U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Anti-gun President Joe Biden may want more gun control laws, but a new Rasmussen poll says a majority of American adults “believe stricter enforcement of existing laws would do more to reduce violent crime.”
Sixty-three percent of American adults think the country should enforce existing gun control laws, while 28 percent want more gun laws. But what good will more laws accomplish if they are not enforced, same as laws already on the books, many people wonder.
The disparity between Biden’s call for more gun laws, and the public’s preference to simply enforce laws we already have was not lost on Alan Gottlieb, founder and executive vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation.
“Clearly,” Gottlieb observed, “the American majority and Joe Biden are on different tracks. It is disappointing, but not surprising that 63 percent of Democrats want stricter gun control laws, suggesting the party may be out of touch with the majority of Americans as well.”
Rasmussen’s data tells the tale. According to Rasmussen, while the majority of Democrats want more laws, 69 percent of Republicans and 53 percent of Independents “say the country doesn’t need stricter gun laws.” The survey also revealed that “men (54%) are more likely than women (44%) to say the country does not need stricter gun control laws.”
“Joe Biden’s push for gun control is a dud,” Gottlieb said in a prepared statement. “To quote the popular song ‘Where Have All the Flowers Gone’ by Peter, Paul and Mary, ‘When will they ever learn?’ Biden is old enough to remember the folk trio, but we’re not sure if he actually does.”
SAF has been running an information campaign on several cable networks to caution the public about Biden’s gun control agenda.
“In his own words,” Gottlieb noted, “Biden made it clear during a CNN Townhall broadcast, ‘Whether it is a 9mm pistol or a rifle, it is ridiculous. I am continuing to push to eliminate the sale of those things.’”
That statement can be clearly heard on the SAF 60-second message.
While Biden is calling for new gun control laws, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell—a perennial anti-gunner who just took office a couple of weeks ago—wants to abolish what has evidently become a sensible gun law: State Preemption in Washington State. But when Harrell announced last week he would be energetically pushing to repeal the nearly 40-year-old statute—which has become a model for similar laws in other states—he erroneously claimed preemption is not very common. This is the language in Washington’s statute, which is typical of a preemption law:
“The state of Washington hereby fully occupies and preempts the entire field of firearms regulation within the boundaries of the state, including the registration, licensing, possession, purchase, sale, acquisition, transfer, discharge, and transportation of firearms, or any other element relating to firearms or parts thereof, including ammunition and reloader components. Cities, towns, and counties or other municipalities may enact only those laws and ordinances relating to firearms that are specifically authorized by state law, as in RCW 9.41.300, and are consistent with this chapter. Such local ordinances shall have the same penalty as provided for by state law. Local laws and ordinances that are inconsistent with, more restrictive than, or exceed the requirements of state law shall not be enacted and are preempted and repealed, regardless of the nature of the code, charter, or home rule status of such city, town, county, or municipality.”
Thirty-one minutes into a recent press event detailing how he wants to deal with violent crime in the Jet City, Harrell declared, “I don’t know how many lives have to be lost before we realize we’re one of the few states that has that kind of restriction allowing the state to govern the laws we need for our city of Seattle.”
Contrary to Harrell’s claim, at least 42 states now have preemption statutes. The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms took Harrell to task over his claim.
“Mayor Harrell tried to invent a myth, and we’re shocked that nobody in the local media challenged him on this,” said Gottlieb, who also chairs the Citizens Committee. “It is not difficult to find the truth about preemption and how widespread this reasonable, rational approach has become. The question reporters should now be asking is if the mayor was so wrong about preemption, what else is he wrong about?”
Gottlieb said preemption laws spread because lawmakers in other states “all saw the common sense of gun law uniformity.”
Last year, majority Democrat lawmakers in Colorado repealed that state’s preemption law in reaction to the mass shooting at a Boulder grocery two weeks after a state court nullified Boulder’s attempt to ban so-called “assault weapons.”
When Virginia fell to Democrat control in 2020, the legislature repealed that state’s preemption law as well, but now with Republicans back in control, and Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in office, there is legislation to restore preemption.
The strategy seems clear enough. Anti-gunners want a return of checkerboard gun control at the local level; gun laws that not only confuse but often conflict with one another from one jurisdiction to the next. Preemption became popular over the past 40 years in the cause of uniformity, but the gun prohibition lobby isn’t happy because preemption laws prevent local municipalities, typically controlled by liberal Democrats, from adopting their own restrictions.
There is no small irony in this because the prohibition lobby also supports national legislation to ban so-called “assault weapons” and they are behind state-level bans as well. So, anti-gunners are okay with national and state gun laws, so long as those statutes erode the Second Amendment.
Washington state has become a genuine battleground this year. As reported elsewhere at AmmoLand, there is also an effort to ban ammunition magazines holding more than 10 cartridges.
With Biden at the helm, Democrats appear determined to push as many gun restrictions as possible, with Washington, neighboring Oregon, and Colorado amounting to the front lines in this battle.
RELATED:
- State Preemption Under Attack in WA as Report Shows Gun Law Failure
- Washington Magazine Ban Law Amended to 10 Round Limit
- Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell Is So WRONG About State Firearms Preemption
About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
We should not be enforcing gun control laws. We should be repealing them.
Every restrictive gun law on the books is unconstitutional according to the wording within the second amendment itself! Which also applies no restrictions to bearing arms. Open or concealed.
Living in Arizona, one of the most gun friendly states in the country, it is easily learned gun communities are polite communities.
The thing that is ridiculous is you ilegitiment clownshow Joe Biden. You have failed to uphold your oath to the constitution and the American people . You have screwed up everything you have touched and then you blame Trump . Take responsibility idiot and live up to your oath or resign .
454, if we busted every politician who did not uphold their oath to office and defend this nation and the constitution from enemies within and without this country, we would lose over have the folks in DC.
Who thinks that would be bad?
And what was the down side, again?
Obama isn’t about to let sleepy joe to resign.
Brandon is notably out of touch with the American people, the Constitution,which he swore to defend and uphold but fails to understand plain English. He is out of touch with reality and I don’t know the mental problem he faces beyond the one any Leftard does of Leftism being a mental disease but he in no way should be allowed loose in a civil society.
He’s an expert on the Constitution as he imagines it to be. Such as the part of the Second Amendment that bans private ownership of cannons. Just when you thought it couldn’t be any worse, he’s been in Washington for 42 years, knows it all, and there isn’t a damn topic where any of his aides, sycophants, or hangers on can correct him.
And as Obama wisely said: “Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f**k things up!”
His entire political life he’s been a congenital liar and walking talking Effup and unless the good Lord interrupts him,America is saddled with the Effup supreme for 3 more years.
Exactly correct!!!
When Obama chose Biden as his VP it was said he chose him to make himself look studious and very bright. It worked. Now however, we have Biden in charge and he selected Camel la so far their race to the most ignorant seems to be neck and neck. A dead heat if you will! Now the question is can the democrats go any lower? Only time will tell!
Ole sleepy joe should’t be allowed to have a gun as “he” is certifiably not right in the head!!
The best line from the above article:
“To quote the popular song ‘Where Have All the Flowers Gone’ by Peter, Paul and Mary, ‘When will they ever learn?’ Biden is old enough to remember the folk trio, but we’re not sure if he actually does.”
He remembers it as Peter, Paul and Cornpop, they played with the hair on his legs at the pool while he ate ice cream.
Let’s be honest, he doesn’t want to enforce the current laws or else he would have to bust “the smartest man he knows”, Hunter.
EVERY Commiecrat Party administration is 1000% responsible for ALL follow-on violations. Dementia Joe has to own this, because all gun laws do more harm than good!
Preemption needs to be incorporated into the State Constitution, via Constitutional amendment, that can be voted on by referendum.
As a Virginian, I’m getting sick and tired of Preemption changing with every change of administration in the State ! Depending on what party is in office, I’m either a law abiding Citizen or a criminal as I drive across the state with my CCW. It’s fu*king
Idiotic!!
WHEN will we be rid of this demented bag of bones?!
Absent the efforts of modern science and “civilization” generally, nature would have solved the problem long ago!
True… Even with such ‘care’ the end will come. Unfortunately if he passes within the term we’ll get Cackla for POTUS. If she steps up soon she’ll have more time to cause harm and work herself out of the job. If biden kicks the bucket near the election Cackla would get a sympathy vote and likely not have time to reveal herself to low information voters – possibly even getting elected! Given this I think best options are (1) biden chokes on an ice cream cone this week (2) biden provides strong enough evidence of dementia that others are forced… Read more »
Joe Biden, presuming you are talking about him, would leave office on January 20, 2025 if people vote for his GOP challenger, but the November 2022 midterms could essentially make him a lame duck for the next 2 years. There is one theory he will step down early so Kamala can become the first female president because Democrats would declare a symbolic, historical achievement. Remember, Dems are big on symbolism.
Thanks for reading and sharing AMMOLAND!
Interesting thoughts. Oh, and I just read your very encouraging article in the April issue of Guns magazine. Uplifting.
Yeah, so was Hitler. LoL.
Somewhere the is a soundbbite of Biden (then Obama’s VP) stating that the government has little to no interest in enforcing any existing gun laws
Fnd that and share it if it exists!
Thx for reading and sharing AmmoLand.
When are these socialist marxist who hide in plain sight as democrats going to learn restrictive guns laws do not ever reduce crime. Or perhaps I should ask WILL they ever learn? Actually I think I already know the answer to those questions. The answers; never and no respectively. There has never been and never will be a restrictive gun law that reduces crime! Those who commit crimes do not adhere to laws. Therefore gun laws will never reduce crime. The only thing restrictive gun laws do is take guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens making those people who are always the victim(s)… Read more »
Its kinda like the side show games at a carnival. You can listen to their chatter. But keep in mind the chatter is there to distract you from their hands. Listen if you want, but watch what they do. Some Democratic politicians are stupid. Some are severely misguided. But some are very smart and know exactly what they intend to do and how to do it. If they were really concerned about crime they would be focused on inner city young men and their misuse of handguns. They’re not. and the reason they’re not is that for them, talk of… Read more »
Restrictive gun laws create crime. While they do nothing to reduce evil-immoral acts, they create many criminals out of previously law-abiding people. In many cases those proposing these laws should be charged with inciting insurrection – consider that without the “intolerable acts” our revolution might never have started. Those in power have a duty to preserve the union – which requires listening and finding middle roads which satisfy enough people and do not push anyone to revolt. That is the heart of the job for everyone in the federal government – potus, congress & judiciary. While scotus seems to be… Read more »
Chaos is the reason they don’t enforce the law and why they set criminals free, or don’t bother to arrest them at all (BLM, ANTFA). The more chaos and violence there is, the more likely the WEAK people will turn control of their life over to the government. By the numbers, women and Democrats seem to be the predominant units in the weak people demographic. It really is that simple, from the border to the cities burning, it is all about taking power over the people and using them to serve the government needs, not the People’s needs. And, speaking… Read more »
in most cases they voted the idiots destroying their countries in to power these are the stupidest of the stupid
This installed Administration, of Oath Breakers are nothing more than, Anti-Constitutionalist’s=Anti-Americans=Enemies of the United States… FEAR OF WHAT IS RIGHT! What are you afraid of? I will tell what I fear, the erosion of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights without due process in which the foundations of this country have existed upon for over two centuries. The re-interpretation, and the re-defining of these original documents is a perverted insult to the legal Constitutional citizens of the United States. Many U.S. Families, including mine, since the inception of these documents have shed their blood to protect these foundations, and… Read more »
How right you are when you said, “The right of decent private United States citizens to personally possess, transport, and responsibly use arms without government interference is the ultimate freedom and the main pillar supporting all other liberties.” So, now, with that said, it should become apparent to all why the Second is the Right being so savagely and endlessly attacked by the Democrats and their liberal progressive allies. If they can take down the Second, then they can take down the whole of the Constitution and the rule of law. Of course, the Democrats don’t abide by the Constitution,… Read more »