GOP Senate candidate challenges Dem: What part of my remarks was offensive?

A Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia, whose passionate speech defending gun rights went viral over the weekend, is calling for Democrats to stop being perpetually offended in order to silence debate.

Freitas' speech fought back against Democrat claims that Republicans are "Nazis" or "segregationists" for supporting gun rights by reminding the House that the Democrats were the party of slavery and Jim Crow. It was so emotionally triggering for the Democratic House delegates that they walked out of the room.

Freitas went on "Fox & Friends" Monday morning to respond to criticism from Democratic Delegate Joseph Lindsey of Norfolk, who said Freitas' speech was one of the most offensive things he's heard in the House of Delegates.

"Today, I have been offended as I can never recall since being a part of this body. And I have seen many of my colleagues emotionally shaken and bothered by either a lack of concern for facts, or just simply playing to the media, playing to the cameras," Lindsey said.

Responding, Freitas made clear that his speech was not intended to offend and criticized Democrats for shutting down honest and open dialogue.

"Delegate Lindsey is a good and honorable man, and I certainly didn't intend any offense toward him," Freitas said. "But one of the things I get concerned about, especially with this argument and the whole left/right paradigm, is that more and more, offense is used as a weapon with which to turn away debate. And I'm not going to accept that."

Freitas, who served two tours in Iraq, also noted that Democrats have said plenty of offensive things about Republicans. He explained that he would not tolerate the attacks on his fellow Republicans from some of his Democrat colleagues, comparing them to Nazis or segregationists.

"I had one of his Democrat colleagues in a subcommittee meeting tell me that if I didn't vote for his particular bill, then I was on the side of terrorists and I wanted weapons to fall into the hands of terrorists. What sort of offense do you think someone like me, with two combat tours, who's lost friends to terrorists, thought about something like that?"

"So, If we're going to get back to meaningful dialogue, it's going to require a certain level of mutual respect," he added.

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