Joe Biden
President Joe Biden (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
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President Joe Biden wasted little time calling for gun control following the tragic murders of six innocent Americans by a mentally unstable person who was known to be a threat. Similarly, White House Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre demanded a litany of gun control in a press briefing following the tragedy in Louisville, Kentucky, before the basic facts of the incident were known.

Less than two weeks after a transgender student shot her way into The Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn., the president tweeted his gun control call.

“Congress must ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require safe storage of firearms, eliminate gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability, and require background checks for all gun sales, and state officials must do the same,” President Biden said. The Tweet was accompanied by a graphic saying, “Ban Assault Weapons.”

He’s conceded there isn’t much more he can do on his own as far as gun control is concerned.

What’s The Truth?

The president’s desire to ban so-called “assault weapons” is never-ending, even though he runs into resistance from his own party, not to mention a majority of Americans. The data doesn’t support a ban on the more than 24.4 million legally-owned modern sporting rifles (MSRs). The president got pushback.

“First define what an ‘Assault Weapon’ is before you demand to ban it,” one Twitter user replied. That’s a good point. The administration has never defined what they mean by “assault weapon.”

The president’s first and failed nominee to be director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) David Chipman, became flustered in his U.S. Senate nomination hearing when questioned before admitting, “Senator, there’s no way I could define an assault weapon.”

David Chipman

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives also flub firearm terminology when debating gun restrictions on law-abiding Americans. Similarly, the Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas was unable to define what an “assault weapon” is, even though he supports banning them.

If the president and the incessant calls from gun control groups for a ban on MSRs acknowledged what the data shows, they’d see the folly of such an ineffective call. The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report shows more intentional murders are committed by criminals using knives, fists and blunt objects than by rifles of any kind, not just MSRs like the AR-15.

Another responder pointed out an additional reason why the president’s call isn’t a serious solution, referring to the 42nd president. “Mr. Clinton tried the same thing…didn’t work.” It’s true. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined after the 1994 ban expired in 2004 it did not reduce crime and the impact on gun violence of renewing it would be “too small for reliable measurement.”

Clinton assault weapons ban anniversiary
President Bill Clinton signs the 1994 “assault weapons” ban into laws. (Dennis Cook/AP)

Reason.com just highlighted what NSSF industry data has shown all along: the number of Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) in private circulation has grown exponentially since 1990 while unintentional firearm fatalities have reached record lows and overall crime involving firearms has trended lower.

And, even if there were enough votes in Congress to ban MSRs, such a law would violate the Second Amendment based on the U.S. Supreme Court’s holding in Heller and, more recently, in Bruen.

More Pinocchios, Please

In yet another sign demonstrating the president’s continued unseriousness about his plans to hold criminals accountable, he again repeated a lie he’s been called out on several times before. It’s not like the administration doesn’t know their own favored media outlets have told them they’re making false statements. They know – they just keep repeating the lie.

“Eliminate the gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability,” the president said. Here, he’s just flat wrong. It was wrong when he falsely claimed one year ago in The White House Rose Garden, “They [manufacturers] are the only outfit — (applause) — they’re the only outfit in the country that is immune.” Before that, at a “Gun Violence Strategies Partnership” event in New York City, he was joined by Attorney General Merrick Garland, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and remarked, “Imagine had we had a liabil… [sic] they’re the only industry in America that is exempted from being able to be sued by the public. Only one. Why the gun manufacturers?”

It wasn’t true then, it’s not true now. It was a lie then and it’s still a lie. The Washington Post, CNN, PolitiFact, the Associated Press and many more have all rebuked the president on his false claim. “They [firearm manufacturers] are not exempt or immune from being sued,” wrote the AP. “Gun manufacturers can certainly be sued…Biden is wrong to say gun manufacturers are alone,” was the Washington Post’s response.

Joe Biden
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) protects firearm manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits that seek to blame them for the criminal misuse of legal, non-defective lawfully sold firearms by remote third parties who are beyond the control of manufacturers. Allowing a member of the firearm industry to be sued for the criminal misuse of a firearm would be like allowing Ford to be sued by the victim of a drunk driving accident because a Ford was driven by someone under the influence of alcohol.

What’s Left?

The president has received a fair amount of unfriendly fire from would-be allies who believe he isn’t “doing enough” to pass more gun control restrictions. Never mind his proposals don’t have support of all Democrats in the U.S. Senate majority.

Every firearm sold at retail requires the buyer to pass an FBI National Instant Criminals Background Check System (NICS) verification in order to take the firearm home. Requiring a NICS check on private firearm sales necessitates a national firearm registry in order to work – and that is already outlawed by the 1986 Gun Control Act, the Brady Act of 1993 and an appropriation law funding ATF.

The president’s last demand – “requiring safe storage of firearms” – is unconstitutional as the Supreme Court ruled in its Heller decision in 2008. NSSF President and CEO Joe Bartozzi has testified against both federal and state mandatory storage laws while supporting other safe storage options.

The firearm industry remains committed to the hard work needed to reduce access to firearms by prohibited individuals and those who cannot be trusted with a firearm. It’s something the entire gun-owning community agrees on and it takes serious and sober discussions about how to best accomplish that critical goal.

The president’s repeated pattern of putting empty politics over serious policy proposals shows where his focus is. Not on holding criminals accountable or protecting Americans’ Constitutional rights, but on control and restricting rights.

 

Larry Keane is SVP for Government and Public Affairs, Assistant Secretary and General Counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

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41 COMMENTS

  1. Biden: We’re going to go after the people who DIDN’T do anything. I was told the other day that I should turn my guns in as it’s only a matter of time before I’m no longer law abiding and may lose my mind and use them. I told that person that he should turn in his car immediately as he will lose his mind and run over pedestrians on the sidewalk and he will no longer be law abiding. He said, “What makes you think I would do something like that?!?” I told him, “The same logic that makes you believe I would lose my mind and use my guns illegally.”

    • Fun fact:

      On today’s date in 1983, Chicago elected their first Bl@ck mayor Harold Washington, a Democrat. Chicago has, in fact, elected Democrats to be their Mayors continually since 1931.

      WalMart just announced their decision to close their stored located in Chicago due to rampant crime and non-prosecuted theft. Lori Lightfoot pushed for defunding of police and for civilian disarmament. Voters recently ousted her due to her failure to protect the City’s residents, but replaced her with an even more Leftist Brandon Johnson, who is already pushing for civilian disarmament. The Democrat National Party leadership announced they chose Chicago as the location for their convention, and President Joetato applauded the decision as “perfect”.

      Clown world.

      • Years ago I had a conversation with a gentleman who served as a LEO for years and one of his stories was working in Chicago at the time of the 1969 Dimocrat convention. He mentioned officers were getting pelted by heavy glass ashtrays tossed from hotel room balconies. I pray that those working at this event take necessary precautions. Fuckn animals.

        • I saw a joke referencing the decision to hold the DNC there:

          “Chicago’s a great place for the Democrats to have a big party…because the last time was such a riot!”

          (snark)

  2. I’ve yet to see a plan to implement the oft suggested “safe storage laws.”
    Weekly home inspections? Monthly? Annually?
    Unless the gov is going to start tossing cells there’s really no point.

  4. They keep pushing and pushing and pushing. Eventually they’ll get what they want – a huge fracture where the good guys with guns have had enough and unsheath their cutlasses. And it won’t be pretty.

  5. What’s worse are the nitwits who would vote again and again for Jim Crow Gun Control democRat joe.

  8. To all of the assholes that foisted this brain dead dementia addled bitch on us I can only hope that the next victim of a criminal using a gun to kill takes one of yours out first. It doesn’t make me happy to say that but it is only fair that it isn’t one of my family. I vote to protect my own you vote to leave us unprotected and unprepared. Fuck You!

    • Based on population distribution and probability that is a substantially more than a better than even chance. It is wild that the areas that suffer the most from their decisions are their most ardent supporters.

      • “I can only hope that the next victim of a criminal using a gun to kill takes one of yours out first.”
        Proof read damnit.
        I can only hope that the next victim of a criminal using a gun to kill is one of yours.

  9. Transvestite Americans shape our Nation’s soul. If you like guns, then you ain’t black!

  10. you have to admit, there’s a certain chutzpah to demanding that conservatives be disarmed because of violence against them by the constituencies of the Left.

  11. Why do these twits keep getting elected? I just don’t understand it. There must be some hanky panky going on with cheating at the polls. Must be. Thats the only explanation that makes any sense.

    • Every Socialist, Communist, Totalitarian regime throughout history has maintained control by the manipulation of the ballot box. Where voting was nothing more than a symbolic attempt to show their acolytes that they were in control of their destiny.

    • Actually it makes perfect sense. The average adult has about a 15 second attention span. Years of soundbites and manipulation have made them less likely to think beyond that 15 seconds. The far left has tailored their message to these short spurts. America is racist. Rich people hoard all the money so you will always be poor. Only the far left can help you with free stuff. You are not the blame, America is.

      Now children have even shorter attention spans. But children are exposed to social media and the schools with the same messages, and they will be targeted longer than the adult generation has been.

      The left uses emotion, false comparisons and they dumb down the messages. They target the weak, keep them weak and instill fear. Only voting for the far left can set them free.

  12. When the Taliban voluntarily turns in all the guns Biden left in Afghanistan, he can get down on his knees and beg me to turn in my guns and there’s a 1 percent chance I might give up one or two of my guns, maybe.

  13. Biden is nothing more than a Manchurian Candidate in an empty suit. Everything he says comes directly from his ‘Handlers’. Which is why he is never allowed to speak off the cuff. he is the tradeoff made by the Liberal/Progressive Democrat leadership. For allowing an old man to live out his dream of being President.

    • Keep in mind that the Democrat party has become so demented that Vice President Biden was the only plausible candidate that they could offer to defeat President Trump. Even then, they needed to exploit the Covidvirus lockdowns and an impeachment proceeding incited by a Ukrainian immigrant who was butt hurt about President Trump’s lack of enthusiasm to go to war in Ukraine to get the brain dead vegetable elected.

    • Been that way for as long as I can remember.
      Voting for a President is just a game
      Republicrats or Dempublicans really doesn’t matter.
      Voting for a president is just numbers
      X amount voted means they still believe the lie. Its when America quits voting that’s when .giv will get worried.

  17. I pay little attention to anything the Juice Lip and Chief says. The man is cognitively compromised and incapable of discharging his duties.

    Weapons, ALL weapons in common use can not be banned. The interest balance test post Bruen is GONE. No longer can the warm fuzzy feelings test be balanced against the plain text of the second amendment.

    The burden has shifted to the state to prove their gun laws DON’T violate our rights and they are hating it.

    In short, too effing bad for Biden and what he wants or calls for.

  18. lol 31k likes and the first comment is:

    “It’s about time we go door to door and personally take away everyone’s firearms, if they don’t comply then they will be sent to prison.”

    You can’t remind Nazi’s about history. It’s amazing. By all means, come and take them. The infrastructure will topple like the house of cards it is within the first week of that war.

    I also find it funny when they throw around secession, stating shit like “you rely on blue states like CA”… Who does CA rely on for water again? How about crude oil? Yea… red states. Literally the main reason it gets talked about from red states is because blue states constantly throw around the idea of disarming people, and they already have crime infestations. Look at SF, Portland, Seattle, NY, Chicago… all those places have massive amounts of homeless with massive amounts of crime and business are literally closing their doors in those areas. Whole foods ffs… Whole foods started in fucking SF and they just closed the doors due to crime. They were losing so much money because nobody wanted to shop in the area and theft. It’s amazing.

    But yea, keep blaming red states and guns. It’s always funny how the ones advocating for the most capable means of self defense are the ones asking for protection and for someone else to do their dirty work. So fuck it – send em. You wanna party? We wanna party. We’ve been here sitting at the entrance for a while now. Let us in. Lets dance.

    BTW, the amount of people that actually follow someone like Biden and the democrats on twitter and other social media, is about half as it is from republicans right now. The likes alone show it. The shares are outnumbering their social media censorship. No effing way they ACTUALLY won an election with those numbers.

  19. “…would be like allowing Ford to be sued by the victim of a drunk driving accident because a Ford was driven by someone under the influence of alcohol.”

    Larry, you left out “uninsured” and “undocumented alien” to go with that DUI ‘someone’.

    (UDA is the current ‘politically correct’ terminology here close to the border.)

  20. “The president’s desire to ban so-called “assault weapons” is never-ending, even though he runs into resistance from his own party, not to mention a majority of Americans.”

    “Tell a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.”

    – An actual Nazi fascist.

    Here’s a real inconvenient truth to drop : Ask, what demographic is killed the most often by a gun, by a very wide margin?

    That tells you where to focus your efforts on reducing ‘gun violence’.

    Find out *why* Blacks are slaughtering themselves in such horrifically high numbers, and focus your efforts on those communities… 🙁

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