Zionsville Mayor Stands By Profane Gun Reform Arguments Against Man On Facebook
ZIONSVILLE, Ind. — An argument on social media between a man and the mayor of Zionsville is going viral over the debate when it comes to gun reform legislation.
“I woke up that morning after the Uvalde shooting, just enraged, honestly, just pissed off,” Zionsville mayor Emily Styron said to WISH-TV.
It started with a Facebook post by a Zionsville-based jewelry store encouraging voters to support candidates who are supportive of efforts to overhaul the country’s gun laws. The post was in response to the school shooting that happened in Uvalde, Texas leaving 19 kids and two teachers dead.
Joel Bardach, who doesn’t live in Zionsville, replied to the post saying “it’s a mental illness problem” and that “criminals don’t care. Good people don’t commit the assaults.”
Styron then responded to Bardach using her personal Facebook page.
“F*** you. I am so sick and tired of the stupid, useless rhetoric by jack a**es like you when it comes to gun regulation. F***ing sick and tired of mass murders if OUR (F***ING CHILDREN…it’s time for the majority who know that gun permits and banning automatic weapons is COMMON F***ING SENSE. So yeah, F*** YOU,” Styron said.
In a subsequent post, she called Bardach a “f***ing a**hole.”
PHOTO: Nigel Laskowski/WIBC
Styron is standing by her use of profanity.
“Trying to mansplain how there’s no way we can ever make this happen,” Styron said. “I’m tired of listening to folks like that. if you don’t believe that we can get sensible gun legislation enacted, then move over because we are gonna elect someone who can.”
Bardach also responded to Styron’s comments saying he’s not too upset about the exchange.
“It rolls off my back to a point where I don’t live there, I don’t vote there. It’s not my town,” he said. “But, as a human being, it’s highly offensive and should be to anybody and it certainly speaks to the fact that we understand now why things don’t get done. No more desire to work with the other side than anything. It’s sad.”
Styron is hopeful the Facebook exchange gains a lot of traction on social media as an example of what many feel needs to be done when it comes to gun reform legislation. She also clarified again that the comments she made were made from her personal Facebook account and not her official “Mayor Emily Styron” page.
Indiana Democrats are supporting Styron’s comments:
“Mayor Styron used her American right — quite colorfully— to speak up and demand action because as a mother and like so many other Americans, she is sick and tired of children dying to senseless gun violence. Policies like background checks and secure gun storage laws are universally approved by voters, but the gun lobby and people like the person who goaded her online are saying ‘NO’ – and that’s why we’re seeing Republicans putting their political power ahead of our kids’ lives,” said Drew Anderson, spokesman for the Indiana Democratic Party
