God states it is a god-given right to own a gun? This guy is unbelievable and is clearly owned by the gun lobby. #NoRA https://t.co/PxVV1RoV2Z
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) September 1, 2019
Cruz’s response, which ranged from quoting the Bible to the Constitution, deftly linked the concepts of gun ownership and self-defense. He argued that the Scriptures do not reference firearms because they did not yet exist but that the Bible does advocate “the right to Life & the right to Liberty. Essential to that right to life is the right to DEFEND your life & family.”
An excellent Q, worth considering carefully w/o the snark of Twitter. It is of course not the right to a modern-day firearm that is God-give but rather the right to Life & the right to Liberty. Essential to that right to life is the right to DEFEND your life & your family. 1/x https://t.co/8pjstMGrGB
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 1, 2019