Ron Paul: US 2nd Amendment In The Firing Line

[grarpamp]

http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2021/march/29/second-amendment-in-the-firing-line/

Authored by Ron Paul via The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity,

Gun control was already a Biden Administration priority before the
recent shootings in Georgia, Colorado, and Virginia. In fact, the
House of Representatives passed two gun-control bills weeks before the
shootings.

One of the House-passed bills expands background checks to include
private sales, including those made at gun shows.

Under this bill, someone who is not a licensed federal firearms dealer
cannot sell a firearm without first relinquishing it to a
federally-licensed dealer. The dealer must then conduct a background
check on the prospective purchaser.

The second bill allows the federal government to indefinitely delay a
background check, thus indefinitely delaying a gun purchase. Other
legislation introduced in Congress would create a national firearms
registry, which would only facilitate gun confiscation.

This same legislation would forbid anyone under 21 from owning a gun.

The ban does not apply to the military, so it will not stop the
majority of gun violence committed by 18-21 year-olds.

The bill requires Americans to obtain a federal license before getting
a firearm, but individuals cannot receive a license unless they
undergo a psychological evaluation. The psychological evaluation
mandate could lead to individuals losing their Second Amendment rights
because they once suffered from depression. It could also cause people
to lose their Second Amendment rights because someone told the police
they may become violent.

Police officers in 20 states and the District of Columbia already have
the authority to take away an individual’s Second Amendment rights
based on allegations and without giving the individual due process.
These “Red Flag” laws are supported by politicians of both parties,
including some who claim to be pro-gun rights.

For example, former President Trump supported Red Flag laws. President
Trump and Congressional Democrats were on the verge of reaching a
“bipartisan” deal to expand Red Flag laws in the fall of 2019.
Fortunately, the Democrat attempt to impeach the President ended all
efforts at “bipartisan” deals to take away our rights.

A psychological evaluation could also be used to deny an individual
Second Amendment rights because they may engage in “domestic
terrorism.” Among those likely to be considered as potential “domestic
terrorists” are opponents of US foreign policy, mass surveillance, the
income tax, the Federal Reserve, and – ironically – gun control.

There is also legislation to reinstate the assault-weapons ban. Like
the original ban, which was in effect from 1994-2004, the new
legislation bans an arbitrary list of firearms and will do little to
reduce gun violence.

Criminals and psychotics are not going to be deterred by background
checks and licensing requirements from obtaining a firearm. There will
be a black market to service those who cannot obtain firearms by legal
means.

By discouraging law-abiding Americans from owning firearms, these laws
leave millions of Americans defenseless against gun violence. There is
a reason why most mass shootings occur in gun-free zones.

If Congress is serious about protecting Americans from violence, it
would repeal all federal gun control laws. A good place to start would
be with the Brady background check law and the misnamed “Safe and
Gun-Free Schools” law, which leaves children defenseless against mass
shooters. Congress ending the unconstitutional and anti-liberty war on
drugs would also greatly reduce gun violence. Gun control, like all
attempts by government to control our lives, makes us less safe, and
less free.