Weekly Spotlight 10/10-10/16/22
President Biden Renews Calls to Pass an “Assault Weapons” Ban, But Will it Make Communities Safer? History and Common Sense Say NO.
Another week, another promise made by President Biden to pass a federal “assault weapons” ban with an overall goal to seek a “national prohibition on ‘military style’ rifles”.
In an interview with CNN’s Jake Taper, and reported by Newsweek, President Biden said point blank, “By the way, I’m going to get an assault weapons ban… Before this is over, I’m going to get that again. Not a joke, and watch.”
It’s important to note here that he said “again,” and that’s in part because a similar bill to today’s H.R. 1808, aka the Assault Weapons Ban, was passed nearly two decades ago in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which was led by then-Senator Joe Biden. This law in the 90’s, banned most semi-automatic rifles with high-capacity magazines, similar to what anti-gun lawmakers are trying to pass today, but it included a sunset clause that lifted the ban in 2004.
Today’s “assault weapons” ban bill has already passed in the House of Representatives and has advanced to the Senate.
If history has taught us anything, it’s that an “assault weapons” ban will do nothing to actually make our communities safer. Analysis shows no significant association between homicide rates and “assault weapons” bans, large-capacity ammunition magazine bans, one-gun-per-month laws, “stand your ground” laws or prohibitions on gun trafficking.
Further, any type of “ban” is shortsided and short-term, they do very little to address the root issue – here being the rising crime rate and violence that has terrorized our communities – and demonizes defensive gun use rather than applauding it for saving lives.
The real solution is to make sure that law-abiding citizens are able to protect themselves wherever they go. And Americans are stepping up from coast to coast to become their first line of defense in the wake of rising crime and overly-restrictive gun laws at both the state and federal level.
Today, record numbers of Americans are becoming first-time gun owners. One couple in North Carolina recently said they are going through the process to get their concealed carry permits because they no longer feel safe in the neighborhood they’ve lived in for years.
In fact, so many Americans are writing in to the USCCA-FSL to tell us why they have become the ultimate protector for their families:
“As a husband, I have a duty to protect my wife. As a father, I have a duty to protect my children. As a husband and father, I have a duty to protect myself, so that I may continue to be around to provide for my family. As a man, I have a duty to protect the innocent whenever they can’t defend themselves. As an American, I have a duty to protect my country and its constitution. That’s why I carry.” – Samuel H.
“After numerous mass murders in public places, I purchased a handgun to protect my wife, myself, and others where we might be eating, worshipping, shopping, or at some other public event. The Second Amendment gives me that right and no one should be able to take it away from me!” – Jimmie C.
“On a personal note, I carry to protect myself, my family, my friends, and anyone that is in imminent danger of harm or loss of life. Here in Idaho, we truly believe in the 2nd Amendment and our conservative government ensures we keep those rights and ability to protect our loved ones as well as our fellow Idahoans.” – Ann F.
“I carry first and foremost for the protection of my family and myself. Secondly I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and think that every law-abiding citizen should be able to protect themselves, their family and their property. I also believe that with that, we all do need training and that’s where the USCCA comes in and I’m so glad that I’ve been a member since 2016. I honestly can’t put into words how important it is to be your family and your own protector when it comes to the state that the country is in right now. Again, I’m so glad to be a member of the USCCA.” – Scott S.
“I feel that I should be allowed to carry my gun everywhere I go. You have to be able to protect yourself and your loved ones. It is your God given right and no one should be allowed to take that away.” – Abby M.
Fundamentally, the right to keep and bear arms is about protecting ourselves, our loved ones and our property and it is our Constitutionally-protected right to do so.
As the midterm elections are now underway, it is critical for American voters to support candidates who will protect our fundamental right to self defense. We need, now more than ever, politicians in office who will oppose a federal “assault weapons” ban and protect our 2nd Amendment rights.
Want to make your voice heard? Visit USCCA FSL’s website here to send a letter to your Senator right now telling them to OPPOSE this legislation.
Stay updated with this issue and others by visiting our website and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook so you stay an informed gun owner.
OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
An appeals court temporarily allowed New York to continue enforcing the recently enacted Concealed Carry Improvement Act while an appeal from the state’s attorney general made its way through the courts. New York’s legislature passed the bill earlier this year after the Supreme Court struck down New York’s old laws for permits to carry handguns in public, which required that individuals show an unusual threat to their safety for a license. A federal judge ruled last week that some provisions of the new law are unconstitutional, specifically one that required applicants to turn over their social media information and a ban on carrying guns in certain public places, such as transportation systems and businesses that serve alcohol.
During the pandemic, gun and ammunition sales spiked dramatically in the United States — particularly among Black women, who have become the fastest growing group of gun owners in the country. “In 2021, we were just coming outta COVID and violence was at an all-time high, riots were at an all-time high and human trafficking is at an all-time high,” licensed gun instructor Robin Evans tells Yahoo Life as a way to explain the rise. “So at that moment, I feel like there was a huge shift in Black people, in general, just wanting to learn how to defend themselves.”
- The Wall Street Journal: Judges Across U.S. Expand Gun Rights, Taking Cues From Supreme Court
The Supreme Court’s decision this year to strengthen Second Amendment protections for carrying concealed weapons is starting to ripple through lower courts, with several judges citing the ruling to strike down other gun regulations. The high court, on a 6-3 vote in June, cast aside New York’s long standing strict limits on granting permits for carrying concealed handguns outside the home, saying residents shouldn’t be required to provide special justification for wanting to carry a weapon for self-defense. In doing so, the court’s conservative majority announced new rules for how judges are supposed to assess the constitutionality of firearm regulations.
A new study shows that the attitude of Americans toward red flag laws, where guns are taken away from citizens by a judge who determines they are a danger to themselves or others, dramatically changes from support to opposition when more detail is provided in the poll question about the process of gun confiscation via the legal process. The recently released study of 1,000 likely voters conducted by the Crime Prevention Research Center initially showed that 58% of people support red flag laws when told the “primary purpose is to allow judges to take away a person’s gun based on a single complaint when there is a concern about that individual committing suicide.”