AMAC Exclusive – By Andrew Abbott
![](https://static-asset.amac.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/28063616/kamala-police.jpg)
Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, with rising violent crime a top concern for voters, the vast majority of Democrats are now working overtime to distance themselves from their prior support for the “Defund the Police” movement. Increasingly, however, it appears that they’re linking this professed newfound support for law enforcement to another pillar of Democrats’ far-left agenda – gun control.
After backlash to the “defund” movement contributed to dozens of House Democrats losing or facing closer-than-expected races in 2020, the party slowly began changing its tune on policing. While some, like Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush, have continued their calls for “dismantling” police departments, the White House and Democratic leadership are now saying that they in fact support police and have always supported police – even accusing Republicans, who spent all of 2020 and 2021 vigorously defending police from attacks by left-wing politicians and news outlets, of not supporting them.
As Axios reported late last month, Democratic candidates in Ohio, Georgia, Florida, and other states are “spotlighting law enforcement to boost their credibility on fighting crime.” Party strategists are now privately admitting that “the defund debate damaged Democrats’ reputation on crime,” and many “fear a voter perception that Democrats don’t recognize the problem with violent crime and don’t respect the role police play in keeping communities safe.”
But as part of their effort to mask their complete reversal of position when it comes to support for police, many Democrats—including Biden himself—have attempted to make the issue of rising crime about guns rather than policing, implying that support for the Second Amendment is incompatible with support for law enforcement.
Take, for example, a recent ad aired by a group aligned with Stacey Abrams, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Georgia. In the 30-second spot, a man identified as a former Deputy Sheriff accuses incumbent Republican Governor Brian Kemp of “making us less safe” for signing a constitutional carry bill into law earlier this year. The ad accuses Kemp of making it “easier” for criminals to carry loaded guns “in public, at the movies, in church.” The implication is that by signing the law, which allows Georgians who aren’t otherwise prohibited from owning a firearm to concealed carry without submitting to a tedious and sometimes expensive permitting process, Kemp is undermining public safety and making it more difficult for police to do their jobs.
Notably, however, more than 100 sheriffs have endorsed Kemp’s reelection bid, and the sitting governor has broad support from the law enforcement community. Abrams, who now proclaims to support pay raises for police, has in the past called for “reallocating” police resources. Moreover, Abrams still sits on the board of the Marguerite Casey Foundation, a group that has supported “defunding and abolishing the police.”
Abrams is far from the only Democrat attempting to employ this strategy. At the federal level, Democrats in Congress – led by vulnerable incumbents like Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey – have pushed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to pass a number of supposed “police funding bills” that are intended to lend credence to Democrat claims to support law enforcement. But these efforts have all been tied to greater gun control measures, sending a clear message that Democrats view the two issues as inextricably connected.
The White House, meanwhile, has introduced a new initiative called the “Safer America Plan,” which purportedly increases funding for law enforcement. Once again, however, support for police is tied to gun control measures. In a fact sheet on the plan released by the White House, Biden calls for requiring “background checks for all gun sales” and banning so-called “assault weapons” and high-capacity magazines.
But as Republicans have long pointed out, Democrats’ assertion that restricting gun ownership will automatically lead to less crime isn’t supported by the facts. As economist John Lott argued in his work More Guns, Less Crime, empirical evidence actually points to the opposite conclusion. Recent examples, like the shooting at a mall in Greenwood, Indiana, where an armed bystander stopped a mass shooting in progress, also support the idea that responsible gun ownership can be an effective crime deterrent. A similar case occurred in West Virginia in May, when an armed woman stopped a man firing indiscriminately into a crowd at a birthday party. These incidents are just two of at least 21 such cases since the start of 2020. As Republicans continue to point out, laws making it more difficult for Americans to own and carry firearms won’t stop criminals from doing so but will stop law-abiding Americans interested in protecting themselves and their families.
At the same time, even as they work to restrict legal gun ownership, Democrats seem to have largely given up on prosecuting illegal gun ownership. New York City’s “stop and frisk” policy was originally designed in large part to get illegal guns off the street, and was quite successful at doing so – yet former mayor Bill de Blasio ended the practice anyway. Democrat soft-on-crime prosecutors have also allowed criminals caught with illegal guns back out onto the streets, in some cases to commit more gun crimes.
Democrats and the mainstream media, meanwhile, have construed Republican opposition to gun control measures as evidence that the GOP in fact does not support police, attempting to completely flip the script on the popular perception of the two parties’ records on public safety. As American communities continue to suffer the tragic consequences of the left’s two-year war on law enforcement, however, Democrats’ complicity in their suffering will be a difficult memory to erase.
Andrew Abbott is the pen name of a writer and public affairs consultant with over a decade of experience in DC at the intersection of politics and culture.
More and more, the DemocRat Party seems to respond to governance as though they were driven by foreign influence without regard for what is best for our Nation’s Constitutional Democracy. Maybe it might be that the driving force for the DemocRat Party is driven to “RULE” the Nation rather than “GOVERN” the Nation! In other words, their policy can be summarized as “Party First” rather than “Nation First.” The DemocRat Party seems to have morphed into a Communistic force of governance.
The Communist liberals pushed DEFUND the POLICE for over 3 years with their FAKE News buddies promoting it right along. Especially, Communist News Network promoted it big time.
Remember, Communist liberals supported and Bailed out their TERRORIST antifa and TERRORIST blm buddies with Communist harris Bailing them out after promoting RIOTS and VIOLENCE. All backed by Maxine (LOUD MOUTH) Waters and SWAMP QUEEN pelosi.
It’s ALL on RECORD.
Now their FANTASY WORLD is crumbling on DEFUND the POLICE so they make up a new FANTASY WORLD narrative…
Blame the 2ND AMENDMENT so they can push their FASCIST agenda.
The Communist liberals blame everybody and everything except themselves for their LIES and Communist policies.
DICTATOR Beijing biden and his Communist Party are the KING of LIES and FANTASY WORLD.
Why else would CRIME and INFLATION be so high and climbing.
DICTATOR Beijing biden is the KING of CRIME. Just look at ALL the CORRUPTION he and his Communist Party ARE GUILTY of.
Let’s start with ILLEGAL and UNCONSTITUTIONAL 2020 Election and follow to today and tomorrow.
NEVER, EVER TRUST A liberal. they ARE CANCEROUS AND THE ENEMY OF OUR NATION. they ARE ANTI-AMERICAN, LIARS AND CHEATERS. HOPEFULLY ALL CRIME VICTIMS ARE liberals ONLY
All mass shootings have occurred in venues that were or were assumed to be “gun free”.
Cant we have a Castle Defense for home owners etc nationwide??
It’s ALWAYS been about Gun Control, only in keeping guns out of the hands of citizens! . . . The Commies don’t want ANY armed resistance to their domination or control over the People! . . . Definitely NOT the way our Founding Father’s designed Our Constitution!
the only people who believe dems are …………………….. well……………. none. LOL!
Here’s a thought. Deny ALL Police protection to ALL politicians who support defunding Police.
The DIMMS think that ALL Americans are dumb. If a CRIMINAL intends to shoot someone (against the law), I’m sure he will be dissuaded by a “law” against carrying his weapon of choice!
Keep malevolent hands off our constitution. The Second Amendment is there for a perfectly legitimate reason–to remind those with excessive power hungers that common citizens will always have a final recourse to their power abuses.
If their lips are moving, they are lying . . .
Everyone should know that what we need is CRIME control, not gun control. Why is it we never hear that they want to go after criminals, just law abiding gun owners?
Amen to God-fearing US Lawful Constitution and all His Laws within it
????CHRISTrumpOwens and all our US TRUMPlican Lawmakers successfully US 2022-2036 Reelected Landslide
Amen & Amen????
New gun regulations are promoted as being “Crime Fighting Tools” that will make Americans safer.
I would challenge anyone to defend this concept. The criminals who walk among us never have difficulty in buying, or stealing firearms. Criminals simply break laws, after all, that is the criminal’s job description.
All guns laws, except the Second Amendment are unconstitutional. The common admonishment at the end of the single sentence Second Amendment is: “…. shall not be infringed.”
infringe: an encroachment or trespass on a right or privilege
The operative clause of the Second Amendment is: …the RIGHT of the people to keep and bear arms, …”
Each of the recent three major Supreme Court cases concerning firearms, contained the finding that the Second Amendment refers to the INDIVIDUAL right to keep and bear arms. “Keep” means to own, and “bear” means to carry.
Let’s face it, the Democrats and the RINOs don’t stay up at night worrying about crime against the people. What these “leaders” really fear is an armed populace. The Second Amendment gives the people a means to resist a government that might abuse the inherent rights of the average citizen. The Founding Fathers well knew that a lawful government, example, King George’s Government, could misuse its power and mistreat its citizens without remorse. ALL of the Founder’s correspondence concerning firearms, was testimony that each American citizen must have the right to arms.
When you look at a Democrat or RINO, you are looking at a authoritarian who wants to disarm the American people. Such leaders know that you cannot abuse the rights of an armed people.
Disarming popluation has worked out so well in the past.
I don’t think the demoncrats know what they believe, except their greed for control. They change with whatever agrees with their agenda.
That must be why thousands of cops are members of the NRA ,GOA and other 2ND Amendment supporting groups.
Dems can spin just about anything if the say it often and loud enough. Unfortunately for us, we know the truth even before they stop talking. By the time the rest wake up, the damage has been set and its on to the next debacle. Only if citizens wise up can their narrative be stopped. Illegal immigration brings lawlessness and uneducated mobs that drains every aspect of society including the voting booth and all without personal investment. They don’t assimilate, they dominate and drive those who are rightfully here away. Now on top of that, disarm the law-abiding.
more propaganda from the communists, intended for the “useful idiots” out there.
A few years back there was talk of mandatory prison time for any person using/possessing a deadly weapon when committing a crime. This sentence was to be in addition to any sentence for the actual crime committed or attempted. What ever happened to these proposals?
Also remember why the Japanese never invaded the contiguous 48 states during WWII — “the people have guns!”
I have yet to hear of a criminal shooting by an NRA member. If there has been one I am sure the drive-by press would have made it a headline!
I don’t have to finish this article to know that is exactly what the Democrats want to do because crimes really started when President Bush was in office and now it’s getting uglier because the Democratic party want to destroy the fabric of what the Unites States represents.
Did the phrase”wishy washy”get created because of the ineptitude of the democRATIC party.They lie and cheat to make themselves look good.Have the democRATS done anything to positive to benefit AMERICA,NO again.They are about power and wealth,FOR THEMSELVES ONLY.
Of course the 2A is antipolice. Go read The Battle of Athens, Georgia.
Our founding fathers knew a armed public was the way to keep us as a free nation. The first Hitler ddid was take guns away from the citizens.
Every GOP
When those idiots were destroying and taking down statues all over the country Trump signed an order that anyone caught taking down a national monument or statue would automatically spend 10 years in jail. Well, lo and behold, the very next day it all stopped! Go figure!
We need some “tough love” in this country and the laws need to be changed and enforced. That’s the only way this is going to stop! All of these criminals suffer from poor parenting or no parenting which is the root of the problem but there’s little we can do about that. I would be glad to pay taxes to build more jails for these losers!!!!!
Isn’t it curious that the same people now shedding crocodile tears for the police are the same ones who’ve declared war on them….interesting also that the string puller behind the puppet Joe, during his 8 year reign of terror on everything in this nation, also, under his regime, sat back in satisfaction while numerous police officers were gunned down? Literally assassinated. Curious indeed. And who can forget the lovely and talented “pastor” Al Sharpton marching down the streets of a destroyed and burning town with a bunch of BLM punks shouting; “What do we want!! DEAD COPS! When do we want ’em…NOW!!” LIttle Al another one of Ovomit’s little stoodges….oh no!! And GASP!! DEMOCRATS TO BOOT!!!!
This is a loathsome bunch of ugly self serving little people who’ve taken hypocrisy to a level never heard of in the history of this nation!
America as a whole have deceived herself by allowing inept leadership in Congress, States, Counties, Municipalities, and school boards to overhaul our institutions from governance to criminal justices, from education starting with universities and colleges and got away with their crazy and destruction policies. Now they are emboldened to dismantle the minds of youths from birth to high schools. We have been complacent with their conundrums and their satirical appealing garbage that now hunts every fabric of our society and existence. Thanks to those who voted for Cori Bush, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, as well as the two republicans seating on the J6 Committee. Research each candidate, his or her record of political aspiration, what they espoused, prior to voting. There are wolves in sheep clothing geared at dividing us to get the agenda going.
Voters in Georgia need to take a closer look at their Sheriff. If 100 Sheriffs support a man who says “supporting the 2nd Amendment is anti-police”, then I have to question their fitness to hold the office of Sheriff. Because the county sheriff is the ONLY law enforcement officer who is elected by the public, the sheriff is also the most powerful LEO in the USA. A sheriff has the power to arrest the mayor, governor or any federal LEO who violates the Constitutional rights of his/her constituents. The sheriff has the DUTY to protect his/her constituents from other law enforcement who seek to deny the constituents their Constitutional rights. Therefore, IF the Sheriff agrees the 2nd Amendment is “anti-police” he is unfit for the job of sheriff. The 2nd Amendment should be fully supported by your sheriff.
We need & must respect our police departments. There are many people that would never have been shot or hurt if they would comply with the police when confronted. They should not run, fight with police, be belligerent . When you go to court , then you can tell your side of the story. But if you pull a gun , punch or harm an officer, then they have right of self defense to protect themselves. What part of laws that we have learned since little kids & generation today seems to ignore.
The Jan 6th assault on Capitol police is one of the worst examples of breaking laws that I have witnessed in my lifetime. Here you have a fellow American doing his job to defend our Capitol & they are attacked by a mob & many suffered bad injuries & probably long term trauma. You cannot convince me that the mob does not know Right from Wrong , when they bring weapons & attack police.
I don’t listen to anti-gun lectures from people who think it’s okay to kill a baby!
Call me old fashioned, but I really do not think that criminals in Georgia are relieved that the new constitutional carry bill makes it easier to carry loaded guns in public, in the movies or in church.
democrats = filth
If it’s stupid, irresponsible, crooked, or evil, then democrats try to ram it down everyone’s throats.
Noticing that those who think there is a better way to enforce the law than the century old proven application of policing are mostly the 13% who are breaking the laws and responsible for over 50% of all the violent crime in America Look who populates the prisons way beyond their statistical portion of the citizenry, the 13%ers again.
Democrats sure are terrible at government, law and order, economics, and other such essential matters.
Dems sure love these tax and spend bills.