Gabby Giffords’ gun control group is expanding their call for a bump stock ban to include .50 caliber rifles and other firearms, accessories that have not been used in a mass public attack.
They couch the gun control push as preemptive, suggesting they want to ban certain firearms and accessories before those items can be criminally used against innocents.
According to The Hill, Giffords’ gun control policy advisor, David Chipman, said, “We can sit back and bring these issues up after something horrible happens, or maybe we can just take a fresh look and … anticipate what might be used in the next shooting and try to create a regulatory structure that makes it harder for criminals to use them.”
Using such an approach as a guide, Giffords’ group is pursuing a ban on AR-15-style pistols, AK-47-style pistols, binary triggers, .50 caliber rifles, and other firearms and accessories.
Senate Democrats and their surrogates in the establishment media have pushed over 10 new gun controls since the October 1 attack on Las Vegas. None of the controls would have prevented the attack or lessened the carnage caused by the attacker. However, each of them would have made it harder for law-abiding citizens to acquire the guns they need for home and self-defense.
Giffords’ gun control group appears to be seeking traction for gun control by shifting toward a more theoretical approach; one that consists in banning firearms and accessories that have not been used in attacks, under the guise that they could be used if not prohibited. This approach opens the door to bans on every conceivable firearm and accessory because evil men could use anything from a break action shotgun to a high end rifle to carry out an attack.
While we are being theoretical, let us remember that evil men can also use rental trucks (Manhattan, October 31, 2017), vans (London Bridge, June 3, 2017), large delivery trucks (Nice, France, July 14, 2016), bombs (Brussels Airport, March 22, 2016), and airplanes (September 11, 2001), to kill thousands.
So an honest ban on what is possible will have to include a large-scale ban on modes of popular modes of ground transportation and air travel.
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
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