Democrats propose banning guns
Finally!
Democrats in Congress have finally proposed their gun ban bill - and despite years of assurances that they are not interested in taking away guns, we can see they are looking to ban virtually every gun.
From the Washington Examiner:
The bill prohibits the “sale, transfer, production, and importation” of semi-automatic rifles and pistols that can hold a detachable magazine, as well as semi-automatic rifles with a magazine that can hold more than 10 rounds. Additionally, the legislation bans the sale, transfer, production, and importation of semi-automatic shotguns with features such as a pistol grip or detachable stock, and ammunition feeding devices that can hold more than 10 rounds.
Cicilline’s legislation names 205 specific firearms that are prohibited, including the AK-47 and AR-15.
The proposal was announced in a press release, and lists semi-automatic pistols along with rifles. To be clear, "semi-automatic pistols" covers virtually every handgun - except revolvers. It purports to ban the "sale, transfer, production, and importation" of these weapons.
However, when you go to the actual bill, there's a slight difference in the language:
‘‘(v)(1) It shall be unlawful for a person to import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, a semiautomatic assault weapon.
‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the possession, sale, or transfer of any semiautomatic assault weapon otherwise lawfully possessed under Federal law on the date of enactment of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2018."
So, if you own a semi-automatic rifle or pistol before the ban, you can keep it. But you cannot possess one that is made or sold after the ban.
I'm not sure how this would be policed, short of a gun registry.
Here's the bill.
Ed Morrissey at Hot Air:
This bill will be tremendously popular in the urban-coastal cores, which Democrats already hold. It’s not going to be popular at all outside of those progressive enclaves, where most of the 60-million-plus gun-owning households exist, and where voters know what a “detachable magazine” actually is. This bill and the Democratic hysteria getting whipped up behind it isn’t about fixing the problems that led to the Parkland school massacre — it’s a gun grab, pure and simple. It’ll be easy for “Republicans to play that up in a lot of districts” that Democrats need to win for a majority because it’s true.
Between “crumbs” and gun grabbing, Democrats really have set themselves up to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in this midterm. If this bill goes nowhere, Democrats will likely run on the message that only a Democratic majority can get this bill passed. And you know what? Republicans will run on the exact same message.
Another battle in the Great Economic War
Meanwhile, the demonization and demagoguery of gun owners and the NRA continue apace. The Left is employing their familiar tactic of economic warfare. North Carolinians are very familiar with this kind of concerted, social-media-driven attack on businesses that became the focal point of the HB2 transgender bathroom debate, rather than the actual issue.
The Left - using Parkland students as their spokespeople - is trying to punish Republicans, gunowners, and the NRA by boycotting businesses that offer discounts to NRA members.
After Delta announced it was dropping its partnership with the NRA - along with discounted rates offered to members - Republican lawmakers in Georgia responded with an economic warfare tactic of their own:
The Georgia Senate’s leaders vowed to block a lucrative tax break bill on Monday that would benefit Delta Air Lines after the Atlanta-based company severed ties with the National Rifle Association.
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle said he would not support tax legislation that helped the airline “unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with the NRA.” He echoed a growing number of conservatives who opposed the measure over the weekend.
It came after Delta desperately sought to find neutral ground in a gun debate that has very little, trying to soothe concerns among conservative lawmakers infuriated by the company’s decision to end discounted rates for NRA members in the wake of the mass shooting at a Florida high school.
That move forced Gov. Nathan Deal and other supporters of the $50 million jet fuel sales tax exemption to shift to the defensive, and prompted a growing number of Republicans to try to strip the provision out of a broader tax-cut bill that has already passed the state House.
One company that is not bending to the political bullying: FedEx
FedEx Corporation’s positions on the issues of gun policy and safety differ from those of the National Rifle Association (NRA). FedEx opposes assault rifles being in the hands of civilians. While we strongly support the constitutional right of U.S. citizens to own firearms subject to appropriate background checks, FedEx views assault rifles and large capacity magazines as an inherent potential danger to schools, workplaces, and communities when such weapons are misused. We therefore support restricting them to the military. Most important, FedEx believes urgent action is required at the local, state, and Federal level to protect schools and students from incidents such as the horrific tragedy in Florida on February 14th.
FedEx is a common carrier under Federal law and therefore does not and will not deny service or discriminate against any legal entity regardless of their policy positions or political views. The NRA is one of hundreds of organizations in our alliances/association Marketing program whose members receive discounted rates for FedEx shipping. FedEx has never set or changed rates for any of our millions of customers around the world in response to their politics, beliefs or positions on issues.
Economic warfare has casualties.