Joe Biden and Kamala Harris together are perhaps the most progressive Presidential ticket in United States’ history. Despite years of being considered a “moderate,” Joe Biden has moved to the left on many issues, while at the same time trying to play a balance with his more moderate supporters and independent voters.
On one issue though, Biden is lockstep with some of the most progressive elected officials—the issue of gun rights. When it comes to guns and the Second Amendment, Biden has proposed anti-gun policies, and in the past has championed some of the most progressive stances. The issue of guns has become increasingly prominent in recent years due to the increase in mass shootings, especially in cases like Sandy Hook, CT and Parkland, FL. After these and other tragic events, there has been a rallying cry to ban certain weapons, repeal the 2nd Amendment, and other radical ideas.
Some of Biden’s anti-second amendment policy stances include completely banning the manufacture and sale of semi-automatic weapons, limiting magazine capacity, instituting a gun buyback program, reducing the number of guns someone may purchase on a monthly basis, ending the sale of weapons online, and incentivizing state “red flag” laws. Worst of all, he has threatened using executive action to make some of these ideas, and others, possible.
Banning the sale of certain weapons would be a direct infringement of the Constitutional rights of Americans and would be a disadvantage for individuals and families who are trying to protect themselves. As much as the government attempts to keep guns out of the hands of criminals – the people who actually pose a threat to society – these people who seek to cause destruction may do whatever they can to get their hands on a weapon. Banning these weapons would only make society less safe, as law abiding citizens would have a more difficult time obtaining weapons that make themselves safer and are a line of defense against someone who looks to cause them harm.
Biden’s proposed “red flag” solution would also be an infringement of due process, and potentially make it more difficult for people to obtain a weapon, even if they do not have a criminal past. Biden’s plan is incredibly vague about how he would promote this program that would inevitably remove someone’s right for due process, even if for a temporary period of time.
Biden’s half-baked ideas on gun reform are not only are some of the most radical proposals from a Presidential candidate in history, but they would be a threat to gun rights all across the country. Joe Biden may seek to make society safer, but many of his ideas not only incentivize a less safe society, they also infringe on the Constitutional rights of citizens all across the country.