New Jersey Senator Cory Booker unveiled his new gun control scheme on May 6, 2019. And it’s quite radical.
A USA Today report highlights how Booker’s plan calls for the enactment of a national licensing program for firearm owners. Of all the 2020 Democratic candidates, Booker’s gun control is the most comprehensive and draconian.
Under Booker’s plan, potential gun buyers are required to take mandatory safety courses and undergo a lengthy interview process to acquire a 5-year gun license.
Booker made the intentions of his plan clear:
“My plan to address gun violence is simple — we will make it harder for people who should not have a gun to get one.”
Additionally, Booker’s proposal consists of bans on assault-weapons, bump-stocks, and high-capacity magazines. Furthermore, Booker’s package also features monthly limits on firearm purchases.
On the political speech side of things, Booker pledges to investigate the National Rifle Association’s tax-exempt status. In recent months, this has become a controversial development as the NRA is currently under investigation by the New York Attorney General. At the moment, the New York AG is determining whether the NRA still qualifies for tax-exempt status.
Regardless, of what certain individuals in the liberty fold think about the NRA, this kind of political witch hunt does put the free speech rights of other political organizations at risk. Booker’s plan is no surprise when considering that the state he represents, New Jersey, is one of the most anti-gun states in the nation.
For example, Guns & Ammo Magazine places it in 50th place for states that are friendly to gun owners. Only New York has a lower ranking.
Ever since the Christchurch, New Zealand massacre, Democrats from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Bernie Sanders have come out in support of more radical gun control.
It seems that this has become an issue that has united Democrats across party lines. To be fair, the Trump administration has implemented gun control of its own through the Justice Department’s bump stock ban and the passage of “Fix NICS,” which provides more funding to the U.S.’s unconstitutional background check system.
Nevertheless, the Overton Window is shifting towards more firearm control at the federal level. The Democrats are the ones floating the trial balloons at the moment. But if past trends are indicators, Republicans will likely follow suit, albeit at a slower pace.
In the end, everyday gun owners will lose.
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