By NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action
One thing was made crystal clear at the Democratic National Convention, held this week in Charlotte, N.C. The 2012 National Democratic Platform is President Barack Obama’s platform. There is nothing in the document that doesn’t reflect the President’s position.
While the opening lines give lip service to supporting the Second Amendment, the rest of the plank calls for renewing the semi-auto ban and for regulating gun shows into oblivion.
Here’s the language:
Firearms.
We recognize that the individual right to bear arms is an important part of the American tradition, and we will preserve Americans’ Second Amendment right to own and use firearms. We believe that the right to own firearms is subject to reasonable regulation. We understand the terrible consequences of gun violence; it serves as a reminder that life is fragile, and our time here is limited and precious. We believe in an honest, open national conversation about firearms. We can focus on effective enforcement of existing laws, especially strengthening our background check system, and we can work together to enact commonsense improvements–like reinstating the assault weapons ban and closing the gun show loophole–so that guns do not fall into the hands of those irresponsible, law-breaking few.
As if to signal that the Democratic Party is ready to follow Obama’s lead on the issue, Senator Dianne Feinstein announced in her keynote speech to the convention’s California delegation that she intends to reintroduce an “updated” version of the 1994-2004 “assault weapons” and “large” magazines. (For more coverage of Feinstein’s plans, please see related story.)
The platform is silent on other key issues such as the “Fast & Furious” scandal, Right to Carry and the right to self-defense. All of this is a stark contrast to the detailed pro-gun language of the Republican platform, and sends a clear signal that if reelected, Barack Obama will pursue new restrictions on gun owners’ rights. His willingness to take unilateral executive actions without approval by Congress–such as the long gun registration scheme his Justice Department has imposed in the southwest border states–coupled with his anti-Second Amendment Supreme Court nominees, should remind gun owners of the dangers a second term would pose if Obama is reelected and never has to face voters again.