By Philip Van Cleave
Covington VA –-(Ammoland.com)- With the elections over now, gun owners are heading into what could be troubled waters.
I don’t have a crystal ball, so were we are headed I can’t say for certain.
However, based on the Obama Administration’s past performance and President Obama’s statements made during the debates, I will point out some of my concerns.
FUTURE FOR FEDERAL GUN-CONTROL **LAWS**
First, with the Republicans maintaining control of the House and enough of the Senate to prevent things being ramrodded through, I don’t see gun control, including an “assault weapon” ban, making it into law during the next two years.
(There will be another election in two years that could change things, so that is as far as one can look for now).
That is good news for gun owners because during the debates with Romney, President Obama hinted at wanting to do something with “assault weapons.” Obama also brought up “inexpensive handguns,” while speaking about the very high murder rate in America’s Gun-Control Heaven, Chicago.
I will not be surprised if Obama now starts to talk about gun control with every shooting that gets national attention. He also has Chicago’s crime rate as an excuse to bring the subject up regularly.
While I think Congress will not vote for new gun control laws, we will need to keep a very, very close eye on Congress nonetheless.
FUTURE FOR MORE FEDERAL GUN CONTROL THROUGH OTHER MEANS
One of the biggest threats for more gun control would be items that “fall under the radar,” which is what Obama told the Brady Campaign he was working on last year. Here is a list of things that the President could do without needing approval from Congress:
- Use BATFE and the Justice Department to run more staged projects like “Fast and Furious,” that make it look like lax gun control laws in the U.S. are causing mayhem and then taking “actions” to “fix” the problem. Most of the media would be a willing accomplice in such an endeavor as they were with Fast and Furious.
- Use BATFE to ban a variety of guns from import by making sure they don’t fit a changing “sporting requirement” standard, with AKs being the first to go
- Use BATFE to require reporting of sales of certain firearms by gun stores, a de facto registration
- Use BATFE to make certain firearms into Class III weapons that require a tax stamp and registration – for example shotguns that only have a pistol-grip for a stock
- Use BATFE to block import of military surplus ammunition
- Sign various U.N. treaties that affect our right to keep and bear arms. We will need the Senate (and maybe the courts) to block them
GUN CONTROL THROUGH THE SUPREME COURT AND LOWER COURTS
Another danger is that there will be more Supreme Court appointments. Two anti-rights judges were appointed during Obama’s last term – Judge Kagan and the self-described “wise latina” Judge Sotomayor. There is only a one-vote pro-rights margin currently, and that could be wiped out easily. Don’t count on the Senate to save the day – they didn’t with the last two appointments.
As more and more appointments are made to lower courts, I don’t expect them to be pro-rights, either. The antis will be using courts more and more often to get what they can’t get through the Legislative branch.
About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org
All I see here is the ususal fear mongering and hatred, and lots of speculation. Did Obama file one single piece of legislation in the last 4 years that restricted gun rights? NO! Get off the propaganda wagon and listen to something besides the right wing, corporate-owned echo chamber and Fox News. Instead of alienating Democrats with name calling and fear mongering, which only convinces them we are a bunch of uneducated, thoughtless hicks unable to have a rational conversation on this subject, we should be working to bring them into our fold and supporting the 2nd Amendment. That's the… Read more »
To Chuck & Yardbird. Unless your Obama supporters who beleave in the 2nd amendment,you just witnessed the greated peril to this county since the civil war this past tuesday.The american people are just to stupid or totaly ignorant to give that man 4 more years as the president of the once greatest country on earth. As president your job is to work for all americans,not just the ones with the same warped ideology as your own. So what I'm getting at is what makes you think the voters will make a smarter more informed decision in 2014. The only saving… Read more »
Diane Feinstein is already making waves about a new "assault weapon" ban. The left will use her catch-phrase that "weapons of war don't belong on our streets". We should counter in unison that if that's true, why would we permit weapons-of-war in our skies for police use (UAV's or drones). In follow-up, the Supreme Court recognized in the 1934 Miller case that protected weapons were, in fact, weapons useful to a militia (or military force).
Let's all face it! We are all screwed by putting Obama back in office. What the hell were you thinking? Get ready for the United States to fall and gear up for total anarchy!!
Why is it that writers feel they must fill out a certain number of words in each column, article, thread, or whatever you call it. The moment I read, "Here is a list of things that the President could do without needing approval from Congress", I wanted to slap this man in the face with a 2X4! When you run out of ideas for God's sake stop listing every idea you can think of for the opposition to defeat the free ownership of firearms by the citizens of the United States. And who's the idiot editor who allowed this to… Read more »
There needs to be a targeted change in our strategy.
Keep the heat on Congress. Bigtime. Dems and Republicans need to be pressed to support the 2nd amendment or face the consequences in two years.
Become an advocate for shooting and take non-shooters to the range. Demonstrate safety and responsibility.
There are no assault weapons on the street. Semi- automatics are not assault weapons, no matter how they look. Many of us Viet Nam Era Vets love to hunt deer and other large game with AK-47's and AR-15's. Both of these weapons are near and dear to out hearts as a weapon we used in service and a weapon used against us. The gun grabber what Americans to think that how a weapon looks makes it an assault weapon. No, only a fully automatic weapon is an assault weapon and they have be banned since the 1930's and the days… Read more »
Ted Kennedy and his Oldsmobile killed more people than the 100 plus different guns I have owned…but he's a hero of the left.
Why not educate the clueless dummies on the differences between the classifications and styles??
I had a semi heated discussion w/ a Liberal last week, he kept up the nonsense that "AK's have to go and all the other Assault weapons!!!". I asked him what made a Gun an Assault weapon vs. a Hunting/Target Gun(?) and he didn't know but said AK's are bad to have, they kill a lot of people! (sic bastard) lol..