By Dr. Harold A. Black
blackh@knoxfocus.com
haroldblackphd.com
Joe Biden gave a speech in New York on guns. Referring to the Second Amendment he stated that “no amendment was absolute” and that preventing the sale of certain firearms “doesn’t violate anybody’s Second Amendment rights.” He also said that “You couldn’t buy a cannon when this amendment was passed, and so nobody with the money should be able to buy certain assault weapons.” My reaction was “who writes this stuff for him?” I went on the internet and found that I could purchase a cannon. An article in the National Review (https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/americans-can-still-buy-cannon/) tells me that if the cannon were manufactured prior to 1898 I can buy one without regulation. I can buy a later model but subject to certain regulations. So, Biden was wrong and his speechwriter should get fired. I also found that I can buy a tank (https://militarymachine.com/military-tanks-for-sale/) or even a bazooka (https://www.gunsamerica.com/s/bazooka).
Thus, it is obvious even to the most casual observer who fact checks that Biden is misinformed on this issue and is spreading misinformation. Given his years in political office, he should know that he is not telling the truth. If he were a conservative, he would be de-platformed from social media or at least there should be a qualifying statement to all that he utters. However, when I looked at the news coverage of the speech, the media mostly gave him a pass and did not question its accuracy. Some literally gushed saying it was “emotional” and “forceful.” Unfortunately, it was also wrong. The problem is that Biden is attacking guns and not criminals. The speech was devoid of criticism of “progressive” DAs who have weakened penalties, bail and sentencing. The basic question that is never addressed is why have crime and gun violence surged? New York has seen a surge in gun violence directly related to the dismantling of its anti-crime unit. Given its progressive DA, I wonder if this unit will be reinstated after the election of an ex-cop as mayor. Recall that New York has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation.
It is also illuminating that some of the most vocal advocates for stricter gun control laws live in gated communities and often employ security guards. One of the “squad”, Cori Bush (D-MO) is a staunch advocate of gun control yet is reported to pay $200,000 for gun-toting private security guards.
Gun control is one of two national perplexing issues. The other is drug control. Although there are strict laws regarding drug control, such laws have failed to decrease drug use and crime associated with drugs. This is being displayed prominently with the fentanyl crisis. The drug has become the number one cause of death among those aged 18-45. Between 2020 and 2021, over 79,000 deaths were attributed to fentanyl. In contrast, there were 45,000 gun-related deaths of which 19,000 were murders and 24,000 were suicides. This is not to lessen the importance of dealing with gun crime but it does give one pause about our thinking about crime and its prevention.
