Posted on 10/30/2020 9:42:35 AM PDT by Kaslin
Joe Biden would force semiautomatic rifle owners to either participate in a gun buyback program, or register their firearm under the National Firearms Act, which requires the payment of a $200 tax. This would extend to AR-15s and other common household rifles. Those who do not comply would face up to 10 years in federal prison, and a potential $10,000 fine.
This is yet another violation of Joe Biden's pledge against any tax increase on anyone making less than $400,000 a year. In fact, it would hit working class Americans the hardest.
As detailed on Biden’s campaign website, this proposal would give semiautomatic rifle and high capacity magazine owners two choices: participating in a gun buyback program or registering said guns and magazines under the National Firearms Act. This triggers the $200 tax for each gun and magazine registered.
In order to register a firearm (or a magazine, under Joe Biden's plan), you have to send in a 13-page, complicated application form with the $200 tax included, your fingerprints, and a photograph of yourself. In this way, the hurdles to legally own your weapon or high-capacity magazine go far beyond the expensive tax.
Given there are nearly 18 million AR-15s privately owned in the United States, gun owners could potentially be forced to pay a collective $3.6 billion in taxes. This figure doesn’t even include other weapons the left considers “assault weapons” and the additional magazines gun owners would have to register.
According to the Biden campaign, any magazine that holds more than 10 rounds is a “high capacity” magazine. Even if someone owns only one AR-15 and has just four standard capacity magazines, they would owe the federal government $1,000.
Suddenly, gun control becomes less about mere firearm ownership and more about controlling working-class Americans. In urban areas, where people are most vulnerable to crime, it’s not hard to imagine how crushing this could be. There is nothing new about leftist politicians taxing urban residents in order to dictate behavior, ownership, and lifestyle.
In poor rural areas, the ability to hunt, fend off dangerous animals, etc. would be especially compromised. In Time Magazine, one article explains that "leaders of 15 state shooting groups said semiautomatic rifles are popular with hunters in their states. Hunters say they favor the gun for its versatility, accuracy and customizable features for shooting animals. This group explains that AR-15s and AR-10s can be effective in hunting pigs, goats, jackrabbits, elk, coyotes, and deer. In Pennsylvania, where semiautomatic rifles are allowed for hunting, 374,690 deer were harvested in 2019.
Like many other “wars” imposed on American citizens, the “war on guns” would disproportionately affect working class citizens and minorities. Many in these groups would find themselves incapable of paying for the ability to practice a constitutional right of theirs. It’s appalling to assume that these citizens should be given a lesser ability to defend themselves, their family, and this country. This law would create massive practical and financial hurdles to the innate right of self-defense. These kinds of government-made hurdles, notoriously, create larger gaps between wealthy and working-class Americans. Only this time, the gap is not only characterized by income inequality, but will also create a gap in these groups’ access to a fundamental, individual, constitutional right.
The government’s power to control its citizens derives from its power to tax, and this law is a perfect representation of that reality.
The $200 gun tax suggests certain assumptions by Biden and other leftist politicians, made about working-class Americans and their ability to responsibly own firearms. The Second Amendment is a right held by all Americans, not just wealthy ones.
I better register my KMA-15.
Hell yes he’s coming for your guns!
Leftists hate the 2nd Amendment more than any other part of the Constitution.
With it we have the ability to resist their tyranny.
Red state resistance would happen. Govs would say no.
The Left hates the Constitution in total. They see #1 and #2 as chief obstacles to getting the rest eliminated.
Barack Hussein Obama hated that the Constitution put a limit on the powers of government. He said as much.
He also used the courts to circumvent the Constitution and Legislative process.
“...shall not be infringed.”
Like they did in 94? Won’t happen, it’ll be lockstep from biden to the beat cop.
They can bring it. No way red area state sheriffs enforce this.
Not in red states. Sherifs are already refusing to enforce in red areas of blue states.
The AWB was enforced entirely. If you think there will be some ‘protection’ against this by sheriffs or anyone else you’re deluding yourself. What they say during an election and what they actually do, which is getting arrests, is completely different.
What everybody needs to understand is this:
In order to make semiautomatic rifles and pistols fall under the NFA, a new law has to be passed. If Biden gets elected and he has majorities in both the House and the Senate, they will easily do this.
But what has not been publicly discussed by the Biden campaign is that in addition to classifying all existing semiautomatic rifles (and handguns) as NFA items, they also want to follow the FOPA of 1986 example (that banned any new machine guns from being added to the roster) and only register EXISTING semiautos, but not allow any new semiautos to be registered.
Also what has not been publicly discussed by the Biden campaign is that if they have the ability to add semiautos to the NFA, then they will also have the ability to change the $200 tax (first established in 1934 and has never been raised) to an inflation-adjusted $3,900 in 2020 dollars, OR EVEN HIGHER.
If you had to pay a $4,000 tax per firearm, how many of your existing semi-autos could you afford to register? How many would you be economically forced to turn in to the "voluntary" buyback?
Both of these moves would effectively ban semiautomatic firearm ownership.
They cant stop 60 million people from keeping their guns, and not regesring. Texans would move toward open rebellion against Biden. Gun control in 1984 was more popular than now.
80% Arms.
It’s easy and fun to do.
I kinda have to laugh at those that dismiss this and that some white knight is going to save their guns by not enforcing it.
The days of private gun ownership in the US are extremely limited. If biden doesn’t get in, whenever a dem does they’ll do exactly what you say.
He is going to cause a violent reaction. They can’t stop millions of us.
“If you had to pay a $4,000 tax per firearm, how many of your existing semi-autos could you afford to register? How many would you be economically forced to turn in to the “voluntary” buyback?
Both of these moves would effectively ban semiautomatic firearm ownership. “
My plan would be to completely strip all parts from the lowers with serial numbers.
That’s the “weapon”. Oh and I “destroyed the mags”. No way to track those...
Again 80% ARMS.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.