Armed & Fabulous With Lauren Liberty Ep. 4 - Cheryl Todd
May 6, 2024
In this episode of Armed and Fabulous, civil paralegal Lauren Liberty interviews Cheryl Todd, Arizona’s State Director of Women for Gun Rights, about how the erosion of Second Amendment rights is masked as public safety. Ms. Todd co-founded Gun Freedom Radio and takes on several leadership roles in defending the right to bear arms. She provides both historical context and legal clarity on the increasing adoption and federal funding of red flag laws.
Todd’s Background
Ms. Todd is a wife, mother, and grandmother who has been self-employed with her husband for 39 years, managing businesses such as an auction house and gun shop. Her activism started during Barack Obama’s first election, motivated by the negative portrayal of gun owners. In response, she began discussing gun rights on a radio segment, which eventually led to the creation of her own podcast, Gun Freedom Radio. Her advocacy grew as she spoke at events and joined Second Amendment boards, encouraging others to embrace new opportunities and step outside their comfort zones. Her work focuses on defending constitutional rights and promoting school safety initiatives.
The Misguided Push Behind Red Flag Laws
Red flag laws enable law enforcement or family members to petition a court to remove firearms from individuals believed to be a threat to themselves or others. Supporters say this helps prevent suicides and stop mass shootings. However, Ms. Todd raises concerns about due process and the law’s potential for misuse.
Ms. Todd highlights the flawed basis of these laws, noting the vague and often arbitrary criteria used to decide who is considered a threat. Without strict legal standards or professional mental health assessments, red flag laws are vulnerable to abuse, whether in custody battles, neighborhood conflicts, or ideological disputes.
“Their premise is that your neighbor, somehow a layperson, knows enough about mental health and violent behavior that they can preconceive and prejudge that you… are a threat to self or others.”
-Cheryl Todd
Due Process and the Constitution
Ms. Todd argues that one of the most troubling aspects of red flag laws is their reversal of due process. Under most red flag statutes, firearms are confiscated before the accused is given a hearing. This undermines a core principle of American law, which states that individuals are innocent until proven guilty.
“Due process after I’ve been robbed basically by the police, by the judge, by my neighbor—that is not due process.”
-Cheryl Todd
The National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center, established in March 2024 with federal funding, now offers grants and training to judges, law enforcement, and attorneys to enforce these laws. Critics say this partnership, heavily supported by Bloomberg-affiliated institutions like the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, turns civil liberties into collateral damage in an ideological fight against gun ownership.
Legal and Practical Contradictions
The legal contradictions in red flag laws are numerous. While they aim to address mental health crises, Ms. Todd points out that no mental health services are discussed. Rather than using existing tools like a 72-hour mental health hold (available in all 50 states), the law focuses only on confiscating firearms. This narrow approach makes many experts doubt whether the goal is public safety or just disarmament.
Ms. Todd points out that over 60% of gun deaths in the U.S. are suicides. However, studies from states like California and Connecticut show little evidence that red flag laws significantly decrease overall suicide rates. Ms. Todd contends that individuals still find other means to take their lives in the absence of a gun.
Redefining Gun Violence
A key issue discussed is the linguistic manipulation surrounding terms like “gun violence.” Ms. Todd explains how advocacy groups and media outlets often lump all types of harm involving a firearm under one emotionally charged label. This lumping causes distorted public perceptions and ignores the fact that over 2.5 million lives are saved each year by responsible gun owners.
Conclusion
Red flag laws, while promoted as a modern tool for preventing tragedy, pose a real and immediate threat to due process and the right to self-defense.
“They are trying to make sure that the words ‘gun’ and ‘violence’ are so drilled into our minds that we can’t think of the word ‘gun’ without also pairing it with the word ‘violence.’”
-Cheryl Todd
This narrative, paired with overreaching federal programs, challenges not only Second Amendment protections but the broader constitutional framework that guarantees all civil liberties.
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