PA Bill Number: HB1472
Title: In primary and election expenses, further providing for reporting by candidate and political committees and other persons and for late contributions ...
Description: In primary and election expenses, further providing for reporting by candidate and political committees and other persons and for late contrib ...
Last Action: Referred to STATE GOVERNMENT
Last Action Date: Apr 22, 2024
GUEST ESSAY: Second Amendment rights at stake in November :: 10/15/2020
For all sportsmen and gun owners: This article is to inform you of certain facts concerning the presidential election scheduled for Nov. 3, 2020. It might be the most important election in our lifetimes. For those readers who enjoy my outdoor columns you know I generally stay away from political subjects. But this column is simply too important not to cover.
Both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have made it abundantly clear in both word and deed that they support the Constitution and Bill of Rights. More specifically they both support the Second Amendment (the right to keep and bear arms) completely, especially because of its importance in protecting the rights guaranteed by the First and other amendments.
Not so with Vice President Biden and his chosen running mate, Senator Kamala Harris. Both of those two individuals have repeatedly stated their intent to disregard all aspects of the Second Amendment. Both Democrats have stated their intentions to confiscate all firearms held by civilians. They simply do not care about our Constitutional rights. They do not want Americans to retain the absolute right to defend themselves and/or their families.
It is safe to say that, together, Senator Harris and Vice President Biden have together earned the dubious honor of being the most anti-gun presidential “ticket” in the entire history of the U.S. In fact their numerous writing and speaking references relative to gun confiscation clearly places them so far above any other such ticket by any measurement we might wish to employ.
What about the Democrat Party’s official platform? Does it in any way modify the anti-gun statements made by Mr. Biden and/or Ms. Harris? No! In fact, that platform, using “softening” wording, actually supports everything in that portion of the document. Here is a sample:
Ending the Epidemic of Gun Violence Gun violence is a public health crisis in the United States. Over 100,000 people are shot and nearly 40,000 people die annually from guns— devastating countless families, friends, and communities. We can and will make gun violence a thing of the past.
Democrats will ban the manufacture and sale of assault weapons and high capacity magazines. We will incentivize states to enact licensing requirements for owning firearms and extreme risk protection order laws that allow courts to temporarily remove guns from the possession of those who are a danger to themselves or others. We will pass legislation requiring that guns be safely stored in homes.
Democrats will enact universal background checks, end online sales of guns and ammunition, close dangerous loopholes that currently allow stalkers, abusive partners, and some individuals convicted of assault or battery to buy and possess firearms, and adequately fund the federal 47 background check system.
This is only a partial list, but you can get a good idea of the unconstitutional nature of their desires to completely eliminate private firearm ownership or even mere possession.
Mr. Biden was asked a direct question, “If you are elected president, will you be coming after all civilian-owned guns?" And his answer was enough to send chills up the spine of every law-abiding citizen who owns or may wish to to someday own a gun. What was that answer? “Bingo!" was his reply.
Between Mr. Biden’s calls for firearm confiscation and the Democratic Party platform that seems to have been written by gun-control activists, the 2020 Democrat ticket was already shaping up to be the most anti-Second Amendment in history. And with Mr. Biden’s choice of Ms. Harris as his vice president position, the Biden campaign and the Democrat Party have solidified this distinction.
Space does not permit me to adequately explore Ms. Harris’ record and opinions relative to the Second Amendment specifically or the Constitution and Bill of Rights generally. I can say that, based on her statements and voting record, she would be a much harder Second Amendment critic than Mr. Biden, and that provable fact sends shivers up my spine.
Recently the Democrats in Congress have brought up their desire to “pack the (Supreme) court”. They want to gather power, and they will attempt to accomplish that goal by any means available to them. If they get their way they then will have everyone under their jurisdiction, and all of us will be made to suffer in some way. Granting statehood to Puerto Rico, American Samoa and Washington D.C. are just three of their ideas for increasing Democratic representation in the U.S. Senate in order to gain a Democrat-controlled majority.
Winning the presidential election on Nov. 3 is their primary goal. If that happens then nothing can prevent them from implementing their socialism-based ideas. And if they do gain that control we will have been their gateway to total control over all of us.
I hope I am wrong, but right now it appears, based on the most recent polls, that the Democrats will win. And the problems that victory will generate for both sides is simply unimaginable. Boy, do I hope those fears are wrong.
Len Lisenbee is the Daily Messenger outdoor writer. Contact him at lisenbee@frontiernet.net.
