During a recent political gathering in Georgia, former President Donald Trump warned his audience that Kamala Harris, the Vice President, stands firmly in favor of gun confiscation, thus leaving American citizens ‘defenceless in their homes.’
In an overbearingly sarcastic tone, he questioned his supporters, ‘Would any of you be comfortable if they barged into your home and confiscated your firearm? She supports the eradication of gun possession entirely.’ These remarks echo earlier statements from various sources like the NRA, Gun Owners of America and Dave McCormick, a Pennsylvania Republican vying for U.S. Senate.
Such sweeping statements can easily mislead voters to believe that Harris wants to seize all firearms owned by law-abiding citizens. However, her exact statements don’t mirror these claims, and the right to own firearms is safeguarded by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The broader concept of ‘gun buybacks’ is a program organized by local law enforcement agencies, allowing people to voluntarily exchange their firearms for some form of compensation, often gift cards.
When she was running for president during the 2019 presidential primary, the then senator of California voiced her support for a ‘mandatory gun buyback program’ specifically targeted towards assault weapons. This program, however, would not apply to all firearms and it’s clear that Harris has since pivoted away from this stance.
Over her years in politics, Harris has shown a preference for buyback initiatives and other similar regulations. Frequently during her 2019 campaign, she discussed establishing a buyback for guns.
She once voiced her support for mandatory buyback of assault weapons at a gun control forum held in Las Vegas in October 2019. As she put it, ‘We need to establish an intelligent buyback program, and I am in full support of a mandatory gun buyback program.’
She continued, ‘We need a well-thought-out strategy to ensure we’re taking these firearms off the streets effectively. There are at least 5 million such weapons in circulation, with some estimates going as high as 10 million.’
Assault firearms are in the minority, with handguns being the common choice among firearm purchasers. Earlier, a 1994 federal assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004, had enforced the ‘manufacture, transfer, and possession’ of approximately 118 types of firearms and all magazines that could hold over 10 rounds. Throughout her political career, Harris has championed a renewal of this ban.
In an interview with NBC News in November 2019, she reiterated her support for a ‘mandatory gun buyback.’ She insisted, ‘Assault weapons have no place in our streets.’ She further elaborated on her plans for the buyback, emphasizing the necessity of incentivizing people to turn in their guns.
Interestingly, during an episode of ‘The Tonight Show’ in September 2019, when a student asked Harris about her stance on mandatory buyback of ‘assault weapons’, she issued a firm conviction on buybacks, calling these firearms ‘weapons of war.’
She explicitly stated, ‘While I believe we need to proceed with buybacks, we need to enforce a ban on the importation of such weapons as well.’ Be certain, she added, ‘Buybacks must be done right, compensating owners for the monetary value of their possessions. Just seizing valuable items from citizens without adequate compensation is not an option.’
She also discussed about a significant aspect of her tenure as the attorney general, where authorities were allowed to seize firearms from individuals deemed harmful to themselves or others by a court. She emphasized the difference between lawful gun ownership and the issue she was addressing.
In a statement to Iowa reporters in April 2019, she spelled out the dichotomy, accusing leaders of creating a ‘false choice’, saying people were either supporters of the Second Amendment or wanted to remove all guns. She insisted that there are practical solutions; the problem being the leaders’ lack of courage.
When asked about her current stance towards mandatory assault weapons buybacks, Harris’ campaign confirmed that she no longer supports them. Her stance is now aligned with President Joe Biden’s, pushing for an assault weapons ban but not obligatory sale to the government. There’s no record of her promoting mass gun confiscation during her vice presidency.
As Vice President, Harris urged states to pass ‘red flag laws’ and backed federal gun safety legislations. These legislations focused on funding mental health and school security resources. However, neither of these fall under the same category as full-blown gun confiscation.
Harris’ Hypocrisy: From Advocating Gun Confiscation to Muting her Stance appeared first on Real News Now.
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