By Larry Keane
Joe Biden’s the last man standing, and millions of gun owners are watching.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said so long to the presidential race and now it’s a Biden vs. Trump bout coming up in November. Progressive Sen. Sanders has undoubtedly pushed Democrats to the left, but it’s former Vice President Biden who has made gun control a rallying cry. For left-leaning voters, it’s a “dance with the one who brought you” situation and the #GUNVOTE will matter.
During the coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of thousands of new gun owners hopped off the fence, made a purchase and exercised their Second Amendment right to protect themselves, their families and their homes and property. They’re now going to be confronted with a presidential candidate who made a career and a campaign of doing everything to blunt their ability to lawfully own and possess firearms. There’s no shortage of gaffes, distortions and misstatements.
Keeping Communities Safe
Local firearm retailers, manufacturers and businesses by now should know the deal. Biden has repeatedly proclaimed, “I’m coming after you. Period.” That would be a big mistake. The firearm industry makes the free exercise of Second Amendment rights possible. It’s also the industry that supplies the U.S. military with the small arms and ammunition needed to defend the nation. On top of that, the firearm industry provides law enforcement with their firearm and ammunition needs, including those agents in dark suits and sunglasses that surrounded the former vice president for eight years. Top that off with the fact the industry buoys thousands of communities across the country through jobs and economic support. That is more than 332,000 jobs, and an economic impact of $60 billion in 2019 to be specific. In fact, the industry grew 213 percent since Biden was sworn in as President Barack Obama’s vice president in 2008. Sinking an industry to score political points isn’t winning strategy.
A Record to Lose Votes
More than 100 million law-abiding Americans own firearms, hundreds of thousands of them recent first-time owners. As they tune in and learn more about the candidates’ records, Biden’s words might surprise them. He repeats the false claim that gun manufactures are immune to lawsuits. He’s pledged to appoint failed presidential candidate and former U.S. Rep. Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke (D-Texas) who vowed to forcibly confiscate lawfully-owned firearms as his gun grabbing sheriff. He was dressed down by a gun-supporting worker at a Detroit auto factory who correctly pointed out Biden’s own erroneous gun claims.
The former “Veep” gladly takes assistance from gun control groups like the billionaire Bloomberg-funded Everytown for Gun Safety and Brady Campaign, all while touting his “courageous” support for the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban. That legislation did not reduce criminal misuse of firearms. He calls for banning “semiautomatic assault weapons,” but pillorizes a rifle for cosmetic features that have nothing to do with how the gun operates. He purposely conflates semiautomatic firearms with the military’s automatic firearms to scare those who don’t know the difference.
That’s why NSSF has its #GUNVOTE voter education campaign. It provides the candidate’s real words on where they stand on issues surrounding lawful firearm owners. It also helps voters to register to vote, to get educated on the candidates’ position on guns, and to not risk their rights on election day by going to the polls to #GUNVOTE.
The election is seven months away, but voters are tuning in to how candidates will affect their lives and livelihood. When it comes to guns, gun owners and the industry that supports them, it’s best to take Biden at his word.
Larry Keane is Senior Vice President of Government and Public Affairs and General Counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry trade association.
The real candidate to closely scrutinize will be Sleepy Joe’s VP running mate who will succeed him shortly after the election. And that individual has already been chosen by the DNC and their puppet-master Bloomberg.
Well, unfortunately Trump shares in some responsibility for this debacle. He has done nothing to try to inspire independents and constitutionalists to rally under a republican banner, saying he doesn’t need or want their support. 3.5 years of outright lies and deception including a rule change at the ATF to ban bump stocks, failures to actually move suppressors and SBRs off the NFA list, failure to push for 50 state CHL reciprocity, constitutional carry, and comments like “take the guns first, due process after” have not exactly endeared himself with many gun owners. To top it all off he has failed to comment or use the “bully pulpit” when states have implemented strict and unconstitutional gun laws allowing a steady progression of infringements on gun owners rights. With the country headed into a coronavirus induced great depression and additional crushing debt most of which went to bail out hedge fund managers and multi-billion dollar corporations, this just adds to his re-election problems. Trump has also set off a ticking time bomb with respect to mortgage payments. Those payments will come due at the end of 90 days and since people were not working during that period, they will default on those payments. Those payments should have been moved to the end of the note to be paid after the country has had some kind of recovery, but I expect nothing less from this administration. 22 million unemployed and cars lined up for miles at food banks and Trump still doesn’t take responsibility of any of this. This is after all a “problem with the states”. Trump has made it difficult if not impossible for all but the staunchest supporters to vote for him in November. This is something he will eventually be required to take responsibility for.
Yet, another severe case of TDS. Regardless of our president’s concession allowing the temporary banning of useless bump stocks, there is no better alternative for gun owners, it is not even close. Because a vote for his Alzheimer’s infested opponent would be similiar to shooting oneself in the back. Love him or hate him, come next November, there is no other possible alternative for gun owners and supporters of the U.S. Constitution.
That’s YOUR opinion, and not a very well rounded one at all. Trump’s base is alive and well, and many of us are VERY well informed on the issues, but don’t see them in such a negative light as you.
Voting for Trump is easy peasy, owing to the fact that the alternative is a sleazy wack job of well known intent.
You have decided you want a perfect world, and it has skewed your interpretation of how Trump is seen by others who are NOT his “staunchest supporters”.
You are WAY off base with your opinion, IMO.
From the other side of his gaffe-infested mouth, he told women the should “get a shotgun” for their own protection.
We darned well better get our act together so we avoid becoming like the state of Virginia. With the urbanization and worsening liberal bent of the population, our second amendment has never been under greater threat (except when the British tried to confiscate arms in the 1700’s).
Those who want to install this dementia-ridden puppet are touting him as a “moderate” to try to fool those Liberals who still have any sensibility left.
There is nothing “moderate” about Biden’s record. He is as much a Progressive-Socialist as any of them.