A broken clock is right twice a day.
No one epitomizes this more than presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
At a rally in early November, Bernie Sanders told a crowd that forcing law-abiding Americans to turn in their firearms is unconstitutional.
During the rally in Iowa, Sanders stated, “A mandatory buyback is essentially confiscation, which I think is unconstitutional. It means that I’m going to walk into your house and take something whether you like it or not. I don’t think that stands up to constitutional scrutiny.”
This stands in stark contrast to former Congressman Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke who exclaimed “Hell yes!” when asked in a Democratic Party debate if his presidential administration would confiscate firearms. O’Rourke explained his stance by proposing that police officers would drop by the homes of law-abiding citizens to confiscate their (prior) legally owned arms in the case that a gun ban passes.
Additionally, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, support legislation that would send Americans to jail if they’re caught with an “assault weapon.”
“We should have a law that bans these weapons, and we should have a reasonable period in which people can turn in these weapons. Right now we have a nation that allows in streets and communities like mine these weapons that should not exist,” Booker declared.
Sanders’ clarity on the issue of gun confiscation is relieving. As interventionist as he may be on economic issues, here he at least tries to represent the views of his Vermont constituents, who have historically been pro-gun. After all, Vermont was the first true constitutional carry state — where all law-abiding citizens can carry a gun without a permit. Gun confiscation is the worst form of gun control. It deprives people of their right to bear arms and is the hallmark of tyrannical regimes. Even the most milquetoast of leftists should be able to understand this.
However, Sanders is no pro-gun hero. He supports legislation such as “assault weapons” bans. This inconsistency is typical of our political class. Once they concede that the government can infringe on certain rights, the rabbit hole of government control will only go deeper. So it’s small wonder why his colleagues like O’Rourke and Booker are taking gun control to its logical conclusion — confiscation.
Sanders’ candor on the issue of gun confiscation is laudable. Recognizing the unconstitutionality of certain policies is something that’s missing with the rest of the Democratic field of candidates. Sanders should extend that same logic to other gun control policies he supports.
Let’s not hold our breath, however.
Sign in with Email