Bernie Sanders Pushes Gun Control: ‘We Must Follow New Zealand’s Lead’
Socialist White House hopeful urges Trump to take action on assault weapons
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2020 White House hopeful Bernie Sanders has urged the Trump administration to take action on gun control and ban assault weapons following the deadly terrorist attack in New Zealand where a gunman opened fire on two mosques.
Independent Vermont Senator said there should be “real action to stop gun violence."
In a tweet, Sanders insisted that the United States should follow the recent actions of New Zealand, which has tightened up its already-strict gun laws by banning assault rifles in the country.
“This is what real action to stop gun violence looks like. We must follow New Zealand’s lead, take on the NRA and ban the sale and distribution of assault weapons in the United States,” tweeted Sanders.
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Citing an article in the Washington Post detailing New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announcement on banning semiautomatics, Sander's used the move to prop up his argument.
Arden declared she plans to buyback weapons that are already in circulation, as well as prosecuting anyone who doesn't comply with the ban.
“On 15 March, our history changed forever. Now, our laws will, too,” Ardern said, according to the Post.
“We are announcing action today on behalf of all New Zealanders to strengthen our gun laws and make our country a safer place.”
Sander's stance on gun control seemed to harden following the Parkland shootings in February 2018, in which 17 people were killed.
A New York Times article also pushed the gun control narrative.
That’s what effective leadership looks like. New Zealand’s cabinet has now agreed in principle to overhaul those laws, experts are reviewing ways to make the country safer from firearms and, Ardern promised, “within ten days of this horrific act of terrorism, we will have announced reforms.”
This is what real action to stop gun violence looks like. We must follow New Zealand's lead, take on the NRA and ban the sale and distribution of assault weapons in the United States. https://t.co/lSAisDG9Ur
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 21, 2019
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Contrast that with the United States, where just since 1970, more Americans have died from guns (1.45 million, including murders, suicides, and accidents) than died in all the wars in American history (1.4 million).
More Americans die from guns every ten weeks than killed in the entire Afghanistan and Iraq wars combined, yet we still don’t have gun safety rules as rigorous as New Zealand’s even before the mosques were attacked.
Last week, Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez jumped on the events for pushing gun control.
The progressive Democrat seemingly blamed the American NRA and US gun laws on the shooting, even though the Australian nation had a stricter firearms legislation that the US.
In February, House Democrats passed sweeping new legislation aimed at restricting gun sales by expanding background checks to virtually all firearm trades.
The move by the Democrat-led House on Wednesday broke a years-long stalemate over gun control laws.
