Florida Candidate Promises To Ban ‘Assault Rifles’ By Decree

by Tom Knighton: While I really try not to focus on political parties here at Bearing Arms, sometimes, it’s difficult. The thing is, there are Democrats who support the Second Amendment, and as a writer covering the Second Amendment, I don’t want to alienate those readers. We all agree that candidates who oppose our right to keep and bear arms are a problem, and their party really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Their lack of respect for our civil rights, however, does.

However, I can’t help but think of how many Democrats are screaming about “fascism” ever since the election of President Donald Trump, but remain completely silent when a political candidate for governor announces that they’ve figured out a way to ban a certain type of gun by decree, completely circumventing anything resembling democratic process.


[Former U.S. Congresswoman Gwen] Graham pledged to ban assault weapons sales using a little-known state law.

“I have found a public safety statute that allows the governor, whoever she may be, to sign an executive order for public safety reasons banning that sale of military-style assault weapons,” Graham said.In other words, she plans on banning the sale of scary-looking rifles by executive fiat, probably because she knows that despite the recent capitulation of the state’s legislature on a handful of gun control measures, a ban just isn’t going to get enough votes to pass.

Graham has basically said screw the legislative process and plans to govern with a phone and pen, kind of like President Obama did.

Yet Trump is the fascist dictator?

I’m sorry, but there are a few things Graham needs to consider. For one thing, even if she made such an order, I find it extremely unlikely that the legislature couldn’t overturn it. Further, there’s more than enough time to close that loophole up before she ever gets in office…assuming she can.

However, this really should worry the hell out of anyone who values our country’s republican values. By this, I don’t mean the Republican Party, but the values our Founding Fathers laid down very clearly via the Constitution. While I get that many may disagree with me on the Second Amendment, surely we can agree that the executive branch of government at any level shouldn’t be able to create law and ban items by decree.

Further, Graham’s proposal would only work until the opposition regained control of the governor’s office. At that point, another stroke of the pen could repeal her order.

So, not only is it a tyrannical effort by an anti-gun politician, but it’s not even a particularly effective one long term.

That said, it’s important to understand what our opponents are willing to stoop to in order to enact their radical agenda. In this case, they’re willing to give the middle finger to all that keeps this country from slipping into actual tyranny just so they can get their way. They really are like petulant little children, aren’t they?

To our pro-gun liberal allies, these are the people on your side on other issues. You might want to let them know how stupid they’re being because I suspect Graham isn’t willing to listen to me.
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Tom Knighton is a Navy veteran, a former newspaperman, a novelist, and a blogger at Bearing Arms. He lives with his family in Southwest Georgia.

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