U.S.A. — Two leading Democrat gun control proponents—former President Barack Obama and Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy—are sending signals about where the battle over Second Amendment rights is headed.
Obama, appearing on “CBS Mornings,” said the public’s attitude about guns must be reshaped. He noted, “Now, part of that work has to be done not just in those communities that already want to do something about gun violence. We have to also actively reach out to communities where gun ownership is an important tradition, right?”
The former president insisted the tradition of gun ownership is “not incompatible with us doing something about just the flood of military-grade weapons on the streets. We can do something about that.”
Over the weekend, according to Politico, Murphy predicted a possible “popular revolt” in the event the U.S. Supreme Court hands down rulings against some forms of gun control legislation. He suggested the high court is not legitimate.
“If the Supreme Court eventually says that states or the Congress can’t pass universal background checks or can’t take these assault weapons off the streets,” Murphy said on Sunday, “I think there’s going to be a popular revolt over that policy.”
“A court that’s already pretty illegitimate, is going to be in full crisis mode,” Murphy stated.
Only on the political left is the Supreme Court considered “illegitimate,” primarily because it has a 6-3 conservative majority, which overturned “Roe v. Wade” and ruled New York’s century-old restrictive concealed carry law unconstitutional, both last year.
Until Joe Biden ascended to the White House, Obama was considered the most anti-gun president in memory. Murphy is a perennial anti-gunner, who has supported all kinds of gun control laws.
According to Fox News, Murphy looked ahead, observing, “Right now, the Supreme Court has made it clear under the Heller decision which still controls, they say there is a right to private gun ownership, but there’s also an ability for Congress to legislate who owns weapons and what kind of weapons are owned, and I think we need to operate under that construct and I really see progress.
“Does it worry me what some of these district courts are doing,” he added. “Absolutely, but right now our focus has to be on growing the movement and continuing to capitalize on the progress made last year.”
The “movement” to which Murphy referred to appears determined to add as many restrictions as possible on the exercise of Second Amendment rights.
Standing in their way are three high court rulings since 2008, all affirming and incrementally reinforcing the Second Amendment as protective of an individual right, and placing limits on the ability of government to treat the right as a regulated privilege. Last year’s Bruen ruling, striking down New York state’s carry law also removed a two-tiered process via which lower federal courts had been upholding gun laws. Henceforth, gun laws must now comply with the historic perspective, rather than tilt toward any current societal interest.
Biden has repeatedly said he wants to ban so-called “assault weapons,” and he also acknowledged during a Townhall program on CNN that he would like to eliminate the sale of 9mm pistols.
The Austin Daily Herald is reporting how lawmakers across the country are showing some signs of shifting their positions on guns, noting “a few cracks have been opening up in the pattern of Republican-controlled states loosening gun laws while Democratic states like Minnesota tighten them.
“GOP Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee wants to call a special session to pass what he has avoided calling a red flag law,” the newspaper said, “calling it a ‘toxic political label.’ And two Republicans in a Texas legislative committee broke ranks to back raising the age for buying semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21. But it’s far too soon to say the GOP is changing direction even amid a record-setting pace for mass killings in the U.S.”
There does not appear to be any similar sign of change among Democrats, who are holding firm to the gun control agenda, in Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, New Jersey, California and elsewhere.
If there is to be some sort of “popular revolt” as Murphy suggested, it would put the Second Amendment squarely in the bullseye, no pun intended. Gun rights organizations including the National Rifle Association, Second Amendment Foundation, Firearms Policy Coalition and Gun Owners of America, along with the National Shooting Sports Foundation, have been keeping attorneys busy all over the map, challenging existing gun control laws and fighting new battles.
In an exclusive interview airing tomorrow on CBS Mornings, Obama says gun ownership has become partisan and ideological. Whose fault do you think that is?
He compared our 2nd Amendment rights, to car safety. “If we have a bunch of accidents, let’s have seatbelt laws”. Clearly… pic.twitter.com/dZUbu5Jmo1
— AmmoLand News (@AmmoLand) May 15, 2023
About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
They need to be careful about gun bans.
Americans have a perverse habit of needing something the Government says they can’t have.
Two quick examples:
During Prohibition, consumption of alcoholic beverages actually increased.
The last time Bill “Slick Willie” Clinton took us down that road, they pretty much turned a gun Colt almost couldn’t give away into what’s now called “America’s Rifle.”
Barak O Commie speaks like those the founders warned us of.
Illegitimate people calling the Supreme court illegitimate is the height of hypocrisy. Remember, when people with guns tell you you don’t need guns, you’d better have guns.
You just gotta love it when a guy named Murphy calls for a popular revolt.
As my neighbor (also named Murphy) often says, “What could possibly go wrong?”
Let’s suppose Sen. Murphy gets his wish, and we have a popular revolt. One side will show up with something like 20m+ AR15s and the like.
The other side will show up with what?
Why do I hear Rhett Butler’s voice?
2 clowns spouting anti American rhetoric is all it is . Neither idiot can read or comprehend the constitution . If they don’t like the constitution or the bill of rights they need to move to China . Please take Joe Biden with you idiots.
I am always amazed when some dumb yahoo gets elected, takes an oath to protect the constitution, so help him God, and probably hasn’t even read the text in the Bill of Rights. Most politicians are lawyers and even then, it just blows me away. No wonder lawyers would rather be called attorneys……..Lawyers sound way too much like Liars.
Never forget that all the restrictions Obummer and Murphy propose were forced on German citizens before 6 million Jews were murdered.
We have proof in history of what happens when we allow tyrants to disarm us. We will never forget. We will never give up.
As for Obummer’s car analogy, it’s ironic how the Dems refuse to apply that thinking to the fentanyl crisis. Somehow, they think open borders are worth the loss of American lives.
I’d just like to know where I can pick up some of those “military-grade weapons? What street do I need to go to, to get them.
Their special status, oops I meant heightened level of training, makes it ok for them to drive unbelted while holding a phone and typing on a computer. Just like all their training makes them gun experts that can handle weapons that are just too dangerous for the plebes to have.
Funny how Obama mentioned car crashes and seatbelt laws. Never mind laws regarding cars and guns aren’t analogous. He’s using one authoritarian measure to justify another one that also happens to violate the constitution.