Eric “Nuke ’em” Swalwell, currently polling at 0% in Iowa, offered his latest gun control proposals today in a desperate bid for media attention. As if gun control is something a big part of Americans see as the most pressing issues facing America. (Spoiler: it’s not even on the radar – at all.)
He went to the National Rifle Association’s headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia to preen for cameras yesterday, just in time to make the evening news. If anyone cares. Or still watches the evening news.
Even better, the NRA came out and took some photos of all 18 of his supporters from across the nation coming out to lend their support. Yes, all 18.
Look! All of presidential candidate Swalwell’s supporters came out to our headquarters today. No wonder he is polling at 0%. pic.twitter.com/sFZAishEoC
— NRA (@NRA) June 17, 2019
Anyway, here’s the story from the Washington Examiner:
Outside the National Rifle Association headquarters in Fairfax, Va., 2020 candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., rolled out his complete gun control plan for the nation.
The issue of gun violence has been central to his campaign, and accompanying Swalwell were some family members of victims of gun violence.
In his plan, the California Democrat reiterated that, if elected president, he will ban and buy back “military-style semiautomatic assault weapons,” with the exception of storing them at shooting ranges and hunting clubs. As he has said before, Swalwell’s plan states they will criminally prosecute any person caught defying the buyback, including the possibility of jail time.
He even offered an incredibly imaginative soundbite for the media to use in their reports:
“We’re not just here to stand up to the NRA … we’re here to beat the NRA,” Swalwell said.
So, what sort of gun control will cure the ills that lurk in the 2% of American counties that have 51% of the murders?
- A 48-hour cooling-off period between the time a person purchases a firearm and the time they take possession of it.
As a resident of Illinois, I love when they make me wait 72 hours to pick up a new gun purchase as a “cooling off period” when I’m already carrying not one, but two loaded guns on my person. Makes perfect sense, right?
- Implement background checks for all firearm and ammunition purchases.
Because criminals never steal their guns.
- Require that liability insurance be purchased before a person can buy, trade, or otherwise receive a firearm.
Such an animal doesn’t currently exist. Seems insurance companies don’t like to cover willful torts…and finding a home intruder in your teenage daughter’s bedroom with his pants down and then shooting him six times is certainly no accident.
- Create a national firearm registry that is linked to individual firearms, and require that all purchases, transfers, and donations of firearms be mandatorily registered.
That worked well for the Jews in 1930s Germany, didn’t it? Or the Russians in Stalin’s early days. Or Cambodians, or Chinese. And in each and every one of those cases, no doubt people said ‘genocide could never happen here.’ Until it did.
- Prohibit individuals from purchasing more than one handgun per 30-day period.
Gun rationing! Maybe we could limit the Washington Post to one issue per 30-day period.
- Prohibit the online sale of ammunition.
Because they didn’t have the Internet back in the 1780s.
- Ban and buy back bump stocks, large-capacity magazines that are capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition, and silencers.
Wait, didn’t we already ban “bump stocks”?
- Prohibit individuals from hoarding ammunition in quantities exceeding 200 rounds per caliber or gauge.
Two hundred rounds? Attending a Project Appleseed event requires about 400 rounds of ammo. The class for school teachers that GSL Defense Training just put on had students shooting 250 rounds. And don’t get me started on Mas Ayoob’s 1000-round classes. Or other nationally known instructors who burn through even more in a single class.
- Repealing the Protection for Lawful Commerce in Guns Act.
Perhaps we can sue carmakers for criminal acts committed by people who use their products as well? Or breweries. How about suing Congresscritters who vote for unconstitutional laws?
- Prohibit states from arming teachers.
Because we wouldn’t want to protect our precious children with armed good guys like we protect Congress with armed security.
Here is the deal: With the exception of repeal of the Protection for Lawful Commerce in Guns Act, I don’t see a single one of Swalwell’s proposals lasting through a Supreme Court challenge.
In fact, by the time of the November 2020 election, President Donald Trump will have likely filled at least one, possibly two additional seats on the US Supreme Court. Including Ruth Bader Ginsberg. And the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association case will (probably) give us a favorable decision.
The kind of gun control that candidate Swalwell envisions will not happen any time soon in this nation. But power-hungry people like him would sell their soul with empty promises in order to curry a few votes (18?) and a few mentions by the compliant, anti-gun media.