Author: Grumpy
Submitted by Aidan Johnston, federal affairs director for Gun Owners of America,
In case you missed it, France entered into a pseudo-civil war this past weekend. Rioters took to the streets, destroyed billions of dollars in local property, violent criminals pulled out their illegal guns, and there was nothing the average disarmed Frenchman could do about it.
These recent riots proved the old adage, “When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.”
France has much stricter gun laws than anywhere in the United States. French citizens do not have the individual right to bear arms, nor carry a firearm in public for self-defense. Instead, they have strict regulations for anyone that does want to keep a firearm at home:
- limits on the type and amount of guns and ammo you can own;
- universal background checks; and
- gun registration.
Nevertheless, what began in France as mostly peaceful protests would end with fully automatic weapons and banned “weapons of war” being used to terrorize the streets of France.
Protesters started by burning cars, starting fires, and shooting off fireworks, but soon began using shotguns to shoot out police cameras.
Criminals soon brought out the bigger guns—semiautomatic AK-style firearms. Video footage revealed the criminals shooting directly into the air in the city center—endangering the surrounding area.
Shortly after that, footage surfaced online of protestors with handguns and belt-fed machine guns marching down the street in broad daylight. Terrorized citizens ran and screamed as security alarms blared.
Meanwhile, average French citizens attempted to stand up to the rioters with wooden bats and other improvised weaponry.
France’s gun control did nothing to protect its people.
Criminals dominated the streets. In this short period of civil unrest, thousands were arrested, and more than a billion dollars of damage was done to local businesses—which doesn’t even include schools, town halls, or community centers.
These rioters didn’t care for France’s gun laws. They had illegal firearms—such as banned, fully-automatic belt-fed machine guns.
They took those illegal firearms and shot them in public to wreak havoc—without regard for France’s ban on the public carry of firearms or the safety of the general public.
While armed criminals ignored French gun laws and destroyed cities, Florida’s permitless concealed carry law went into effect.
Anti-gun advocates decried Florida for becoming a “more dangerous state.” Yet, Florida celebrated the weekend in peace while gun-controlled France burned.
The Founding Fathers fostered our well-armed society “for the security of [our] free state.” In other words, the individual Second Amendment right is protected for the common good and helps us keep ourselves, our loved ones, and our nation safe.
For example, during the race riots in Los Angeles, local Korean business owners stood up to criminals by arming their employees and guarding their neighborhoods from the rooftops.
Again, during riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin, locals like Kyle Rittenhouse used firearms to patrol local communities, put out fires, offer first aid, and defend themselves from violent criminals.
In the United States, our Second Amendment empowers citizens with the means to stand up to tyranny—whether by an oppressive government, a violent criminal, or a roving gang of bandits during civil unrest.
France’s example has proven that gun control only affects law-abiding citizens.
Criminals won’t give up their guns no matter what gun restrictions the government enacts, and the Second Amendment says that the People shouldn’t have to give up their guns either.
We refuse to sit idly by while bureaucrats or legislators enact “feel good” measures that disarm you and leave you searching for improvised weapons during the next wave of riots.
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How the Hell did this get here !?! NSFW
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is leading the pack of rabid Democrats prepping to take another stab at passing gun control legislation with the help of suburban women and, believe it or not, Republicans.
Citing mass shootings with no context as to why they are happening, Schumer and the Left continue screaming that something has to be done and that gun rights must be taken away from Americans in the name of safety.
The Hill seems to be in step with the Left on pushing for more gun control, reporting, “At least 10 people were killed in separate shootings in Baltimore, Fort Worth, and Philadelphia over the weekend and July 4, while shootings in Lansing, Mich., and Wichita, Kan., left dozens more injured. The Gun Violence Archive has counted 20 mass shootings across the nation since July 1, leaving 19 people dead and more than 100 injured.”
In the wake of passing gun control measures a year ago, it was, of course, not enough. Now the Left wants further steps taken, Constitution be damned.
“Leader Schumer was proud to have passed a significant bipartisan gun safety bill through the Senate last summer but more must be done. Schumer continues to work with his caucus to find a path forward that can garner enough Republican support and combat the scourge of gun violence, save lives, and bring meaningful change,” Schumer spokesperson Allison Biasotti declared.
Despite the incessant screeching, tearing of hair, and rending of clothes, the prospects for yet mreo gun control are dim, thankfully. However, in an ominous sign, things may be shifting.
Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) claims the political dynamic concerning gun control is beginning to shift among GOP voters.
“It’s clear from today’s data — especially the growing incidence of mass shooting events involving high-capacity magazines and assault weapons — that it’s time to consider policy changes,” Frist, sounding more Democrat than Republican, wrote in an op-ed for Forbes where he called for a federal assault weapons ban and expanding background checks for all firearms purchases.
Frist has been beating the gun control drum for a while now.
Then Frist went to The Hill to do an interview claiming that Republican voters’ views of gun control are changing.
“Something is changing over the last three years compared to 20 years ago when I was here. There is a willingness to have civil discussions on what have been highly contentious issues that I didn’t see 15 years ago,” he asserted. “More needs to be done on gun safety today. Something more needs to be done because the overall governance of gun safety is outdated and it’s incomplete.”
The Hill dug up a poll in early May by “All In Together,” a nonprofit women’s civic education group, and “Echelon Insights,” a GOP polling firm, to cite that suburban voters support tougher gun laws. The polling venues appear to be leftist in nature despite the hyping of “Echelon Insights” being a GOP polling firm.
To many, the results do not sound conservative in the least and stretch credibility.
“Forty-two percent of independent women voters said a candidate needed to share their view on guns to get their vote, rating the issue as important as a candidate’s view on abortion and the cost of living,” The Hill reported.
“The poll of 1,227 likely voters also showed that 61 percent of Republican women support restricting the ability to purchase certain types of guns — a far higher percentage than the 41 percent of Republican men who feel that way,” the media outlet continued.
The saving grace here is that so far, discharge petitions to push gun control bills through the House are going nowhere fast. Instead, Democrats are likely to start in the Senate with the push. But it will most likely be dead on arrival in the House.
“Leader Schumer called a special caucus meeting last month solely dedicated to combatting gun violence which produced many good ideas. Now, we’re determining the best path forward that could garner enough Republican support,” a Senate Democratic aide said, according to The Hill.
Minority Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is a weak link in the chain. Fifteen Republicans last year supported the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, including McConnell.
“That is one of the absolute critical reasons for why we have seen this issue change,” Christian Heyne, vice president of policy at Brady Campaign, said. “Suburban women are not only wildly supportive of gun violence prevention policies but we’ve seen numbers that it’s a huge motivator to bring people to the polls. It’s why the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act had such overwhelming majority support.”
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who played a leading role in negotiating last year’s gun violence legislation, bluntly contends that an assault weapons ban has no chance of passing Congress.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen. And, truthfully, the so-called assault weapons ban — what are they going to do about the millions of semi-automatic rifles that are already out there? I don’t think a prospective ban will have any of the intended effect of the proponents,” he remarked. “Basically what they’re advocating for is confiscation from law-abiding citizens. I’m willing to look at whatever the proposal is but I’m not willing to erode the rights of law-abiding citizens.”
Unbelievably, Frist told The Hill that “a majority of Republicans” support improved “gun safety.”
“It really is having people own guns if they want them and be able to do it in a way that is safe and secure,” he declared.
“The visibility with the increase in shootings, the lethality of the incidents that happen, the numbers of people [killed or injured] make it a real teaching point,” Frist claimed.