Baumann: Four egregious gun-control lies straight from Biden’s mouth
During a Thursday press conference on “gun violence,” President Joe Biden regurgitated numerous lies about firearms and the Second Amendment.
CLAIM: No Amendment is absolute.
“…making sure the people who are not allowed to have a gun don’t get a gun in the first place. And again, any of the press, any of the press listening, this doesn’t violate anybody’s Second Amendment right,” Biden said. “There’s no violation of a Second Amendment right. We talk like there’s no amendment that’s absolute.”
FACT: The Founding Fathers wrote “shall not be infringed” in the Second Amendment, making the 2A an absolute right.
CLAIM: Gun regulations existed when the Second Amendment was added.
“When the amendment was passed, it didn’t say anybody could own a gun and any kind of gun and any kind of weapon,” the president said.
FACT: Limitations on the Second Amendment came down the road, first through legislation and then decided at the Supreme Court.
CLAIM: Citizens were barred from owning cannons.
“You couldn’t buy a cannon when this amendment was passed and there’s no reason you should be able to buy certain assault weapons, but that’s another issue,” Biden said.
FACT: Americans had the ability to purchase cannons when the Second Amendment was added to the Bill of Rights.
Americans can still purchase and own cannons, although the National Firearms Act makes that extremely expensive and virtually impossible for the average person.
CLAIM: Magazine capacity determines if a firearm is a “weapon of war.”
“…a magazine with 40 rounds is a weapon of war,” Biden said.
FACT: The number of rounds a magazine holds doesn’t change its functionality. A semi-automatic pistol or rifle could hold five rounds or 50 rounds. It still functions the same, with one round fired with one pull of the trigger.
Anti-gunners use these claims because they don’t know the difference between full-auto and semi-auto. This makes them sound more educated on firearms basics – and their proposed legislation – when they’re not.