Former President Barack Obama decried the “American gun culture” as a problem in a recent interview. He didn’t point out the actions of individuals who commit violent crimes. We should aspire to be more like a different country down under, he said.
“You know, in Australia, you had one mass shooting fifty years ago and they said, ‘Nope, we’re not doing that anymore.’ That is normally how you would expect a society to respond when your children are at risk,” the president said, according to Fox News.
President Obama’s own record on gun control policies and history of targeting the lawful firearm industry and the millions of Americans who exercise their right to lawfully purchase and own firearms isn’t the aspirational shining example he believes it to be.
One Tremendous Difference
Speaking to CBS News, the forty-fourth president lamented the inaction and cowardice of politicians who fail to enact stricter gun control. Yet he somehow ignored criminals who break existing laws to commit crimes, often using illegally obtained firearms, aside from the fact that the principle of American government is that voters elect politicians who will reflect their beliefs.
“We are unique among advanced, developed nations in tolerating on a routine basis, gun violence in the form of shootings, mass shootings, suicides,” President Obama said.
The former president might want to examine each country’s founding documents. The U.S. Constitution explicitly protects the right of law-abiding Americans to keep and bear commonly-owned firearms. That includes legally purchasing them. Firearm ownership for self-defense and protecting one’s family and property was a bedrock principle the Founding Fathers understood. They knew they needed to guarantee the ability of citizens to protect themselves from tyrants and an overstepping government.
Australia has no guaranteed legal right for its citizens to own firearms. To the contrary, the Australian parliament notes, “First, and in contrast to the position in the United States, there is no legal right to gun ownership. Owning and using a firearm is limited in Australia to people who have a genuine reason and self-protection does not constitute a genuine reason to possess, own or use a firearm.”
That Australian idea that gun owners must demonstrate “having a genuine reason” was the same flawed logic the U.S. Supreme Court struck down in the Heller and Bruen decisions, stating it’s the individual’s right to purchase and possess lawful firearms, not up to the whims of a local government to decide.
Choking Off Clingy Americans
President Obama told media he has never owned a firearm. As president, he infamously mocked millions of Americans as clingy for lawfully exercising their Constitutional rights.
His administration had its own issues of illegal firearm actions. It carried out an illegal scheme to deny banking services to lawful firearm businesses, jeopardizing thousands and thousands of jobs. That was “Operation Choke Point,” launched by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) to stop financial institutions from offering services to some regulated industries in an attempt to choke off banking services.
The goal of the operation was to nudge banks, third-party payment processors and other financial institutions to shut down or deny business services to clients that the FDIC classified as “high risk” or as a “reputational risk” for the financial institution.
The Obama-era discrimination against lawful businesses and the highly-regulated firearm and ammunition industry has continued today through privatized efforts by large banking institutions; however, firearm industry efforts on the state and federal levels have helped to minimize and, in some cases, block the effort.
That Gun-Running Fiasco
It was no surprise that President Obama also failed to mention a particular dark spot on his gun control track record. He was responsible for the ill-fated gun-running scheme “Fast and Furious” which allowed U.S. firearms to be illegally trafficked across the U.S.-Mexico border and into the hands of gangs, criminals and vicious cartels. That scheme led to the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.
Keeping firearms out of the hands of those who shouldn’t possess them is a pillar focus of the firearm industry under the Real Solutions. Safer Communities. umbrella. Partnership programs between industry and federal agencies like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Department of Justice (DOJ) and local law enforcement across the country have proven to be effective at this goal.
My Brother’s Keeper
The former president decried how gun ownership in American has become a racial and ideological wedge issue. “Somehow – and there are a lot of historical reasons for this – gun ownership in this country became a ideological and a partisan issue in ways that it shouldn’t be,” he said. “It has become sort of a proxy for arguments about our culture wars.”
If the president were paying any attention, he likely wouldn’t be surprised by the growing diversity within the American gun-owning community. NSSF industry data has revealed large percentages of African Americans, including black women, have lawfully purchased firearms over the past three years.
Between 2019 and 2020, 58 percent more African Americans did so. The data among other gun-buying minority groups is similar, including Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans. In fact, so many Black women have lawfully purchased guns that The Cut magazine highlighted the trend, reporting “Black women are the new face of the new face of American gun ownership.”
President Obama has been out of office for more than six years. The American electorate has changed dramatically during that time, especially so among Americans lawfully exercising their Second Amendment rights. Ignoring that our Constitution guarantees their ability to do so, while lamenting that America isn’t more like another country, completely ignores what the American people are saying.
Larry Keane is SVP for Government and Public Affairs, Assistant Secretary and General Counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
Pre-emptive strike:
“To summarize: the laws did not reduce homicides (more than the established downward trend) or mass homicides (which actually increased) and may have encouraged other violent crimes.”
— https://www.gunfacts.info/blog/auditing-australia/
Australia has had multiple mass shootings since their gun ban, which the US media continually cover up.
They also have a growing problem with “homemade” guns. Organized crime has developed regular manufacturing facilities for “homemade” Luty type firearms using skilled machinists, and these guns are becoming quite common among criminals. US media also likes to cover this up.
And finally illegal immigrants and Muslim terrorist and other terrorists (Buddhists) are smuggling tons of commercially produced weapons into the country.
Australia is awash in weapons and the only people disarmed are law abiding decent people.
all I know is this guy sold a hell of a lot of guns!….
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Again my Constitutional civil rights are not subject to the actions of criminals and people’s feelings. Enforce existing laws and quit coddling, making excuses for, and encouraging violent thugs.
Perfect example of such and kudos to Sheriff Grady Judd.
A real news media would be tripping over themselves to ask the former president why he gave the green-light for the Russian Collusion investigation to proceed while knowing from the beginning it was a hoax seeded by Hillary Clinton. Let’s not forget the IRS he sicced on his political opponents. He’s as corrupt as they come.
That’s right b. h. obama the long time understudy and close pal with the comminist terrorist “kill-your-parents” weather underground bill ayers thinks he has a podium. As pathetic as butt head obama was the last thing America needed was the azzhat double talk RINO mitt romney.
Plain and simple Obama is and always will be an A__H___.
ASSHOLE! he was an ASSHOLE!
muckraker:
You are correct. Some people wouldn’t say “shit” if they had a mouthful.
There’s nothing wrong with American “gun culture.”
There IS something wrong with the dysfunctional black culture existing in America that is responsible for much of the violence that afflicts this Country.
Barak Obama was uniquely positioned to do something about it and instead he has spent his entire public career throwing gas on the flames of black racial animosity and grievance.
obama pushed hard for the arming of police with military gear and weapons….until they started using them on his soul-brothers…then he did a complete about face startling in its suddenness….apparently that wasn’t part of the plan…..
Given that NOTHING on Barry’s watch positive was accomplished there is not much he can talk about.
He did accomplish much in the areas of aerodynamics and thermodynamics.
He did produce a lot of hot air.
Southern,
And, since the basic principle of thermodynamics is that “chaos increases”, he EXCELLED at that. When the heat death of the Universe occurs, I fully expect Barry Soetoro to be there, pulling out the very last degree Kelvin of heat.
As my dear daddy used to say, “that boy could f*** up a wet dream”.
He couldn’t have term #3, so he put Senile Joe in there as his term #3. And now that it looks like Senile Joe may not be able to drag his ancient, doddering @$$ as far as 2024, Barry Soetoro has got Moochelle all fired up and ready to go.
Bushes, Kennedys, Clintons, Obamas, Bidens – personally, I am sick unto death of “political dynasties”. May they all rot in Hell.
Lamp:
“Bushes, Kennedys, Clintons, Obamas, Bidens – personally, I am sick unto death of “political dynasties”. May they all rot in Hell.”
I absolutely agree. What we need is a Constitutional amendment to deal with that, but the deck is stacked against it.
P.S. You forgot to mention the Adamses.
These people are not fixing problems they are creating them while making existing issues worse. All they want to do is break the law to gain more power.
I have always held the view that self-defense and the defense of others is the primary reason one owns a firearm. Unfortunately, New Zealand & Australia have morally failed the people by refusing to recognize this. In fact, if you put (self-defense) on your license application to own a firearm, you will get blacklisted.
Target shooting and hunting. But I didn’t specify what targets and what I’m hunting.
Ross,
Which part of the 3A mentions “self-defense”? Or hunting? Both of those are valid uses of a privately-owned firearm, but . . . the ONLY “purpose” mentioned in the 2A is a militia (and that is in a prefatory clause). The essence of the 2A is simple – “the right of the People to Keep and Bear arms shall not be infringed.” People can keep guns for ANY DAMN REASON THEY WANT.
(As you can tell, I’m seriously getting verklempt about this nonsense. The historical record is clear and incontrovertible – Americans have always owned guns, gun ownership was ubiquitous at our founding, our Founders believed in “natural rights”, including the right to self-defense, the right to feed themselves and their families by hunting, and the Founders believed people SHOULD be able to tell the government to take a flying f*** at a rolling donut – and guns are at least helpful, arguably required, for those purposes.
I don’t need a “reason” or a “need” to own my (now several) AR-15s. I have a friend who collects “historic” military rifles. Last count, I think he was approaching 100 examples. He’s never fired one of them (or any other gun – he’s a historian, not a shooter). And that’s totally cool with me, and should be for anyone else. I don’t have to give ANY idiot a “reason” or a “need” to own a weapon. Anyone who argues otherwise is either historically ignorant, or a liar (but embrace the healing power of “and”).
when I was younger I thought Obama was a cool guy. I voted for him the first time that I ever voted. I am so ashamed and I cringe when I think about it.
With more experience I see what a conceited manipulative b**** this man has always been. He f****** hates this country and I wish his smoker lungs very ill healthy.
fooled a nation.
articulate shyster.
I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man! Did you ever five years ago think every second or third ad out of five or six should turn out to be biracial couples?
Would you have voted for Thomas Sowell?
Unfortunately he’s in his 90s but still eloquently rips into Pr0gressives.
Honestly, yes, Had Mr. Sowell ever lowered himself to run in an elected office I would have voted for him.
Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of our politicians are little better than the bad stereotype of the used car or snake oil/patent medicine salesmen.
The few relatively honest people trying to get elected get torn apart by the media and dismissed by party establishment grifters and corrupt bureaucracy.
most presidents…[Biden is the exception]…tend to reveal themselves in their second term….
Butthead,
Didn’t vote for him, because I thought his policy positions were objectively stupid, but I did have a little pride in my country that they elected our first black President – even if I hated his ideas, that was a cool thing.
Took me about a month from his inauguration to figure out how stupid that was.
And all that “racial healing”!!! Statistics don’t lie (IF you’re smart enough to interpret them), and race relations got objectively worse during (and after) Black Chicago Jesus’ inauguration.
Personally, I think he’s an egotistical, smug, shallow, credentialed-but-not-educated, ignorant, racist pr**k . . . YMMV.
Lamp:
“Personally, I think he’s an egotistical, smug, shallow, credentialed-but-not-educated, ignorant, racist pr**k . . . YMMV.”
My milage does NOT vary. What initially turned me off was the fact that he is, “Black Chicago Jesus.”
Incidentally, you have used some adjectives in these quotes that never occurred to me. Bravo!
Butthead:
It happens to all of us one time or another. Personally, I absolutely cringe when I think that I actually voted for Lyndon Johnson. What jerk he turned out to be.
That is not all that Obuma the Phony’s administration screwed up.
Walter,
I suggest it may be easier to try to list the things they DIDN’T screw up . . . you could write it in 10-point type on the head of a pin. And even HE said, “Never underestimate Joe’s ability to f*** thing up.”. So we went from a shallow, ignorant poser to a babbling moron (who was a moron before he was senile).
This is called “progress” – or so they tell me.
Obama can kiss my White ass.
Johnny,
Bold strategy, let’s see how that works out for ya – personally, I wouldn’t let Barry anywhere NEAR my ass or my junk. I have higher standards.
Lamp:
I like that one too!
“Black women are the new face of the new face of American gun ownership.”
So…who was the old face of the new face? Would that be the LGBTQXYZ crowd? Since they were facing genocide…or does that ONLY apply to the Tranz crowd now? It’s so hard to keep all of these narratives straight…ooops, that’s soooo cis- of me to assume that the narrative is straight. Possibly they identify as non-binary? I’m sure that allows more ‘flexibility’ when the tides need to turn.
Julio, seems you have fallen for the WOKE philosophy?
blacks are still important…but are now playing second fiddle to the alphabet conspiracy in the dems pecking order…
julio:
“Would that be the LGBTQXYZ crowd? Since they were facing genocide…”
When you think about it, they are doing that to themselves.
Says a man that is surrounded 24/7 by some of the best security on the planet.
Barry the Communist needs to STFU.
He had the chance to finally close the door on Racism, what little there still was, and instead he poured High Octane Gas on the embers, and proved himself to be just another Race Grifter like DemoCommiecrats are.
Let me know when we’re burning the Kenyan in efigee will you.
Race relations have been going downhill since 2012 largely thanks to Obama. We were going in the right direction before he came along. People were disappointed with his first term. So he went the easy route of divide and conquer. I remember reading articles from back then bragging about winning future elections through changes in demographics.
Come to think of it, people were disappointed in his second term as well until they realized it was between Trump and Hillary. The media took over, and claimed Obama had a scandal-free run as president.
he did kill Bin Laden…and straighten out that financial mess he was handled…and that was enough to get him a second term which produced little other than further divisiveness….
He got reelected by default. He didn’t straighten anything out. The Occupy protests were during his reign. That’s when he began dividing the country on race. It was a distraction. Can anyone explain Romney’s vision for the country, and how it’s any different from other useless Republicans they present to voters? No one was excited about Romney. He was only slightly better than McCain.
People were so disappointed with Obama, he got 3.5 million fewer votes for his second term! Romney only picked up 1 million more votes than McCain. At least 2.5 million Obama voters never even showed up! I don’t think Romney picked up most of that 1 million from former Obama voters. I think some had stayed home in 2008, but were so tired of Obama, they voted against him (not for Romney) in 2012.
Obama was terrible. No one was happy with the way things were going under Obama. He wasn’t popular toward the end of his second term, even among Democrat voters. Then the media worked their magic, and kept pumping him up on his way out. They kept pushing the propaganda of him having no scandals during his presidency. Hillary and Trump tend to be divisive, so Obama became appealing again for the uninformed.
So many wrong statements from a politician where to start.
The Port Arthur shootings was 1996 ie 27 years ago not 50
The Federal Government ran over the states to push the ban on semi automatic rifles etc for most people. The detail that the shooter stole the weapons he used didn’t matter.
There are now more legal firearms and shooters in Australia than before the gun grabs. My two gun safes are full and I’m trying to sneak another one into shed without my wife noticing.
There are six gun shops within an hour of my house plus local hardware store sells .22, .223, 308 and 12 ga.
The other large mass killings in Australia like many around the world were by fire.
I don’t like our gun laws as I’ve mentioned many times here but a person without criminal record can buy a rifle in about 24 to 48 hours in my state. Faster than California (10 days) the last time I was there. Other states can take longer.
Criminals as mentioned above don’t obey the laws and either make, steal or smuggle guns to get them.
Our firearm laws are painful but the idea that Australia is gun free is a fantasy pushed by politicians.
Only 6 guns shops? I’ve got double that within 30 minutes. And it takes about 15 minutes to buy any non-nfa weapon in any of them, and several are NFA shops. The local farm Co-Ops stock a much wider variety of ammo (including pistol calibers) than the few you mentioned. This is MS. We got guns. 🙂
Australia population: 26 million.
US population: 334 million.
RCC can speak to particulars such as population density, but a direct comparison between the two countries has to take that into account. Six gun shops within an hour would seem to be a high proportion depending on where RCC lives in Australia. And his descriptions on their relative freedoms certainly opened my eyes.
Is it bama like Alabama
Or bomba like a muzlim kid.
I trade a bama pie for two of Joe’s Chocolate Chip Pedo Ice Creams
Not so much Obama himself, but his media sycophants accusing anyone who questioned anything as being racist.
Saint Barry could do no wrong in their eyes. And the US was the most racist country on Earth. Never mind the simple fact a half Black man was elected.
Something else the media and Saint Barry would love to memory hole is the simple fact that gun sales skyrocketed during his term in office.
With the various minority communities being amongst the largest growing purchasers of firearms.
And never forget Big Mike stated she had never been proud of America until Saint Barry was elected. Of course her hatred says more about her than about the country.