United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- Sometimes, legislation intended to attack the Second Amendment doesn’t go after our rights directly or indirectly. Yet it can still be a threat, and it warrants strong opposition because the effects will be used in future attacks. This legislation, though, often will fly under the radar because of its indirect approach.
This is the case with HR 4177, the Gun Safety Board and Research Act of 2019, introduced by Representative Mark Desaulnier (D-CA). According to a release from his office, the legislation will create a so-called “Gun Safety Board.” This board would be responsible for doing research and for proposing what the release calls “evidence-based” solutions.
However, we should not be fooled. This Gun Safety Board is not out to look at the facts objectively. Just look at what Desaulnier has on his Congressional web page – a separate page that discusses what he calls “America’s Gun Problem.” The numbers there are a host of out-of-context claims and a fair bit of demonizing the National Rifle Association.
So, we can assume with a fair degree of certainty just from the background that this is not going to be a board with a mandate to take an objective look at the stats. We also can assume this because, according to the text of the legislation, this board is being placed under the Department of Health and Human Services. This is where the Centers for Disease Control is also placed.
Second Amendment supporters should take time to brush up on the history of CDC advocacy for gun control. Because that is what this board will be intended to carry out – using the veneer of science. In essence, Desaulnier’s plan is to treat our constitutional rights as a disease to be eradicated.
What is so diabolical is that this legislation is not a direct attack. Desaulnier and other anti-Second Amendment extremists are instead just asking for “research” into the issue. They will claim that they want experts to look into the issue. But which experts will they find? Ones like Arthur Kellerman or Katherine Kaufer Christoffel.
Kellerman’s 1993 study is still used these days to claim guns do not provide an effective means of self-defense. Of course, we all know (or should know) that Kellerman skewed the data by simply noting fatalities. But most people who use guns for self-defense don’t even have to fire a shot. Often, the sight of the potential victim being armed ended the attempt to commit a crime.
Second Amendment supporters should take the time to contact their Senators and Representative, and politely urge them to oppose this legislation. We don’t need to see taxpayer-funded anti-Second Amendment propaganda.
About Harold Hutchison
Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.
Come on guys! This is what’s wrong with getting anything done. An article is presented with useful information on what’s going on below the radar and Dave Workman adds a comment on how dangerous it really is and adds “nobody should be asleep at the wheel here.” This should bring out comments from those of us that have more information to add so that, as we move along, government proposals like this can be stopped in its tracks . Following Dave Workman’s reply, Revelator starts off with positive feedback, but once Moe spews out a worthless, pathetic, statement everybody follows… Read more »
Here is the real gun problem in America. You all are not getting to the range enough and dirtying up your guns. Secondly, you are not cleaning them. So get hot with the ammo and then the Hoppes and solve this crisis. And thinking about how the progressive new left wants to solve this so called crisis they want to use the same folks who normally work on Ebola and Corona to work on the Smith and Wesson. What I suggest is this: Let’s have every federal agency trade missions. WE can have the Marine Corps take up toxic spill… Read more »
Nicely done Harold. I’ve mentioned similar state-level legislation in Washington earlier here at Ammoland and did a piece on it at Liberty Park Press this week:
https://www.libertyparkpress.com/activism-counts-according-to-virginia-dem-who-helped-nix-northam-ban/
Nobody should be asleep at the wheel here. This is a new subtle strategy: Create a bureaucracy, which is publicly funded, to support erosion of the 2A. In WA, they’re calling it the Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention. Clever, eh?
“This board would be responsible for doing research and for proposing what the release calls “evidence-based” solutions.”…. ” Yeah, we’ve seen that kind of junk research before from misuse of gov’t grant money. Actually had legislation to stop it. “The numbers there are a host of out-of-context claims and a fair bit of demonizing the National Rifle Association.” Well, the numbers may be out of context but it is safe to say the National Rifle Association has done enough over the last 10 years to warrant some demonization, and thus far has done nothing to fix the problem aside from… Read more »
There are no grown ups in the Ammoland Cancel Culture Club. Just fake 2nd Amendment advocates lacking any form of tolerance.
Thanks once again Harold, for keeping us informed of these tragedies-in-the-making!
In keeping us thus informed, I think you have found yourself a truly useful niche.