It just goes to show that “comprehensive gun control”, or as they are terming it lately, “gun safety laws”, aren’t actually about safety, they’re about disarming law abiding citizens while doing virtually nothing about criminals who use firearms in the act of committing a crime
The 2020 Democrats Still Fall Miserably Short on Guns
Gun control is often touted as an integral part of the Democratic Party’s platform. It’s become common and accepted for members of the party to support “common sense†gun reform like universal background checks and, to a somewhat lesser extent, further restrictions on assault weapons.
But based on a recent survey of the 2020 Democrats by the New York Times, the vast majority of the party’s candidates (Biden didn’t respond) are still serving up bland political dreck that pays lip service to the epidemic of gun violence while refusing to engage with one of its largest causes. The question the Timesposed was simple: “In an ideal world, would anyone own handguns?†The easy, just, and scientifically supported answer to this question is no. But of 21 candidates, only Julián Castro and John Hickenlooper got close to offering it.
Here’s Sen. Bernie Sanders, for example:
I think if used in a sportsman-type way—yeah, I think that would be acceptable. But having said that, right now, we’re looking at an epidemic of gun violence in this country. Some 40,000 people, many of them suicides, 40,000 deaths took place last year from guns, clearly we need to deal with the epidemic of gun violence. I very strongly believe that we have to go forward into what we call common sense gun safety legislation—that is extended background checks, that means doing away with the gun show loophole, basically making sure that people who should not own guns do not own guns.
I’m choosing this answer not to pick on Bernie—although he’s always been solidly centrist on guns—but because it’s a pretty good representation of the general Democratic Party line is. His answer was also similar to many others in the Times’ interview series, which went something like: Handguns are fine, we just need background checks etc. to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.
You really should read that whole NY Times survey. It is disturbing as hell (and begs the question, when will these Democrats give up their own armed security?). And here we go
The problem is handguns are not fine. A good answer to the Times’ question includes some nuance, sure: The realities of policing violent crime mean that some law enforcement officers and others will still have a use for handguns. But in the hands of the general public, pistols are by far and away the most deadly factor in the gun violence epidemic plaguing the country…
In other words, only The Government should have handguns.
Hilariously, the article is less than impressed with Rep Eric Swalwell, who’s whole campaign is predicated on gun grabbing (and Trump Derangement Syndrome, of course). And ends thusly
The solutions that “common sense†gun reform centrists love to spout are absolutely vital: universal background checks and closing of gun show and private sale loopholes would go a long way to curtailing the proliferation and spread of guns once they’re purchased, as would buybacks and more stringent restrictions on semi-automatic rifles. Those rules are easy, and at least in the case of background checks, have overwhelming public support. But they will not stop the mass death, and it’s a consistent disappointment that the vast majority of Democrats running for president are comfortable with an answer to gun-violence that is, at best, half cocked.
Let’s put it in plain language: they want to ban all law abiding citizens from having a handgun.
When are democrats NOT upset?