Why We Can't Trust the Left with Gun Control
Just when the gun control debate had died down, two terrible tragedies are whipping anti-gun liberals into a rabid frenzy.
In the wake of the mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, we’ve seen Democrats blame President Donald Trump, activist-journalists create more fake news, and the liberals cry out for gun control on steroids.
Without guns, how are we supposed to defend ourselves against politically motivated shooters, Russian election meddlers, and border gangs? The government couldn’t defend us if it wanted to.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren recently demanded that Walmart stop selling guns, claiming “the weapons they sell are killing their own customers and employees.” She also squeezed in a jab at the National Rifle Association, as if it is responsible for the dozens of deaths in recent days.
Of course, the left-leaning mainstream media is eager to take her side. CNN hosted yet another town hall about the “gun crisis,” with CNN host Chris Cuomo — a journalist in name only — backing up Democratic talking points and criticizing the NRA. In his words: “We can’t continue to be this stupid.”
Now, the left has shifted its attention to public policy, advocating for gun control policies that range from flawed to outright foolish. One left-wing proposal is to expand so-called “red flag” laws, which allow courts to issue orders confiscating the guns of individuals who are deemed to be a risk to themselves or others by a judge. Advocates in Florida, which enacted a red flag law after the Parkland shooting, argue that it “prevent[s] people from engaging in bad acts.”
To date, 18 states have adopted red flag laws, and Democrats are pushing hard for federal legislation that would apply gun control nationwide. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut has already vowed to introduce a red flag bill in the coming weeks. Of course red flag laws will just end up targeting anyone who disagrees with liberal government officials.
Republicans, beware: The Democrats are not to be trusted on gun control, however “reasonable” or “common-sense” they claim to be. This is the same Democratic Party that suggests Walmart executives bear responsibility for “killing their own customers and employees.” New York Attorney General Letitia James and other Democrats have described the NRA as “a terrorist organization.”
As we speak, the Democratic candidates are calling for an assault weapons ban. Yes, the same assault weapons ban that even anti-gun liberals admit didn’t work from 1994 to 2004. According to a ProPublica investigation (yes, the left-leaning ProPublica), “there’s no evidence it saved lives.”
Nonetheless, the left marches on. And we’re supposed to trust them with gun control? We are to trust that they won’t target law-abiding gun owners with assault weapons bans and red flag laws and the rest of their anti-gun agenda?
Trusting activists who don’t even believe in the Second Amendment to implement gun control is nothing short of nonsensical. It would be the end of gun ownership as we know it.
Here’s a better solution: Stick to the Second Amendment, which is still just as valid today. Our founding Constitution made clear that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Red flag laws represent another unconstitutional path to endless government — exactly what the Second Amendment is supposed to limit.
No tragedy, however terrible, can infringe upon that right. Neither should any Democrat, however well-intentioned or not. The right to bear arms is a fundamental American right, and it must remain that way forever. The power of the Constitution lies in its capacity to endure by limiting government, not fall victim to the whims of political ideology and creators of chaos.
I urge all Republicans to defend the Constitution and embrace their constitutional principles.
Any compromise on gun control is a threat to individual liberty, and will backfire politically. Gun owners simply won’t tolerate being scapegoated for mass shootings, just because we are exercising our Second Amendment rights.
We place our trust in the Constitution. The left doesn’t deserve any of it.
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.
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