Talking again about guns at a Democratic fundraiser on Tuesday evening, President Biden gave another stunning demonstration of not knowing what he’s talking about. This time he was speaking about “assault weapons,” F-16s, and cannons.
Biden’s remarks at a fundraising event in a private residence in California came as he discussed gun violence in America and stressed the notion that Americans do not need AR-15s.
“We have to change,” Biden said. “There’s a lot of things we can change, because the American people by and large agree you don’t need a weapon of war. I’m a Second Amendment guy. I taught it for four years, six years in law school. And guess what? It doesn’t say that you can own any weapon you want. It says there are certain weapons that you just can’t own. Even during when it was passed, you couldn’t own a cannon. You can’t own a machine gun.… No, I’m serious.”
There are several falsehoods in that statement. Let’s break them down.
- Joe Biden, far from being a “Second Amendment guy,” has been the most anti-Second Amendment President in history, save perhaps Barack Obama. He constantly rails for “assault weapon” bans without even being able to define what an “assault weapon” is. He is in favor of universal background checks, magazine bans, waiting periods, and pretty much any other law proposed to restrict Americans’ Second Amendment rights.
- When the Second Amendment was ratified, civilians could and did own cannons. They owned warships. The U.S. government, and before it, the Continental Congress, issued Letters of Marque, which authorized owners of privately owned and armed ships to pursue and capture or destroy enemy shipping in times of war. These ships and their crews were called “privateers.”
- You can own a machine gun. Many Americans do legally own machine guns. There is a process; it’s onerous, but you can do it. Machine guns and other fully-automatic firearms are controlled under the 1934 National Firearms Act. Transferring one involves a transfer tax and a background check, and since the law now prohibits the manufacture of fully-auto firearms for private sale, the guns themselves are very, very expensive. But they are not illegal to own if you go through the process.
- More
I will need the equivalent weapons that the tyrant government has when they come to arrest me for using the the constitution as my defense for exercising my love of freedom. The second amendment was “not” written to protect anyone’s right to own hunting weapons.
When the government fears the people, you have freedom.
When the people fear the government you have tyranny.