Q&A of the Day – What’s the real goal of Ban Assault Weapons Now?
Each day I’ll feature a listener question that’s been submitted by one of these methods.
Email: brianmudd@iheartmedia.com
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Today’s entry...
You always state do not allow your money and emotions cross paths when saving and investing. I totally agree. I also encourage the same thought process be utilized when drafting and proposing laws and amendments.
While the Stoneman Douglas shooting was a horrendous crime committed by an unstable and deranged nutjob (give him a fair trial and a fair execution); the 2nd. amendment of the United States Constitution:
Awell regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
So, even if you remove the first five words of the proposal, it will make no difference in what I believe is the ultimate goal; to ban all firearms.
Bottom Line: I’ve received numerous notes and comments that share your sentiment this week. The constitution is consistently under siege these days. Part of our collective problem is that we’ve allowed, and many among us have voted, for issues that directly undermine our constitution. The easiest example I can point to in Florida is medical marijuana. It’s federally illegal, yet a solid majority of Floridians voted to directly violate the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution because they wanted medical marijuana available in Florida. This has happened in many states and communities with “Sanctuary” status for undocumented individuals as well. This is the slippery slope most in our society have embraced to some degree. If we like a particular issue, we don’t worry about the premise or implications of supporting the issue.
The reason I talk about the premise, of any issue, is exactly what this conversation is about. If we became a society that only adhered to laws that we personally like, we’d quickly have chaos. But that's the path we’ve already been heading down with decisions that aren’t just unlawful but blatantly unconstitutional. So, now I’ll address your larger point, the ultimate goal as you put it, of the Ban Assault Weapons Now, group. They’ve stated they’re not for the banning of all firearms, just “assault weapons”. That should be the first clue about what really goes on here. As I’ve pointed out any object that could be used to cause harm could be an “assault weapon”. The entire point of the organization’s name is based on an emotional marketing approach. Not unlike the medical marijuana argument, or the compassion we should have for undocumented individuals who are relegated to hiding in the shadows but contribute to our society.
The organization says it’s foolish to suggest guns will be banned because of the 2nd amendment. But now let’s tie all of this together. As we’ve seen with those two previous examples there’s a clear path violate the US Constitution.
The federal government says that marijuana is illegal in every form in the US. Florida says it’s legal in medicinal form and there’s a ballot measure for full recreational use that’s about to be taken up for consideration by the Florida Supreme Court. The federal government says that anyone who lacks status in the US is illegal, several states have said they’re not. So here we are with the 2nd Amendment.
According to Gallup’s research, 28% of Americans support banning any private ownership of firearms. Now, think logically for a moment. Who would those people be? Naturally more activist minded people, right? Who would be involved in an organization in their free time that’s been collecting hundreds of thousands of signatures, coordinating with attorneys and waging a PR campaign for over a year?Activists by definition, correct?
So, yes, whether they’re well intentioned or not is beside the point. Anyone who thinks there isn’t the potential, and likely, a concerted effort to eliminate your right to bear arms hasn’t been paying attention. They’ve also probably voted for something that’s contributing to this process.