Thanks, Beto. We need to debate an assault-weapon buyback.

[TexasTowelie]

There is no more perilous — or important — political activity than moving the “Overton window” of what constitutes an acceptable policy proposal. Bernie Sanders did just that by championing Medicare-for-all, and now his plan to nationalize health care has gone from the progressive fringe of the Democratic Party to the mainstream. So did Donald Trump by championing an “America First” foreign policy, and now he has made isolationism and protectionism mainstream in the Republican Party for the first time since the 1930s.

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke is trying to shift the terms of debate on gun control by calling for a mandatory buyback of assault rifles. In last week’s Democratic debate, he recounted the devastating impact of a “high-velocity round” fired by one of these weapons (“when it hits your body, [it] shreds everything inside”) and then proclaimed, “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47. We’re not going to allow it to be used against our fellow Americans anymore.”

Republicans immediately pounced. “The American people deserve to know this president, this vice president and these House Republicans will always stand for the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms,” Vice President Pence thundered. A Republican state representative from the Houston area named Briscoe Cain even appeared to threaten O’Rourke by tweeting, “My AR is ready for you Robert Francis.”

While Republicans were predictably apoplectic, mainstream Democrats were nervous. Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.) warned, “that clip will be played for years at Second Amendment rallies with organizations that try to scare people by saying, ‘Democrats are coming for your guns.’  ” Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg endorsed Coons’s criticism, suggesting reasonably enough that Democrats should focus on background checks, “red flag” laws and banning the sale of high-capacity magazines and new assault weapons — rather than trying to take away existing assault weapons.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/thanks-beto-we-need-to-debate-an-assault-weapon-buyback/2019/09/17/864d09a4-d964-11e9-a688-303693fb4b0b_story.html

[IronLionZion]

1. It's about time someone stood up to the NRA

NRA supporters wouldn't vote for any of our candidates anyway so might as well be bold on this issue. No half measures or loopholes.

[Gothmog]

2. I love the fact that Beto has pissed off Dan Patrick

I am not going to post Dan's comments because Dan Patrick is a disgusting human being. The fact that Dan is mad of Beto makes me smile

Dan Patrick is the current repug LT. Governor of Texas which is actually a more powerful office than governor. If I was not clear, I really dislike Dan Patrick

[BlueMississippi]

3. k&r nt

[MontanaMama]

4. I spent some time in Australia in 2018.

My husband was invited to adjudicate their national taxidermy competition and my son and I went with him. This crowd was very gun friendly, as you can imagine. I can't tell you how many times the Aussies asked me just WTAF was going on in America with our school and mass shootings. They were nonplussed at how we allow it to keep happening over and over again. One woman asked how I could bear to send my child to public school with the threat such as it is. Several people told me about the one mass shooting in Australia that ended gun ownership as they knew it. They had buy backs and voluntary firearms surrenders where guns were bulldozed into a pit while people watched. Entire collections of firearms passed down through families were destroyed. Those who wanted to keep a gun for hunting etc had to register the weapon and prove themselves competent to use it. I heard that the process was difficult for those who didn't want to release their ownership but they did it without a fight for the good of the country. One man told me he couldn't even remember what he was initially upset about turning in his weapons for destruction now that so many years had gone by. He keeps a shotgun for waterfowl hunting and a rifle for big game hunting which is the primary meat source for his family. Bottom line is that the Australians I talked to, and there were many, had the firearms that they wanted and used but they had to register them and provide competency documentation. No fully automatic weapons or large capacity magazines allowed. Nobody I talked to felt that the sacrifice wasn't worth it in the end or that their rights were being taken away. What was good for the country was good for them and their families too.

It was an eye opener for me.

[Thekaspervote]

5. Hoping he will become the Jim Clyburn or John Lewis of guns!!

This guy has such a bright future!! I hope he stays in the “grinder” for the long haul. We need his kind of voice