President Joe Biden’s visit to New York City last week to pitch his support for community policing and pursue so-called “ghost guns” is nothing but a sanctimonious and deliberate political ruse to distract a weary public alarmed by a massive spike in crime across the country. His hollow words ignore the facts about the rise in crime while simultaneously seeking to blame the Second Amendment and law-abiding gun owners for the crime plaguing our cities.
Of course, Biden’s attack on law-abiding Americans’ right to keep and bear arms is nothing new. He’s spent his career blaming the Second Amendment, the NRA, gun manufacturers — anyone but the criminals responsible for committing the crime. The president’s attack on our Second Amendment rights won’t do anything to make Americans safer. Guns are a convenient and tiresome scapegoat for his party’s refusal to address the real causes of our surging crime problem. Biden attacks gun owners because he can’t talk about actual solutions that would help address rising crime in America without upsetting his base, which has spent the last several years demanding we defund the police, eliminate cash bail and get rid of qualified immunity. His party has been overtaken by the radical left and he, Pelosi and Schumer are terrified of upsetting “the Squad” and other hard left anti-cop, anti-gun activists like AOC who are driving the Democrats’ agenda in Congress and across the country.
Homemade firearms, often labeled as “ghost guns” by gun control proponents, and firearms with no serial number or an obliterated serial number aren’t a new phenomenon. So-called “ghost guns” are already illegal in New York and removing a firearm’s serial number has been a violation of federal law for decades. NYPD Detectives Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera were murdered by a criminal on probation who had previously been arrested on gun charges and for assaulting a police officer. He was prohibited from owning a firearm but he used a stolen Glock handgun, which President Biden labeled a “weapon of war,” not a “ghost gun.” Think about that, the president called one of the most popular handguns in America, owned by tens of millions of law-abiding Americans and the firearm of choice of countless law enforcement agencies, a “weapon of war.” Make no mistake, this isn’t about “ghost guns.” It’s about demonizing guns and ultimately banning the most popular and useful firearms for self-defense.
The League for Sportsmen, Law Enforcement and Defense, together with the Police Officers’ Defense Coalition, condemns the words of the president and Attorney General Merrick B. Garland who are seeking to scapegoat the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens while doing nothing to support America’s law enforcement officers.
During his trip to New York City, the day after Detective Mora’s funeral, the president also pledged to support “community policing,” asking Congress for $300 million for those efforts. Of course, the problem isn’t policing. The problem is police have had their hands tied by lawmakers and prosecutors while being pilloried for the last two years by a news media more interested in ratings than the facts. Police have been told to stop enforcing some laws. And when they do, rogue district attorneys like Chesa Boudin, Alvin Bragg, Larry Krasner, Marilyn Mosby and Kim Gardner, among others cut criminals loose or refuse to prosecute them. Worse, these same district attorneys who refuse to prosecute criminals see police as the problem, not the criminals.
The president’s sham pledge to support “community policing” rings hollow when he ignores the unjust plight facing police officers like former Texas Highway Patrol Officer Austin Johnston. Johnston is facing trial within the next few weeks for the 2018 shooting of Dustin Lee Dougherty, a felon with eight previous convictions. After stealing a pickup truck, Dougherty began driving erratically through Austin, Texas’ residential streets, threatening pedestrians and other automobiles alike. With Johnston in pursuit, Dougherty stopped the stolen truck, put it in reverse and drove at high speed up onto the hood of Johnston’s patrol car. After Dougherty rammed Johnston’s cruiser, Officer Johnston feared for his life and discharged his service weapon at Dougherty. Now, Johnston is facing charges including discharging his service weapon and “endangering” the community.
Travis County’s District Attorney Jose Garza waited two years and ignored investigations by the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Rangers which found Johnston’s actions appropriate. Now, Garza is threatening Johnston with a life sentence for stopping a potentially deadly threat to the Austin, Texas community he patrolled. Johnston is now an FBI agent. Upon taking office, Garza openly declared he would pursue cases against police he considers guilty of misconduct. If President Biden and his party are truly interested in addressing America’s surging crime problem, they need to stop demonizing police. They need to demand that district attorneys start enforcing the laws on the books and stop making excuses for criminals. They need to listen to what officers on the ground are saying and demand that the courts and DA’s keep dangerous criminals in jail rather than releasing them while awaiting trial where they will frequently re-offend.
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The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
Bert Eyler is the Vice President of the National Center for Police Defense. Mr. Eyler has dedicated his life to serving our country, starting with the United States Marine Corps. Before settling down with Virginia's Prince William County Police Department, he served in multiple law enforcement agencies. In 2020, he retired with the Rank of Master Police Officer.
I have wondered what Biden would do if he had to remember what topic and subject he is talking one with out a telipromter President Trump never did and never will Joe Joe are you still here?
The Democratic party has echoed this for way back, ask you self what are they ascared of we firearm people no one has any fear of honest folks it is criminals.Folks wake up look at countrys around the world who have banned fireams for their people and what do you get dictatorship total control of what where & when you have power in one little group, such as China N Korea Canada under Trudeau. Criminals can not pass a back ground check lieing on 4473 form drugs violance any thing that would mark you as a criminal.