Atlanta Democratic Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms soared to the national spotlight following her speech to her city’s rioters and looters to “Stay home!” earlier this year. Democrats took notice and she’s on the short list as a candidate to be presumptive 2020 Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s running mate. She joined Moms Demand Action’s Shannon Watts for the latest installment in Everytown for Gun Safety’s 2020 Veepstakes.
Though she may not be as well recognized nationally as some of the previous higher-profile participants like U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), U.S. Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) or even fellow Georgian and 2018 failed gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, Mayor Lance Bottoms does have a major gun control chit to play. She is the Chairwoman for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) Platform Drafting Committee. With former Vice President Joe Biden leading the ticket, there should be no doubt gun control will be a major focus.
“Vice President Biden has always been very vocal about his views on gun control…and so many more stringent things that we need in place,” said Mayor Lance Bottoms.
More Control – Less Gun Rights
Vice President Biden’s gun control beliefs are well known. He continues to spout false claims about the firearm industry and has given unsound and unsafe advice to his wife and police officers. He’s scolded potential voters who correctly pointed out his misunderstanding of the Second Amendment. Vice President Biden’s also spoken in favor of expanded background checks and offers winks towards gun confiscation by announcing he’d anoint former U.S. Rep. Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke (D-Texas) as his gun-grabbing sheriff. Don’t forget his past support of and pledge to reinstate and 1994 Assault Weapons Ban even though it was shown to be ineffective.
DNC Platform Chairwoman Lance Bottoms? She’s all in.
“I believe that our platform will do just that,” she said. “Some of the work will be picking up where the Obama Biden administration left off, and some will be new work that will move us forward.”
Mayor Lance Bottoms joined several of her mayor colleagues in signing a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) demanding legislation for more gun control. The proposals listed are an antigun grab bag of ideas that will do little to seriously address the problem of criminal misuse of firearms. Included in the mayors’ demands are “red flag” laws that deny due process to the accused, instituting magazine capacity limits, expanding background checks that would create felons out of law-abiding citizens and close other so-called “loopholes” that are in fact just Second Amendment protections.
Wait. Watch. Educate.
Biden has stated he will likely name his running mate sometime in August, having pledged to name a woman. Following the coronavirus pandemic and unrest following business shutdowns, riots and looting and the previously mentioned historic numbers of new gun owners across the country, access to exercise Second Amendment rights and purchase a firearm will be at the forefront in November.
NSSF launched the online voter education resource #GUNVOTE to help gun owners to register to vote and become more knowledgeable on gun control proposals and how candidates’ positions will affect them. From the presidential level down to congressional and local level elections, voters must register to vote and be educated when they head to the polls so they don’t risk their rights.
Larry Keane is Senior Vice President of Government and Public Affairs and General Counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry trade association.
