Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

The Administration’s Alternative Universe: Fight Freedom, Not Crime

Monday, February 14, 2022

The Administration’s Alternative Universe: Fight Freedom, Not Crime

The White House press secretary was recently criticized for flippantly downplaying crime fears in a January 25 podcast. While reading out and commenting on cable news chyrons, Jen Psaki joked that CNN and MSNBC were OK, true,” but FOX News was covering some alternative universe,” with Jeanine Pirro talking about soft on crime consequences. I mean, what? What does that even mean? Right? So theres an alternate universe on some coverage. Whats scary about it is a lot of people watch that and they, they think that the president isnt doing anything to address peoples safety in New York, and that couldnt be further from the truth, or in other places” (at the 31:45 mark, here). 

Strange talk from an individual whose boss arguably inhabits his own alternative universe,” one in which hes been a young activist arrested for his civil rights protests, arrested in South Africa while trying to visit Nelson Mandela, worked as a tractor-trailer driver, had a house burn down with [his] wife in it,” and graduated in the top half of [his] class at law school,” just to list a few of his fictions.

What former New York state judge Jeanine Pirro was apparently discussing was the murder of police officers in New York City, with politicians coming out to say we stand with the police,” when actually, [t]hey dont stand with the police because they were in favor of de-funding, they were in favor of eliminating bail, releasing criminals and lowering criminal charges.”

The president of the national Fraternal Order of Police, for one, responded to Ms. Psakis remarks by saying she was very wrong… to suggest that violent crime in our country is of no concern or to just laugh it off.” The actual universe in which I, and millions of Americans, live in,” he said, was one where agenda-driven prosecutors … are refusing to bring charges against so-called low-levelor nonviolentoffenders. Under their leadership, which has been abhorrent in many cases, many violent offenders dont stay in jail—theyre back on the streets and free to commit more crimes.”

Ms. Psaki later claimed her words had been taken out of context. In any event, by the time President Biden outlined his proposals for addressing the surge in violent crime in New York City on February 3, he stated that defunding police was not the answer.”

Attacking the premise that the left promoted the defund the police” movement, E.J. Dionne, Jr., a columnist for the Washington Post writes, in Want to fight crime? Take on the gun lobby, that really, the ones blinding themselves to rising violence” and soft on crime” are the gun lobby and all who coddle it.” “Defund the police” is a dead-as-a-doornail slogan,” and anyways, the fact remains that very, very few Democrats made the catchphrase their own.” Dionne admits that the slogan was a bust” that backfired on Democratic candidates in the 2020 election and indeed, a post-election analysis document linked to in the column devotes several pages to the perceived impact of the defunding movement. With this falls midterm election looming, the implication is that it is necessary to reinvent the narrative and message on law and order and crime.

The pivot, it seems, is to instead focus on the public safety danger posed by guns themselves,” “Second Amendment fundamentalists,” “the radically conservative majority on the Supreme Court,” and of course, the gun lobby” that rules” politicians in Washington, D.C.

This is about as believable as President Bidens oft-debunked statement, repeated on February 3, that, You couldnt buy a cannon when this [Second] amendment was passed.”

Guns dont commit crimes, neither do knives and hammers… Its a red herring to focus on guns rather than the harder issue of how to enforce the law fairly and hold criminals accountable,” points out former federal prosecutor Charles Stimson.

Guns, and access to guns, are already regulated at both the state and federal level. In the District of Columbia, for example, all guns must be registered, and a police background check is needed before a registration certificate may be issued. There is a long list of disqualifications for gun ownership, including criminal history and convictions, a history of violent behavior” or mental health adjudications, and being found negligent in a firearm mishap causing death or serious injury.”

Theres no avalanche of pro-gun rulings out of the nations highest court, either. With one exception, the Supreme Court hasnt taken a major gun rights case since it dismissed as moot a 2018 case challenging New York Citys restrictive rules on the transport of firearms, and has, in the past, declined to accept for review cases that challenged assault weapon” bans, New Jerseys justifiable need” requirement for a handgun carry license, Californias ten-day wait period to buy a firearm, and others.

Last spring, the Court agreed to hear the appeal in another New York case, on proper cause” carry permit requirements and carrying prohibitions, which remains pending. The Court, Dionne warns, appears hell-bent on undoing New Yorks strict limits on carrying weapons outside the home,” but overlooks the shocking idea that criminals in the state and elsewhere will continue to carry guns in complete disregard of the law, and will likely find themselves back on the street even after being caught doing so.

Then theres the actual radical” notion of court-packing raised by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and four other Democratic senators in a brief filed in the 2018 gun case: The Supreme Court is not well… Perhaps the Court can heal itself before the public demands it be restructured in order to reduce the influence of politics.’” Sheldon explained he wasnt threatening the Court but warning it, In the same way that you might warn somebody walking out on thin ice — ‘Hey, the ice is thin out there, you want to be careful, maybe you want to come in’…”

As for the gun lobby” running politicians, Bidens nominee to oversee the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the federal law enforcement agency responsible for firearms, was a gun control extremist plucked straight out of his job at Giffords, one of the biggest anti-gun groups in America. David Chipman – who was unable to define an assault weapon” during his confirmation hearing – was ultimately dropped after opposition from everyday gun owners, law enforcement, conservation and hunting organizations, the NRA and other gun rights groups. Chipman returned to his position as a senior policy adviser at Giffords, but not before placing some of the blame for his failed nomination on the lack of a Plan B” by the White House.

Millions of Americans became first-time gun owners in the last two years. NICS background check numbers have reached record-high levels as more and more individuals join the Second Amendment community. This, of course, is where reality comes full circle to defund the police” and similar directives by out-of-touch officials. Anti-gun researchers reported finding no association between what they called excess” firearm purchases early in the pandemic and firearm violence (and see here and here). Rather than driving crime and lawlessness, this increase in guns themselves” and Second Amendment fundamentalists” is a reaction to the riots and unrest that swept the nation in mid-2020 and the demonstrated unwillingness or inability of public officials to address crime and violence.

Nonetheless, anti-gun politicians and their mainstream media defenders blame law-abiding gun owners instead of legislative, administrative, and judicial policies that prioritize the welfare of criminals over public safety. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), summed it up perfectly. [E]very single day reality calls and the Biden administration just hangs up.”

IN THIS ARTICLE
Police crime
TRENDING NOW
Biden’s Executive Order Targeting Gun Ownership

News  

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Biden’s Executive Order Targeting Gun Ownership

On Tuesday, Joe Biden issued an executive order on gun control that could accurately be described as a mile wide and an inch deep.

Columnist thinks gun owners can be shamed out of their rights

News  

Monday, March 20, 2023

Columnist thinks gun owners can be shamed out of their rights

At least one of the joyless scolds that predominate in gun control circles thinks they’ve stumbled onto a novel anti-gun tactic. According to Colorado Newsline Editor Quentin Young, gun control supporters should try to shame gun ...

Updates to ATF Final Rule on Stabilizing Braces

News  

Monday, January 30, 2023

Updates to ATF Final Rule on Stabilizing Braces

On Monday, January 30, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) published the final Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached “Stabilizing Braces” rule for public inspection in the federal register.

U.S. Taxpayers Funding “Red Flag” Gun Confiscation Orders

News  

Monday, March 20, 2023

U.S. Taxpayers Funding “Red Flag” Gun Confiscation Orders

Texans are paying for so-called “Red Flag” gun confiscation orders in New York. North Carolinians are bankrolling Extreme Risk Protective Orders (ERPOs) in New Jersey. Louisianans are footing the bill for gun confiscation orders in Maryland.

Washington: Senate Committee Hearing California-Style Gun Ban & Waiting Period Bills

Friday, March 17, 2023

Washington: Senate Committee Hearing California-Style Gun Ban & Waiting Period Bills

On March 23rd, at 8:00AM, the Senate Committee on Law & Justice will hear House Bill 1240, a comprehensive gun ban bill, and House Bill 1143, to impose a waiting period and training mandate for acquiring ...

Florida: Senate’s Constitutional Carry Passes Committee

Thursday, March 9, 2023

Florida: Senate’s Constitutional Carry Passes Committee

Today, the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee voted 11-6 to approve Senate Bill 150, constitutional carry, with an amendment aligning the language with the House’s version. It will now go to the full Senate for further consideration.

The New Mexico Legislature Finishes Its 2023 Regular Session

Sunday, March 19, 2023

The New Mexico Legislature Finishes Its 2023 Regular Session

The New Mexico Legislature wrapped up at noon on Saturday, March 18.  Below is a list of gun control bills which passed and extreme anti-gun legislation which NRA-ILA worked to defeat with pro-Second Amendment lawmakers, members of the firearms ...

Michigan: Senate Passes Gun Control Schemes

Thursday, March 16, 2023

Michigan: Senate Passes Gun Control Schemes

Today, the Senate passed anti-gun bill packages to criminalize private transfers, require firearms be made unavailable for self-defense, and allow Second Amendment rights to be suspended without due process. They will now move to the House for further ...

Washington: Updates on Anti-Gun Bills

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Washington: Updates on Anti-Gun Bills

Three major anti-gun bills still remain active in the Legislature, while others are likely defeated for the session. The NRA provided testimony and strong, united opposition to these bills throughout the legislative process thus far.

Florida: House Judiciary Passes Constitutional Carry

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Florida: House Judiciary Passes Constitutional Carry

Today, the House Judiciary Committee voted 17-6 to advance House Bill 543, the constitutional carry bill. It will now go to the House floor for debate.

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.