Joe the (Not) Plumber to UCSB Parents: ‘My Gun Rights are More Important Than Your Dead Kids’

Joe the (not) Plumber has a message for the parents of the dead students at UCSB: ” Your dead kids don’t trump my Constitutional rights.”

Samuel Wurzelbacher made the statement in an open letter published on Barbwire. While he offered his condolences to the parents, Wurzelbacher went out of his way to explain how the deaths of the kids at UCSB won’t be affecting his constitutional rights, stating that ” your dead kids don’t trump my Constitutional rights.”

“I am sorry you lost your child. I myself have a son and daughter and the one thing I never want to go through, is what you are going through now. But: As harsh as this sounds – your dead kids don’t trump my Constitutional rights.”

In particular, Wurzelbacher singled out Richard Martinez, whose son, Charles Martinez, was one of the victims of the shooting. Martinez has been making headlines recently for his strong criticisms of the status quo, the gun lobby, and the do-nothing “rudderless bunch of idiots” who the gun lobby supports.

There are no critical words for a grieving father. He can say whatever he wants and blame whoever he’d like – it’s okay by me. You can’t take a step in his shoes – at least I can’t. But the words and images of Mr. Martinez blaming ‘the proliferation of guns’, lobbyists, politicians, etc.; will be exploited by gun-grab extremists as are all tragedies involving gun violence and the mentally ill by the anti-Second Amendment Left.”

He then called out Martinez directly, stating that “anyone calling for more restrictions on American’s rights need to back off and stop playing into the hands of the folks who merely capitalize on these horrific events for their own political ends.”

Every other Right has reasonable (or unreasonable, as the case may be) restrictions applied, even the First Amendment. The only Amendment that doesn’t is the Second. And those states that do attempt to place restrictions often find themselves at the mercy of the states that won’t and don’t. Wurzelbacher closed with a reproof of Martinez and those calling for gun control:

In conclusion, I cannot begin to imagine the pain you are going through, having had your child taken away from you. However, any feelings you have toward my rights being taken away from me, lose those.

And there you have it. Their right to own guns is more important than your right to exist.