| Gun Control Groups Planning to Switch Tactics |
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| Written by Daniel White | |
| Friday, 13 June 2008 | |
Acknowledging that public opinion is against them and that a loss in the Supreme Court of the United States is likely eminent, gun control groups are regrouping and preparing to try new tactics to accomplish their unpopular goals. "We've lost the battle on what the Second Amendment means," campaign president Paul Helmke told ABC News. "Seventy-five percent of the public thinks it's an individual right. Why are we arguing a theory anymore? We are concerned about what we can do practically." He later went on to say, "We're expecting D.C. to lose the case, but this could be good from the standpoint of the political-legislative side." The bears as a somber reminder to gun owners that with every victory comes a new battle. Now that banning firearms seems to be, for now anyway, a lost cause, gun control groups plan to work instead on restricting ownership through other means. "Universal background checks don't affect the right of self-defense in the home. Banning a super dangerous class of weapons, like assault weapons, also would not adversely affect the right of self-defense in the home," said Brady Campaign Attorney Dennis Henigan. "Curbing large volume sales doesn't affect self-defense in the home." 
While some pro-gun advocates fear this may lead to a push to confine guns and self-defense only to the home, others believe this points to a new trend of redefining entire classes of firearms as "assault weapons." This could lead to new restrictions eventually culminating in only single shot shotguns as the only remaining legal firearms using the logic that since the bans are not total bans, they are still constitutional.
Another possible tactic is to try to claim that the D.C. v. Heller case only applies to the District of Columbia as a federal enclave, and that states are free to enact their own restrictions. They are also holding out hope for support from the presidency next year. Democrat Barack Obama has a history of favoring gun control schemes and is their candidate of choice. However, they are clinging to Republican John McCain's past support for closing the (non-existent) "the gun-show loophole" as a sign that he may be receptive to their goals. Regardless of the tactics used, we must never rest in our vigilance in protecting the jewel of liberty that is the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Fortunately, it would appear that 75% of Americans are on our side. |