A congressional hearing on the actions of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives was stopped briefly by the parents of a victim of the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas), who presided over the hearing, said the parents, Manuel and Patricia Oliver, were removed because they violated the hearing’s rules of decorum. He said purposes of discussion and debate are not served when meetings are disrupted.
“Dissent is not kryptonite,” Fallon said.
The Olivers’ 17-year-old son, Joaquin, was killed on Feb. 14, 2018, by a gunman who entered the school.
Fallon called a 5-minute recess about two hours into the hearing after the victim’s mother appeared to blame Republicans for “taking my son away from me.” Fallon asked officers to remove the couple, which drew loud protests….