U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- The national Democratic Party is no longer making any attempt to hide their antipathy towards guns and gun owners. Where once the party attempted to tailor their anti-gun messaging to appear moderate and appeal to some gun owners, the draft 2020 Democratic Party Platform contains a full-throated assault on firearms ownership and a blueprint for undermining every aspect of Second Amendment rights. Viewed in historical context, the draft 2020 Democratic Party Platform is the most anti-gun the party has ever put forward.
Released July 21, the draft platform contains the following passage:
Democrats will enact universal background checks, end online sales of guns and ammunition, close dangerous loopholes that currently allow stalkers and some individuals convicted of assault or battery to buy and possess firearms, and adequately fund the federal background check system. We will close the “Charleston loophole” and prevent individuals who have been convicted of hate crimes from possessing firearms. Democrats will ban the manufacture and sale of assault weapons and high capacity magazines. We will incentivize states to enact licensing requirements for owning firearms and “red flag” laws that allow courts to temporarily remove guns from the possession of those who are a danger to themselves or others. We will pass legislation requiring that guns be safely stored in homes. And Democrats believe that gun companies should be held responsible for their products, just like any other business, and will prioritize repealing the law that shields gun manufacturers from civil liability.
The proposals include so-called “universal” background checks, the elimination of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System’s three-day safety -valve provision, and gun owner licensing, which would turn the right to keep and bear arms into a privilege dependent on the whim of government bureaucrats. The Democrats would empower government intrusions into the home to dictate how Americans keep and store firearms for self-defense and to confiscate firearms without due process based on the flimsiest of evidentiary standards. Moreover, the draft platform calls for a ban on commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms and their magazines, something explicitly prohibited under the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment in District of Columbia v. Heller.
Another portion of the platform states, “Democrats will also ensure the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have sufficient resources to study gun violence as a public health issue.”
At a time when the politically-biased Centers for Disease Control has come under severe criticism for its response to an actual communicable disease, the national Democratic Party platform would further distract the agency from its core mission by turning it back into a taxpayer-funded gun control factoid factory.
The gun control section of the draft 2020 Democratic platform is an escalation of the anti-gun position put forward in the 2016 platform, adding and expounding upon the positions in the earlier document. Both are notable for what they omit. Neither recognizes that Americans have a Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms
As recently as 2012, the national Democratic Party was willing to acknowledge that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to arms – something understood by the vast majority of Americans and the U.S. Supreme Court. The 2012 Democratic platform explained:
We recognize that the individual right to bear arms is an important part of the American tradition, and we will preserve Americans’ Second Amendment right to own and use firearms.
Similarly, the 2008 Democratic platform noted:
We recognize that the right to bear arms is an important part of the American tradition, and we will preserve Americans’ Second Amendment right to own and use firearms.
The 2004 Democratic platform stated:
We will protect Americans’ Second Amendment right to own firearms…
Although the 2000 Democratic platform did not cite the Second Amendment, the platform stated that the party sought to regulate firearms “in ways that respect the rights of hunters, sportsmen, and legitimate gun owners.”
Earlier Democratic platforms (1996, 1992, 1980, 1976) often offered language meant to assure hunters and target shooters that their rights would not come under threat.
The Democrats’ inclusion of Second Amendment language in the platforms of the early 2000s wasn’t by mistake. After George W. Bush defeated Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election, there was a concerted effort by Democrats to moderate, or at least give the appearance of moderating, the prevailing party positions on gun control in order to better reflect the American electorate’s respect for gun rights.
For instance, in 2002, the Washington Post reported on a Democratic Senate caucus retreat at which “several” senators suggested a move away from gun control. According to the item, this prompted freshman Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) to “[urge] her colleagues to keep their positions but change their language to be less inflammatory to swing voters.” In the mid-2000s Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel also sought to shift the party’s anti-gun perception.
With the nomination of Clinton in 2016, the pretense that the national Democratic Party would respect Second Amendment rights was no longer tenable.
During the campaign, Clinton repeatedly attacked the individual right to keep and bear arms. She even attacked the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Heller, which recognized the individual right to arms.
Clinton told the audience at a September 2015 fundraiser in New York City “the Supreme Court is wrong on the Second Amendment. And I am going to make that case every chance I get.” At a separate event in Connecticut, the former senator called Heller “a terrible decision.” When asked by ABC’s George Stephanopolous to clarify her position on the Second Amendment, the former first lady refused to acknowledge that it protects an individual right.
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s persistent attacks on gun owners also make platform language in support of the Second Amendment indefensible.
The career politician has endorsed the confiscation of commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms. Biden had the following exchange with CNN’s Anderson Cooper when asked about firearm confiscation during an August 5, 2019 interview:
Cooper: So, to gun owners out there who say well a Biden administration means they are going to come for my guns.
Biden: Bingo! You’re right if you have an assault weapon.
Further, while attending a private $500 a person fundraiser in November, Biden revealed his intent to ban 9mm pistols. According to an article from the Seattle Times, while at the soiree, the 77-year-old posited to attendees “Why should we allow people to have military-style weapons including pistols with 9mm bullets and can hold 10 or more rounds?”
The U.S. Supreme Court has made clear that the Second Amendment prohibits the gun bans Biden advocates.
In Heller, the Court concluded that the types of firearms protected by the Second Amendment include those “in common use at the time” for “lawful purposes like self-defense.” The AR-15, which Biden has made clear he seeks to ban, is the most popular rifle in America and therefore undoubtedly “in common use” and protected by the Second Amendment. Similarly, industry data shows that 9mm pistols are the most common type of pistol produced.
In 2015, Heller decision author Justice Antonin Scalia reiterated that the Second Amendment and Heller preclude so-called “assault weapons” bans when he signed onto a dissent from the denial of certiorari in Friedman v. Highland Park. In the dissent, Justice Clarence Thomas explained,
Roughly five million Americans own AR-style semiautomatic rifles [with many millions more owning them in 2020]. The overwhelming majority of citizens who own and use such rifles do so for lawful purposes, including self-defense and target shooting. Under our precedents, that is all that is needed for citizens to have a right under the Second Amendment to keep such weapons.
The gun control section of the draft 2020 Democratic Party Platform is a perfect fit for the party’s presumptive presidential nominee. Both the platform drafters and the former vice president have put forward a radical gun control agenda that would further burden every aspect of gun ownership. Above all, both have exhibited a complete disregard for the Second Amendment.
About NRA-ILA:
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org
The Democrats are telling us exactly what they will do to us. People wake up you’re heading for Communism’
Shame on every Gun Owner who votes Democrat.
Call those things what they are, quid-pro-joe and that ilk are nothing more than (DEMONS) so call them what they are DEMONcrats satan worshipping DEMONcrats, they only have one thing in mind the total destruction of this country, and if quid-pro-joe gets in we hff ave had it.
I vote democrat, and I support the second amendment, but I can’t support republicans, simply because republicans refuse to to separate yourselves from the nazi, confederate, white power, alt-right base that supports them. On too many occasions republicans have been caught suppressing voting rights in states like iowa, north carolina, alabama, virginia, etc. Republicans talk a good game, but the reality is that the actions of republicans are disingenuous. Although I have problems with the democratic party, republicans are just as corrupt, and more openly racist.
a gun owner who gets it! lots of truth spoken by this man…
Warlok11, if I read you correctly is it fair to say that you don’t feel like either party fairly represents you? If that is the case then you are in good company. Many of us feel we have been abandoned by both parties and rather than vote for the platform either party represents, we find ourselves in the position of voting either against a particular candidate or voting to protect or advance a particular agenda. In my case I am now a single issue voter. Who will protect and defend the constitution of the United States with emphasis on the… Read more »
@Autsin – Great answer.
I too don’t vote for a party, I vote for a candidate and evaluate each to the best of my ability. Have always been bothered by single issue voters- yet here I am with 99% of my decision based on 2A.
WTF ? I see you bought some of the nonsense the media sells. Maybe check your history to begin with. How many have you known in your life ? Actual nazi, confederate, white power, alt-right base.
@Warlok – You sounds quite prejudice. Seems you conflate being white with being a nazi, white supremacist, KKK and republican. I imagine because I am white and have voted for some republican candidates, you would consider me a nazi. Couldn’t be further from the truth.
Got no problem with you voting your conscience, even when I disagree, but I take umbrage with your broad stroke prejudice. You are no better than the KKK yourself.
Ok, Dems, now come and take them.
It won’t go well…
Gotta wonder if the door kicker Green Watch Dog (GWD) himself will volunteer to be the first guy through the door to confiscate our “assault weapons”?
We all know what they want to do, they want America disarmed so they can FORCE a socialist, demoncrapic, communist slavery on the U.S.A. With things being what they are one would be foolish to disarm himself. WE ARE ALREADY IN A DEFACTO STATE OF CIVIL WAR. It’s only cool heads that have kept it from mass bloodshed. It’s not as if we are not provoked on a daily basis either. Should anyone try to disarm the American citizen there’s no doubt that it WILL start said war. Our RIGHTS are given to mankind from the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. Our… Read more »
Got some people thinking this whole defund the police thing might get things started a little quicker.
Look what’s going on in Seattle and Portland, civil war has already started.
oh, you mean the peaceful, Constitutionally protected protesting that is going on? Peaceful since tRumps Brown Shirts left Portland without accomplishing a f*cking thing except showing the USA what a tyrannical government is?
You’ll fare well in the Camp!
pdx, You are in serious need of significant psychiatric treatment.
With all that is going on across the country today, with the way the satan worshipping DEMONcrats are wanting to force their way on everyone, look around the riots are being allowed for a reason, the DEMONcrats want th o use everything they can to strip the people of our rights. Remember what bamba boy said back when he was put in office , that the CONSTITUTION was nothing but a list of ideas that can be ignored, well that is just what the satan worshippers in the demon party are doing ignoring our GOD GIVEN RIGHTS.
Best response I can think of for her is, “Back then, Marriage was only between a man and a woman.” Watch her go nuts after that.
the 2nd made was for the most advanced weapon of the time, the same holds true now…
The most advanced weapon at that time was the musket a military style weapon, today for the civilian market that would be th AR-15.
Nope… the most technologically-advanced weapon during the late 1700s was the 22-round Girardoni lever-action repeating rifle. Thomas Jefferson and 4 other colonial leaders owned at least one each. Jefferson loaned his Girardoni to Lewis and Clark for their 1804 expedition to the Pacific Northwest.
That was an air rifle, wasn’t it?
Yes, it was powered by compressed air. It fired a 1/2″ lead sphere at 900 feet per second (better than most modern .45 slugs!), which could destroy (completely cut down) a 4″ diameter tree at 120 yards. Yes, it was that powerful and that accurate. But it was so expensive that the British Army – who had first pick – refused the opportunity to equip its troops. Girardoni then sent samples to four of the Colonial leaders in America, and several military leaders bought more of the rifles for themselves and a few of their men. So the Founders were… Read more »
Frog: What a nice pool of warm water. Chef: Yes, it’s great, enjoy! Frog: It’s getting a little warmer; I’ll get used to it. Chef: Don’t worry it’s for your own good. Frog: It’s getting pretty hot and uncomfortable. Chef: That’s normal, the old temperature wasn’t good for you.
Frog: What are those bubbl…
Huzzah!
Oh. Well. Then I guess the 1st. Amendment was for a soapbox, and pen and parchment.
No, I think it was about/for “Town Criers”
Tell you what take out a roll of parchment write that post with a quill pen and send out with a postman on horse back
Let’s look at the 2nd Amendment in another way. Former eastern block countries are celebrating their independence from Russia and the USSR… TODAY! They are rebuilding their nations and their freedoms. Poland and Ukraine, for example, are pushing, from the very top of their governments, for their own 2nd Amendments because of their experience as subjects of dictatorships. Now, suppose, that at this point in time, the USA, like Poland and Ukraine, had just finished gaining freedom from the UK (or even the USSR or Japan). Our 2nd Amendment, in our brand new Constitution with it’s Bill of Rights, would… Read more »
@Dave – The first and second go hand in hand. Hard to train without right of association and assembly. Without communication we would not know of our rights and it would be harder to learn what gear to procure or how to use it. Without communications across the country we could not learn when to react or when to fight back against tyranny – divided we would fall. Without weaponry we would be devoid of power, so that ability to communicate would be reduced to commiserations and saying our goodbyes. Our forefathers were wise in creating the BOR as a… Read more »
The Democrats openly admit they want to violate your rights. The Republicans hide that fact. To Republicans, gun owners are nothing more than a voting block to be pandered to in order to win elections. Then when they’re in power they prove they don’t give a damn about your 2A rights by enacting arms laws. Democrats are the snakes you see. It’s the ones you don’t that are most dangerous. If you care about your rights then you must be vigilant especially when it’s your side that’s in power.
I agree for the most part about your “pandering” comment. Here in Oklahoma there are two women running for the Republican slot to contest a Democrat who was voted into a Congressional Representative seat in 2018. They are both, “pandering” to gun owners. Terry Neese features a “down home, folksy” image and has a woman pulling a revolver out of a glovebox in her ad while promoting gun ownership and carrying. This while having, as pointed out by her Republican primary opponent, having a “no firearms allowed” sign on the entryway to her business. Her opponent, Stephanie Bice, slams Neese’s… Read more »
“The national Democratic Party” you mean Socialist Party.
We must Vote 2A especially in Local Elections.
They start out as small Roaches then Grow.
We need human size Roach Motels.
The Roaches Check inn but they Do not Check Out!
Ok I’ll go easy on the protesters
I’ll go with my bolt action Remy 700 (suppressed) 308, that make you communist happy ? Or maybe my lever gun
AKA C.A.R.cowboy assault rifle .30-.30
If the Second Amendment applies only to muskets and flintlocks then a drivers’ license is valid only to operate Model T’s
Horse and carriage.
They can’t even disarm criminals. So when they pass these laws we won’t have much to worry about since we’ll be the criminals. Defund the police. Who’s going to enforce such nonsense, with NO police ? I think the Private security gonna have to earn their money.
@Arny – Criminals can be hard to identify and find and often do not have strong community ties. I’ve posted on AmmoLand and other websites, I’m a member of a gun range, am in ATF-NFA database, and could even be tracked through FFL records if they go that far. Have owned and lived in the same suburban house for twenty years, have family here, a job i’d like to keep and accounts (bank & 401k) they could seize. Just how hard do you think it would be for them to identify and find me? So yes – if they decide… Read more »
Not hard to identify. Just hard to keep them in jail. Like this one, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpCrzs7LB0k
Why charge a man with a dozen crimes when they get a plea deal to lesser charges, then get to serve the time concurrently vs consecutively?
Have a firearm illegally during a crime, five years mandatory, discharge that firearm during a crime, 10 years mandatory and if you shoot a person with that firearm during a crime, 20 years mandatory, this would be on top of any other sentences for the crime(s) committed.
Instead we have catch and release.
If anyone should know what the Dems are doing it’s the NRA seeing you idiots give an A rating to gun grabbers from both sides of the aisle. I divorced myself from your organization years ago, and as far as I’m concerned you’re no longer relevant.
I am a black american, army veteran, gun owning, liberal democrat, and this is the biggest load of crap I have ever seen, or heard. I AM AGAINST BANS, AND BELIEVE EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD OWN AND CARRY A FIREARM IF THEY CHOOSE .
Agree 1261937461%….it’s fun being on this forum as a liberal “DemonCrat” gun owner and reading the amount of sheer horseshit spewed by the authors of this forum…
Given your resume I am not surprised at what you have written on this page. Just so you can’t erase it later: “I vote democrat, and I support the second amendment, but I can’t support republicans, simply because republicans refuse to to separate yourselves from the nazi, confederate, white power, alt-right base that supports them. On too many occasions republicans have been caught suppressing voting rights in states like iowa, north carolina, alabama, virginia, etc. Republicans talk a good game, but the reality is that the actions of republicans are disingenuous. Although I have problems with the democratic party, republicans… Read more »
You first 3 are what Lenin called “Useful Idiots!” You’ll be the first ones loaded into the Box Cars! Enjoy the Concentration Camp!
HippyBiker I think you misunderstood RoyD. He was quoting Warlok11 to show that he’d taken notice of what he said, not because he agreed with him.
I wonder if “hippybiker” will be along shortly to humbly apologize.
More likely he will ignore this as if he suddenly cannot read, or else claim he fat fingered it and meant to insult warlock instead! Either way we will know his true colors. IF he does claim the fat finger route, I would say he could be telling the truth, for seldom indeed do the proressive trolls ever even make a claim to insulting each other. They worship other trolls as gods, so that would be tantamount to blasphemy! And if he suddenly cannot read, that is the watermark of the progtroll. “6. Hit and Run. In any public forum,… Read more »
Absolute bullshit!
You must be getting ALL of your information from MSM if You for even a second believe that Crap You just Spewed about Republicans!
Don’t vote Democrat.
Read more: https://www.nraila.org/articles/20200803/2020-democratic-party-platform-declares-total-war-on-second-amendment-rights#ixzz6U9Q1UjQc
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“in ways that respect the rights of hunters, sportsmen, and legitimate gun owners.”
The second amendment has nothing to do with Hunting, Sports or the Collecting of Firearms.
Using the same “logic” implies that Freedom of the Press (the First Amendment) only applies to information created by hand presses at the time the Constitution was written, not current broadcast media (radio, TV or internet) and mass produced printed material using modern mass printing methods (actually not a bad idea if you think about it give the current state and abuses of the present media).
There is only one hope left for us to keep all of our constitutional rights intact. That hope is spending the time to investigate all of the candidates running for office in every area where you can vote, and not trying to choose by a candidate’s party, but what their beliefs actually are and how they have lived their lives. After all it is a job interview, right? The elections this year are going to be the most important elections we have ever had, and I pray that we will not have another war between right and left. WE either… Read more »
I think that no matter how the next presidential election goes there will be rioting in all major cities. The Dem/Commies win there will be rioting because they will think they have been given a green light to pillage and plunder. If America wins they will riot because they didn’t get wht they think they deserve. If Patrotic Americans don’t vote they will get what they desere. It’s not right what 13% of the population gan cause and so many Dems/Commies just let them even tell the police to stand down. Just think how wonderful it will be when they… Read more »
The free press was tasked in the beginning, with keeping the government in check, or so it was presumed by the founders. If they could have seen ahead to what the bias news media has become, they would have made provisions. The founders only presumed that America would remain Judeo-Christian based, and that truth was absolute. Herein lies the main problem.
These Stupid Democrats Truly Desire another Civil War, because if They put these Plans in place that is Exactly What They will Get!