Despite Repeated Assurances to the Contrary, Gun Confiscation is Being Discussed

Fayetteville, AR-(Ammoland.com)- David Scharfenberg, an ideas writer for the Boston Globe, has come out in the open to declare what so many advocates of gun control claim that they don’t want: confiscation. In an article, titled, “Hand over your weapons,” he chides Hillary Clinton for leaving out the mandatory aspect of the “buyback” of some 650,000 firearms in Australia and admits that Obama’s praise for that program was code for his support of using the force of law to take guns away from their legal owners. In his view, the number of guns in private hands is the problem and reducing that number is the solution.

I’m told time and time again that no one is coming for my guns. While it’s refreshing to have some honesty from someone who would like to curtail the rights of their fellow citizens, this doesn’t make me more likely to agree to his proposal. And his arguments in favor don’t either.

Scharfenberg cites former Australian prime minister, John Howard, as someone who had the “political courage” to take guns away from the supporters of his coalition. Howard boasted in The New York Times several years ago that “Australia, correctly in my view, does not have a Bill of Rights, so our legislatures have more say than America’s over many issues of individual rights, and our courts have less control. Also, we have no constitutional right to bear arms.” Apparently, Australian gun banners have had an attack of honesty for a while now. I’ve rarely seen a clearer statement against rights. Or a clearer reason to be glad that in this country we decided to protect rights.

It’s true to say that there have been no mass shootings in Australia since the 1997 laws were enacted. Is that supposed to be a comfort to the people who were murdered in mass arson attacks? However, to someone who cares about how many lives are taken in a given year, the bans and controls did not offer any improvement. The homicide rate in Australia was basically constant over the twentieth century, rising with the rest of the world in the 60s and then starting a decline in the mid 80s. That decline leveled out in the early 2000s, and while gun homicides did fall, murderers switched to knives. But, in the view of gun control advocates, at least people aren’t being shot as often, so that’s good.

Another thing that I rarely see in arguments in favor of gun confiscation is an acknowledgment of how hard such a program would be to carry out. But once again, Scharfenberg is telling the truth. “Part of the problem is the sheer scale of the enterprise. An operation on par with the Australian buyback—claiming one-fifth of American guns—would mean tens of thousands of police officers collecting some 60 million guns. It is, on some level, simply unimaginable.”

Gun Confiscation Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans
Gun Confiscation Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans

The idea of sending law-enforcement officers out looking for guns that are not registered and in many cases have changed hands since their original sale is daunting indeed, and his courage fails him. Instead, after saying that confiscation is necessary, he comes up with a first step that he hopes will be easier: taking guns away from people are accused by their friends and relations of being unstable.

Each One, Teach One: Preserving and protecting the Second Amendment in the 21st century
Each One, Teach One: Preserving and protecting the Second Amendment in the 21st century

In other words, if you’re going after rights, might as well attack a bunch of them, due process especially. But in America, the Second Amendment isn’t the only protection of rights. Scharfenberg should read more of the Bill of Rights—though he hasn’t had a great deal of reading comprehension success so far. That document gets in the way of people like him, just as the founders of our country intended.

About Greg Camp

Greg Camp has taught English composition and literature since 1998 and is the author of six books, including a western, The Willing Spirit, and Each One, Teach One, with Ranjit Singh on gun politics in America. His books can are found on Amazon. He tweets @gregcampnc.

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David Telliho

Alexander Solzhenitsyn said , basically the same ting in his book’The Gulag Archipelago’. Problem is, one can bet that in such an event as total confiscation, “foreign assets” will also be employed. We have many enemies of our Republic, who would volunteer or be willing conscripts to assist in a disarmament campaign. Were such a nightmare become reality, I`d suggest cutting the head off the snake, first. Seek him out in his own habitat.

james

Australia as well as most of the other countries that have outlawed or restricted personal gun ownership are ruled by the Crown, the USA is ruled by our Constitution and Bill of RIghts.

Charlie

Trump has Obammy hold-overs still in positions of authority in all governmental agencies, especially DOJ, FBI, EPA, ICE, and on and on. Border Patrol union and ICE stated within the past few days that they cannot do their jobs because Obammy people still in charge. ICE agents report they are not allowed to wear their vests in some areas, because they are offensive to some (probably the illegals). Can you imagine????? Putting LEO lives in harm’s way to protect the feelings of killer and criminal illegals!!!! I voted for Trump, but not again. There’s a reason these people are still… Read more »

Wild Bill

@CGGator, Trump should have a TV show where he makes a little statement why and then fires the head of some bureaucracy. Then the second in command steps up gets promoted to acting and is given a month to fix things or be invited back to the show! At the end the produces could have a little spiel about how much money the night’s firings saved the taxpayers!

DAN III

ALCON, DO NOT trust POTUS Trump. He has kept in place hundreds of soetoro-obama appointments at Justice and throughout fedgov. POTUS 45 could order the indictment and arrest of Hillary Clinton on so many various criminal and civil violations it is unfathomable. He has not done so. Appears he will not. Sessions is an AG weasel that should be removed immediately from Justice. When will POTUS 45 terminate Sessions’ AG appointment ? I am not holding my breath on that. My point is the Deep State are communists. Communists who will not be happy until they have total control of… Read more »

David Telliho

Alexander Solzhenitsyn said , basically the same ting in his book’The Gulag Archipelago’. Problem is, one can bet that in such an event as total confiscation, “foreign assets” will also be employed. We have many enemies of our Republic, who would volunteer or be willing conscripts to assist in a disarmament campaign. Were such a nightmare become reality, I`d suggest cutting the head off the snake, first. Seek him out in his own habitat.

Eaglesnester

Where is this idiot going to find the rough men to carry out his proposed program? He is also whistling past the graveyard of history. Concord and Lexington Green is a shining example of history and what could happen in the United States again should such a stupid undertaking be attempted.

USPatriotOne

This fight to take “We the Peoples” firearms will not end until, one, we kick the UN out of Country and leave the UN forever, two, we stop the NWO/DemoRats/Rino’s and either take them out at the ballot box or at the point of a gun, which I hope never happens, but this is the very reason our founding Fathers put in the 2nd Amendment (Stop Tyranny) and third, get CommieCore out of our Schools and Colleges/Universities and remove the Commie/Fascist teaching our Children. Read the book by Dinesh D’Souza “The Big Lie” which expose the DemoRat/Progressive/Liberals roots to Fascism… Read more »

DAN III

USPat,

The Republiscammers are no better.

RickJay

So true Dan III, maybe worse,mat least the Dems are up front with thier bullshit, GOP has douchebags like McCain

Wild Bill

Isn’t it great to wake up knowing that Hillary is not president! We must use our time wisely.

Gary McIntire

They will not ever take my guns from me, while I am alive and able to resist. Killary and Obama are not in office for good reason. We the people have spoken, and refuse to abide by a government rule that defies our second amendment rights to Bear Arms.