Op-Ed: Gun Control Initiatives Announced by Biden Undermine the Biggest Claim of His Speech
On Monday, President Joe Biden addressed the nation from the White House, announcing that his administration will be taking new gun control measures.
While we already know Biden’s history of supporting anti-gun proposals, he claimed during his speech that he supports the Second Amendment. “By the way, it’s going to sound bizarre — I support the Second Amendment. You have a right,” the president said.
However, the four gun control initiatives he announced in his speech prove otherwise.
1. Universal background checks
The president called on Congress to enact universal background checks. The National Rifle Association has questioned the effectiveness of expecting criminals to comply with background checks.
The NRA says that “background checks don’t stop criminals from stealing firearms, getting them on the black market, or getting them from straw purchasers.”
It cites the Department of Justice, which found that “77 percent of criminals in state prison for firearm crimes get firearms through theft, on the black market, from a drug dealer or ‘on the street,’ or from family members and friends, while less than one percent get firearms from dealers or non-dealers at gun shows.”
2. Ban on “assault weapons”
Biden also called on Congress to enact another ban on “assault weapons.” A DOJ study on the federal government’s “assault weapon” ban from 1994 to 2004 could not conclude that the ban helped to reduce crime.
“Because the ban has not yet reduced the use of [large-capacity magazines] in crime, we cannot clearly credit the ban with any of the nation’s recent drop in gun violence,” the DOJ said.
There is also no such thing as an “assault weapon.” It is an invented term frequently used by anti-gun advocates.
3. Ban on high-capacity magazines
The third measure Biden called for was a ban on high-capacity magazines. But the effectiveness of this policy is questionable as well.
“Magazine restrictions do not have appreciable effects on crime or violence,” according to the Cato Institute. “In an oft-cited study, Christopher Koper analyzed the effects of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which banned new magazines of more than 10 rounds but did little more than drive up the price of already‐existing magazines.”
4. Biden’s ATF nominee is anti-gun.
On Monday, Biden also nominated Steve Dettelbach, a former federal attorney, to be the new director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The gun rights organization Gun Owners of America cites his record of supporting universal background checks, “assault weapon” bans and numerous other anti-gun initiatives.
The group is also suing the ATF over Biden’s newest action on ghost guns.
? Just as we opposed the Trump Administration’s arbitrary ban on bump stocks, GOA will also sue Biden’s ATF to halt the implementation of this rule.https://t.co/Px32mfAtvN
— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) April 12, 2022
5. Red flag laws
Although he did not mention red flag laws in his speech, Biden has previously announced his support for them. In an April 2021 White House news release, the Biden Administration called on Congress to pass a national red flag law.
The issue with red flag laws is that they violate law-abiding citizens’ due process rights, even if they have no criminal background.
In 2020, former NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch highlighted some of the hidden dangers of these laws.
Colorado’s red flag laws are already being abused: https://t.co/tforctiQEV
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) January 15, 2020
I wasn’t too surprised by Biden’s long list of anti-gun measures simply because we already knew his political views. But for him to claim he supports the Second Amendment is shocking.
He can say whatever he wants, but the evidence doesn’t lie: Joe Biden is no supporter of the Second Amendment.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
