With all of President Barack Obama’s bluster about so-called “gun violence,” (he seldom talks about dangerous criminals, just guns) one might think that he fears law-abiding gun owners more than anything else. Consider:
- The 230 new FBI agents he plans to hire to work on background checks for gun purchasers (which criminals largely avoid anyway) is substantially higher than the number of special forces he is deploying to battle ISIS (the “JV Team” which he claimed was “contained” before the Paris terror attacks).
- He spent weeks hyping impending executive actions that, when finally announced, largely affect only law-abiding gun owners, not criminals.
- He then staged a nationally televised “town hall” meeting, where he condescendingly scolded a rape survivor and blasted the NRA—composed of 5 million law-abiding Americans—for not showing up at his pre-scripted dog-and-pony show.
In fact, few of the proposals the president has made over the past seven years would affect violent criminals. After all, criminals don’t obey the law; that’s why they’re called “criminals.” If a dangerous felon doesn’t care that murder is illegal, can we really expect him to follow the laws regulating firearm sales?
Interestingly, while Obama fears and targets America’s law-abiding gun owners, recent polling indicates that the majority of Americans fear something else altogether—namely, the government.
A recent Gallup poll revealed that almost half of Americans regard the federal government as a potential threat. As pointed out in this helpful breakdown of the polling results from NRA-ILA, the most commonly cited reason for distrusting the government is the fear that they would violate the Second Amendment.
While fear of the government’s actions is often painted as paranoia, it is fruitful to remember that the nation’s top fear—the prohibition and confiscation of guns—is an outcome that this administration is actively, if covertly, pursuing.
Just last week, a Rasmussen poll revealed even more data about this trend, leading off its survey report by saying, “Supporters of additional gun control generally consider the National Rifle Association their biggest problem, but voter distrust of the federal government remains a big hurdle for them to clear.” According to Rasmussen, only 28 percent of American adults trust the federal government to fairly enforce gun control laws.
According to Rasmussen, only 28 percent of American adults trust the federal government to fairly enforce gun control laws. The national telephone survey also found that 59 percent don’t trust the government when it comes to administering these laws. Another 13 percent were undecided.
Additionally, the recent Rasmussen poll concluded that only 32 percent of Americans think stricter gun control laws will decrease violent crime, down from 40 percent in its 2013 survey. Forty-seven percent say stricter anti-gun laws will have no impact, while another 15 percent believe stricter laws will increase violent crime.
These statistics complement Rasmussen numbers released in December that showed that 61 percent of Americans agreed with the statement, “The NRA supports gun policies that make all Americans safer.” They also mirror a 2014 Gallup poll that revealed 63 percent of Americans believe having a gun in the house makes it a safer place to be—a figure that has nearly doubled since 2000.
Such figures show a stark disconnect between the president’s views and the attitude of the majority of Americans. Yet Obama doesn’t see it. Just this week his chief of staff promised “audacious executive action throughout the course of the rest of the year.” The result will likely be more worried, law-abiding Americans buying more guns.
That’s the true irony here: President Obama, with his constant chiding of gun owners and chipping away at the Second Amendment, has created a cycle that he surely regrets. Madman shoots people … Obama calls for stricter gun laws that will only affect the law-abiding … Americans head for their local gun shop and buy another gun or two.
Thankfully, Obama can only wage his war on law-abiding gun owners for one more year. In the meantime, Americans who appreciate liberty must do everything in their power to make sure Obama isn’t succeeded in office by President Hillary Clinton. Two eight-year nightmares in a row might well be more than the Second Amendment can withstand.
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