Sen. Kamala Harris (D), former attorney general of California, says it is “long past time” to end private ownership of “assault weapons.”
Harris made clear that her desire is to renew the federal “assault weapons” ban that was in place from 1994 to 2004, tweeting:
No proof exists that the federal “assault weapons” ban kept anyone safe. The New York Times reported that the ban was an outgrowth of Democrats’ desire to look tough on crime during former President Bill Clinton’s administration. In an effort to do this, the “Democrats created and banned [an entire] category of guns.” It was political expediency at its best.
While crime fell during the years the “assault weapons” ban was in place, a “detailed study found no proof” the decline was due to the ban. Nevertheless, Harris is pushing the ban anew for the millions of Americans who own AR-15s, AK-47s, similar rifles, and certain shotguns.
California has an “assault weapons” ban, a ten-day waiting period for gun purchases, gun registration requirements, a “good cause” requirement for concealed carry permit issuance, and a ban on campus carry, among other things. Yet our nation frequently witnesses high-profile, firearm-based attacks in the state. For examples, on December 2, 2015, two terrorists used AR-15 rifles to kill 14 co-workers; on June 1, 2016, a firearm-based murder-suicide occurred on the gun-free UCLA campus; on October 8, 2016, a felon with a stolen “assault weapon” allegedly ambushed and killed two Palm Springs police officers; and on April 18, 2017, an attacker opened fire on the sidewalks of Fresno, killing three innocents.
Gun control is not the solution, but it may be part of the problem.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.