Every time there’s a mass shooting, there’s an instinctual reaction from the left to call for more gun control. Obama took a number of executive actions on gun control, which, of course, didn’t stop gun violence.
In the wake of the Buffalo mass shooting, the left is once again calling for more gun control. Exploiting tragedy for political purposes is a favorite pastime of the Democratic Party. During his visit to Buffalo, N.Y. on Tuesday, Joe Biden will, of course, argue for more limitations on the right to bear arms.
“President Biden will call on Congress to take action to keep weapons off war — weapons of war — off our streets and keep guns out of the hands of criminals and people who have a serious mental illness that makes them a danger to themselves or others,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday morning.
But the truth is, the mass shooting in Buffalo isn’t a sign that more gun control is needed; it is proof that gun control doesn’t work.
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In 2013, then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Act, which was touted as giving New York State “the toughest gun laws in the nation.”
The SAFE Act was passed in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook massacre, and was supposed to make New York “safer.”
“This new law will limit gun violence through common sense, reasonable reforms that will make New York a safer place to live,” Cuomo said. “When society confronts serious issues, it is the function of government to do something, and the NY SAFE Act will now give New York State the toughest, strongest protections against gun violence in the nation.”
The SAFE Act is clearly a dismal failure, and it was even before Saturday’s mass shooting. Gun violence in the state, particularly in New York City, has continued unabated, and even surged in recent years.
But the mass shooting in Buffalo really proved how meaningless the SAFE Act is. The law originally banned magazines from holding more than seven rounds. That limit was struck down, but a 10-round limit remains in effect and is just as meaningless to those determined to commit heinous acts. The shooter modified his Bushmaster XM-15 so he could use 30-round magazines — magazines that are illegal in New York State. Did no one tell him about the NY SAFE Act?
There’s no doubt the cycle of pushing for more meaningless gun control will continue because Democrat leaders don’t understand the problem or have any real desire to fix it. One Buffalo man, however, clearly saw how to solve the problem:
“I feel bad for the people that was in there, because after the security guard got shot, he got a gun shooting people, still. If more people were armed, and knew what they were doing with a gun, because it’s not the gun, it’s the person with the gun that don’t know how to act. So, I just hope something comes from this,” said the man in a news interview.
Buffalo man in aftermath of tragic shooting:
“Something has to change…If more people were armed, and knew what they were doing with a gun, because it’s not the gun. It’s the person with the gun that don’t know how to act.” pic.twitter.com/u7PpIn4ogZ
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) May 15, 2022
This man is clearly smarter than anyone insisting on more gun control. The so-called “toughest gun laws in the nation” didn’t stop Saturday’s shooting. When will our Democrat leaders figure out there’s a better way?