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Biden’s Ill-Considered Gun-Control Gambit

Posted on Thursday, March 25, 2021
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by Outside Contributor
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gunAddressing the abominable news from Boulder, Colo., on Monday, President Biden acknowledged that he was “still waiting for more information regarding the shooter.” And then, without pausing for breath, he said it: “I don’t need to wait another minute, let alone an hour,” Biden affirmed, “to take commonsense steps that will save the lives in the future and to urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to act.”

With respect, Mr. President, you do.

In front of the cameras, Biden called upon the Senate to pass “universal background checks.” But Colorado, in which these killings took place, already has such a system — and, besides, the shooter bought his gun from a store, not privately, passing a background check in the process. Responding to Biden’s demand, Senator Marco Rubio was justifiably confused. “I just don’t understand why everybody keeps focusing on that,” Rubio said. “It wouldn’t have prevented any of these shootings.”

The president’s other ideas were just as ill-considered. As he confirmed once again, Biden hopes to prohibit the sale of certain cosmetically displeasing rifles and to ban magazines that are capable of holding more than ten rounds. But, as one of the architects of the now-expired 1994 “assault-weapons ban,” he should know better than that. Not only are so-called “assault weapons” used so infrequently in crimes that the FBI does not even keep statistics — rifles of all types, recall, are used less frequently as murder weapons than are hammers, fists, or knives — but the evidence that prohibiting them does anything of consequence is non-existent.

When, in 2004, the “assault-weapons” ban was up for renewal, a report issued by the Department of Justice submitted that “should it be renewed, the ban’s effects on gun violence are likely to be small at best and perhaps too small for reliable measurement.” Congress let it lapse, and, since then, the evidence has become no stronger. In their 2014 work, The Gun Debate: What Everyone Needs to Know, Stanford University’s Philip J. Cook and Kristin A. Goss concluded that “there is no compelling evidence that [the ban] saved lives,” while, in a research review that was updated in April of 2020, the RAND Corporation found the evidence that “assault-weapons” bans reduce homicides in general and mass shootings in particular to be “inconclusive.” The AR-15 is the most commonly owned rifle in the United States, and, as such, is almost certainly protected under the Supreme Court’s “in common use” standard. In Congress and in the courts, “inconclusive” ain’t gonna cut it.

“This is not a partisan issue,” President Biden said on Monday, “it’s an American issue.” And, indeed, it is. And yet Biden’s rhetoric suggests that he believes this dispute is between a set of people that has all the right answers and a set that simply refuses to accept that they’re wrong — a conviction that could not be further from the truth. Only one in four Americans believes that “stricter gun control” would “help a lot” to prevent gun violence, while more than half believe that universal background checks would make either a “small difference” or “no difference at all.” Over time, gun-control advocates such as Biden have simply tuned out this fact, to the point at which they are now unable to conceive of their critics as anything other than corrupt, bloodthirsty wreckers. Even now, with the National Rifle Association as weak as it has been in decades, gun-controllers assume that Congress’s continued hesitance must be the result of something nefarious. It’s not. Americans just aren’t sold on the agenda.

And why would they be, given that that agenda is built atop the pretense that there is an easy answer to an appalling and vexatious problem — the Constitution be damned. Public polling shows that even the most popular gun-control ideas tend to become disfavored once the debate shifts from the abstract to the particulars, and it is the particulars that matter. There are no panaceas, only hard work. We must, of course, try to keep guns out of the hands of those who should not have them. We must, of course, do what we can to address mental illness. We must, of course, invest in policing. But we should not seek symbolic victories at the expense of the Bill of Rights, by banning the most popular rifle in America, overriding the background-check systems of 37 states, and pretending that the Second Amendment doesn’t exist.

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Lawrence Greenberg
Lawrence Greenberg
3 years ago

Too many people have a simple and basic misunderstanding about “gun control.” “Gun control” is not now, and has never been, about crime or criminals.  Quite frankly, the Left couldn’t give a rat’s behind about crime or criminals.  Gun control is, and has always been, about disarming the citizenry so they cannot represent a threat to the government once the Left establishes the dictatorship they have been working toward for well more than half a century and, thanks to the stolen elections of November and January, are now in the process of consolidating.  The key word in the term “gun control” is not “gun” – it is “control.”  A quick study of basic world history will show that one of the first actions taken by every Communist government upon their takeover was to go to all of the local police stations, get the lists of gun owners, and then go door to door and disarm everyone.  That is why the Communists – er, I mean the Democrats – want a national gun registry.  Is there really anyone at this point in time who still does not understand this?

Myrna S Wade
Myrna S Wade
3 years ago

Yes the particulars matter. We need to think (not be told what to think).

Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell
3 years ago

The Leftists want OUR Guns only.
They want YOUR GUNS.
Thats Gun control
No Guns & U Lose, see cities from May riots last year vs LA riots 1992

Davidme
Davidme
3 years ago

This is all about the Radicalized Far Left Demoncrat Socialist Party and the Deep Dark State Gun Banishment Agenda Against Our True America !!!! Such an Agenda will only benefit Criminals and Terrorists, as they could care less about any such Gun Control Laws and there are More Then Enough Guns For Them To Use Against The Otherwise Defenseless American Citizens !!!!! Gun Free Zone, By Any Laws, Have Not And Will Not Work For Our Safety !!!!!!!

Phil Hammersley
Phil Hammersley
3 years ago

Marxists and Oprahists (use “feelings” instead of sense) always have knee-jerk (emphasis on JERK) reactions to everything. Never mind that their Draconian actions do not/will not affect anything–just do it because it is “something.” Idiot Joy(less) Reid of communist MSNBC said the only use for an AR15 is to murder people. How can one get that STUPID?

JOHN
JOHN
3 years ago

If outlawing some guns will make them go away, then why don’t we outlaw crime, and it will go away!

Oh wait a minute, we already did that. Guess there can’t be any crime.

John Karkalis
John Karkalis
3 years ago

It ain’t going to happen. The inviolability of the Second Ammendment is too tightly woven into the fabric of our nation. It was surely a terrible atrocity. Who knows what sets off a person to do this? If the answer were simple behaviorists would be unnecessary.
Banning a particular weapon is like banning the night since so much violence occurs then.

Mamabear
Mamabear
3 years ago

You called your article ill considered gun control. This dementia suffering man is not capable of considering anything. He has been pushed into a spotlight that he so desired, even in old age that he is being made fun of. These incredibly cruel puppeteers place documents in front of this puppet, give it a pen and the puppet signs it. If I was related to him I would be ashamed of what they are doing to this sick man, in fact, as an American Christian I am ashamed of my fellow Americans. How in God’s name can they treat another human being like this? How can they commit “treason” against their own country for MONEY. God help them when they answer for what they are doing to the greatest country in history. Even better than Rome. They will watch it burn along with us, only they will rake in all the money for themselves in their socialist world.

Roger Bryant
Roger Bryant
3 years ago

Good article. If opening the car window while the car is moving, & u fall out… only the left blames a the car.

Myrna S Wade
Myrna S Wade
3 years ago

Biden had a slap dash answer when asked about his presidency “I know the job. I can do the job.”
He has the most superficial view of the job. I’m not even convinced he wants power.
The American people who pay attention have the biggest contrast between a hard working president who sees problems and works on solutions and a president who we have to hope will do no harm.

Joyce Gibson
Joyce Gibson
3 years ago

New and tougher gun laws are not going to help the problem, but will only hurt good law abiding citizens who have or want guns. The criminal element is going to get a gun somewhere to do his nefarious deeds. He needs to stop the criminals before they commit such heinous acts.

Steven Meisels
Steven Meisels
3 years ago

The Biden regime wants our guns come hell or high water. The regime has plans for the patriots in this country and it starts by taking away our guns.

J. Farley
J. Farley
3 years ago

The constitution of the United States of America read: A well regulated Militia necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. Some one needs to tell me what so had to understand about that phrase. First: these moron anti-American slime-balls took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States, everyone that votes for this should be impeached or recalled. Second: The phrase the right of the people is an individual right, as it is in the 1st and 4th amendments. Third: The lying Demonrats are hypocrites they care nothing about human life as they support gutting over 300,000 Women a year to kill unborn babies so organization like Planned-parenthood can sell the body parts and give them a kickback at election time. I am in my late 70s, and have owned a gun since I was 5 years old, and have committed no crime and there are millions just like me. This is not about gun control, its about CONTROL . If we let them take our guns, that will be the last and very end of America. In every case the person that committed these types of crimes has been deemed mentally ill or an out right criminal, but they would rather go after Republicans and honest law abiding people, this is all about one party rule and you people who that can vote for people like Sen. Joe Manchin and Sen. Christian Cinema need to Vote them out if they vote for this crap or better said BS.
God save America

peter M
peter M
3 years ago

Sorry everyone, I am already sick and tired of Joe Boob and Commy and I have to put up with the dimwitted BS for how long?

When will we as a nation acknowledge mental illness is as common as stink on…….

Ron
Ron
3 years ago

This comes up every time someone is shot. Yes, it’s certainly a tragedy and I certainly pray for the affected families & friends of those that were caught in the cross-hairs. No it should not have happened and I’m very saddened that it did. The liberals always jump in and want to take away our right to bear arms to defend ourselves. It’s the socialistic attitude. Guns don’t kill people. If someone in not mentally stable and think they have to fire a weapon at another living being they are going to come up with a weapon. If not a weapon firing a bullet, then a knife, rope, bomb, car, truck, boat or something else to take another life. What we should all focus on is funding mental health and educating us all on the signs of mental instability to include how to report and who to report it to. Focus on suicides especially those that have served our country. The first step in solving a problem is to clearly identify the problem. Guns are clearly not the problem. Illinois has one of the strictest gun controls in our country yet there is more gun violence per capita than anywhere else in the US.

Brenda Blunt
Brenda Blunt
3 years ago

Changing the gun laws won’t stop the violence. The attitude of all needs to be changed.

Frank
Frank
3 years ago

What a Joke Biden and the democrats are. It’s one thing to create an Illegal and Un Constitutional law while it’s another to try and Enforce and Collect. Good Luck Demented Joe.

Mark
Mark
3 years ago

We can see how good those background checks are when you lie on the application like hunter biden did and can still purchase a handgun. What was his sister-in-law thinking when she tried to get rid of the gun in a dumpster so close to a school?

David B.
David B.
3 years ago

What really pisses me off is the FACT that our illustrious FBI has known about ALL these various mass-shooters in advance, but instead, stays focused on regular Americans and Trump!

Gary Brown
Gary Brown
3 years ago

The real issue with this shooting is the Obama administration letting these jihadist into the country in the first place. Why is it we don’t vet people coming in to our country who clearly don’t share our values?

Brunella
Brunella
3 years ago

instead of more gun control, focus on taking care of those known to need mental help in regard to their abusive actions. instead, they are left by the wayside still needing to be helped.

Markr
Markr
3 years ago

The gun control issue is only smoke and mirrors. The real issue is the mental stability of our nation. Far too long the democratic socialist party has torn down the fabric of our family values and our religious beliefs. We are seeing the results of that effort by the vicious attacks against people. People that do not understand how to be rational because they do not have faith either in themselves or the country. I wonder what our fore fathers would say to this misaligned and bias hatred being spread by the democratic socialists. As they say Chaos to create opportunity!

Texas Resister 64
Texas Resister 64
3 years ago

Let me put on my liberal persona and comment: Gee whiz, another mass shooting. How can this problem be solved? I know, let’s work off my lifelong dream. I wish there were no guns anywhere; then there would be no shootings. All we need to do to make that happen is to ban all guns of all kinds. Let’s pass a law! Then everyone will turn in all their guns and the world will be wonderful.

Enough fantasy. We know what the world would be like when that happened. More shootings with illegal guns. And if I try to defend my family from assault, I’d get arrested as a criminal in my own home. Gee whiz. C’mon, man!

DJames
DJames
3 years ago

Patriots, We are sick and tired of the same old political BS by Democrat Commies. There are enough background checks in use. enforce the laws we have. This is the same old plot to confiscate our LEGALLY owned firearms.
Firearms, hammers, clubs, knives don’t kill people…deranged people kill people.
These hated un-American politicians need to to removed by any means.

Phoenix
Phoenix
3 years ago

The goal is complete and total disarmament of the American people.

No truth,facts,or logic no matter how compelling will ever sway Washington from that goal

An armed populace is a hindrance to their plans.

There also will never be a solution to the mental health issues because I have been told by Democrats that it helps them by causing shootings

People you have no idea how cold blooded Thames people are

Steven King
Steven King
3 years ago

Stand your ground. Wolverines!!!

Mary C Whitley
Mary C Whitley
3 years ago

Why is everyone so focused on the guns. People kill people, the gun is the choice of weapon. He could have used a hatchet or knives or car or truck, etc. We need common sense, look at the mental health aspect. Many of these people have mental health issues.

John A. Fallon
John A. Fallon
3 years ago

1939, BERLIN, HITLER, SPEECH, “FIRST THING YOU DO BEFORE YOU CONQUER A PEOPLE, IS TAKE AWAY THIER GUNS”, do we really want to repeat this history? Why do you think socialists hate HISTORY? BECAUSE IT PROVES JUST HOW WRONG AND EVIL THEY ARE!! ENOUGH!!! THERE IS PROOF THAT ILLEGAL VOTING HAPPENED, PROVE IT!!! REMOVE THESE TRAITORS, NOW!!!! BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, THE REAL PRESIDENT, DONALD J. TRUMP CAN CLEAN UP THIS MESS IN A HEARTBEAT!!!! MAGA!!!!!!!!!

dean haack
dean haack
3 years ago

dems. love to make legal people lose they want to be aremed but not us regular people

dean haack
dean haack
3 years ago

look how many people died on obamas watch

John A. Fallon
John A. Fallon
3 years ago

At the heart of all this ANTI-AMERICAN RHETORIC is All the college professors that indoctrinate instead of teach, school teachers are doing the same thing, creating a DUMBED DOWN GENERATION THAT WILL IN THE FUTURE BE TOO WEAK AND STUPID TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS WRONG WITH GOVERNMENT, WE SAW THEM IN ACTION, LYING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DURING THE PHONY IMPEACHMENT TRIAL, LETS DO OUR OWN “CANCEL COULTURE” ON THEM AND CLEAN UP OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.

Keith Hoffman
Keith Hoffman
3 years ago

It’s about people control not gun control. They care little if at all about gun crimes, it is just an excuse to disarm the general public so they can be contolled.

John
John
3 years ago

The gun grab the impeaching Trump the attack on Asians the blacks victim mentality becoming offended by everyone blaming statues anything but democrats who caused it. Its about dividing for the CCP can take freedom wake up!

Todd Wagner
Todd Wagner
3 years ago

Scares the hell out of the Evil ilk in DC that we the free American people can still defend ourselves. They have stepped on our Constitution way to often, it is time to stand and push back, they forget who they work for. Call, write, email hound the hell out of them, put the system on overload.

Chris
Chris
3 years ago

All Democrat Socialist-Communist know they must disarm the people to control the people.
“To conquer a nation, you must first disarm its citizens.”
Adolf Hitler

the rebel
the rebel
3 years ago

Jobama can’t get my guns——————————-they’re upstairs !!!!!

Sharon Ormsby
Sharon Ormsby
3 years ago

And they called Trump a Nazi. Where are all the Republicans calling Biden a Nazi? Where is our Antifacist army? Oh wait, that’s their actual Facist Army!

Bob
Bob
3 years ago

People kill people. The instrument they use is their decision!

greg
greg
3 years ago

I do not own a gun but I firmly believe that Americans have a right to “keep and bear arms.” We need to somehow stop this blame game.

Kathryn Di Piazza
Kathryn Di Piazza
3 years ago

Biden is a socialist Democrat posing as a moderate. Joe was never a moderate, just look back in history. He is also not a Catholic, just look back at history. What he is , is a racist sitting on his high horse condemning all who don’t agree with him. Just look back at history.
How can a Catholic, moderate compassionate human being give an eulogy at Robert Byrds funeral, he was the wizard of the Klu Klux Klan. Just look at the history. But wait, that’s right, the left believes in tearing down history.
So much for Biden and his Communism.

Cyndy
Cyndy
3 years ago

Liberals have an attitude of superiority, as if they care more about these shooting victims than Conservatives do. Not so.

James
James
3 years ago

Does it seem to anyone else that the commissar puppet biden and his politburo handlers are taking steps to turn America into a totalitarian state?

Rosalee Cavanaugh
Rosalee Cavanaugh
3 years ago

The news will be pushing Gun Control. We will be hearing about more shootings and multi killings by deranged people. I am beginning to wonder if they are paid since the shooter in Colo was not killed but wounded and his family quickly said he was not well.

aluminum head
aluminum head
3 years ago

One of the first steps that A. Hitler took was to have Goebbels announce, on German radio, is that they have a SERIOUS “crime problem.” The citizens had to help by REGISTERING their weapons with the government. THEN A. Hitler told Goebbels to announce that the crime issue is WORSE. Citizens can HELP by turning in their weapons to the government. So NOW the citizenry was defenseless if they did not want Nazis in control. His does and CAN repeat itself.

Daniel Kopetski
Daniel Kopetski
3 years ago

I am a retired Police officer and once had a conversation with a school teacher and made this point, I will take out my gun and put it on your desk and see how long it will take for it to jump up and shoot someone. Of course that would never happen. Someone has to pick it up and use it. The point is we need to address the root cause of all the violence in our society that is the result of the brake down of the family in this country. Woke movement aside genetics is genetics and we need to return to a God given right for a mother and a father raising children and call male a female what they are since time began. Enough of this gender neutrality and just treat each other the same. Gun control is about CONTROL and nothing more!!!!

John A Bird
John A Bird
3 years ago

You can write all the laws you want concerning gun control and there’s not a one of us who will turn in our weapons. They will be used in defense of anyone violating our Constitution, Bill of Rights, Rule of Law, our Sovereignty, and our Freedoms. Sounds like all of the DNC, FBI, Democraps, rinos, etc., might be our targets.

Barry Courtnay
Barry Courtnay
3 years ago

A nation that can’t defend itself is a vulnerable nation. The left spent millions of dollars putting a fence up around the capital ( The people’s house) still having thousands of national guards protecting them, from who? (US). We the people. This should tell the American people what they really think of us. I will keep my legal guns and will protect my 2nd amendment till GOD takes me from this country I love. Only believe what you research. Stay strong and try to be free.

Ed J
Ed J
3 years ago

Presidense Bidense, The Inept, is again showing that he is the Poster Child for Culpable Stupidity! Almost everything he and the Demsheviks embrace, espouse, support, or attempt to do, is totally wrongheaded, flies in the face of our history, generally leads to unconstitutional outcomes, and so on ad nauseum. So, is anyone really surprised at his stand on so-called “gun control?”

Scott Wilcox
Scott Wilcox
3 years ago

Biden wants to institute universal background checks, a waiting period, magazine limits, and a red flag law. Colorado already has all of these. It would not have stopped the Boulder madman. He passed the background check, waited the 5 days in the Colorado law, bought the Ruger 556 with a limited magazine, and did not show up in the “red flag law” limiter. Why? Because the family had not reported him as being “off” to law enforcement prior to his most recent purchase of the weapon. Blame the family, not the “system”.

Davidme
Davidme
3 years ago

This is all about the Radicalized Far Left Demoncrat Socialist Party and the Deep Dark State Gun Banishment Agenda Against Our True American Second Amendment !!!! Such an Agenda will only benefit Criminals and Terrorists, as they could care less about any such Gun Control Laws and there are More Then Enough Guns For Them To Use Against The Otherwise Defenseless American Citizens !!!!! Their efforts to Defund Our Police Departments and Gun Free Zone, By Any Laws, Have Not And Will Not Work For Our Safety !!!!!!! 

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