Thiele challenges Congress to follow NY gun lead
Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. (I-Sag Harbor), who flirted briefly with seeking the Democratic nomination to face off against Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), continues to speak out on national issues.This week, it was Mr. Thiele’s support for students who walked out of their schools Wednesday across the country in a show of solidarity with the students in Parkland, Florida. The walkout marked the one-month anniversary that left 17 people dead and others injured at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
For 17 minutes Wednesday morning, Mr. Thiele joined with his Assembly colleagues in solidarity with the National School Walkout.
“Silence holds a power and gravity that words often fail to convey,” Mr. Thiele said in a press release following the walkout.
“We must also take meaningful action,” Mr. Thiele said. “The victims deserve more than a few minutes of remembrance -— they deserve change,” Mr. Thiele said.
The Assembly has passed “critical commonsense gun measures banning bump stocks , keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and dangerous individual with clear ‘red flags’ and establishing longer waiting periods to ensure thorough background checks,” the legislator said.
“It’s time Congress took our cue and protected all Americans,” he said.
“Parents shouldn’t have to send their children to school worried that they won’t be safe,” he said. “We can’t allow this to become the norm. We as lawmakers cannot become numb and families cannot be left to live in constant fear,” he said.
Mr. Thiele abandoned his consideration of a run for Congress announcing he thought he could better serve his constituents as a member of the New York State Assembly.
