Reprinted with permission from AlterNet.
Speaking before a gathering of the National Rifle Association, President Donald Trump tried to defend gun rights Friday by comparing firearms to automobiles — but he actually demonstrated the exact opposite point of the argument he was trying to make.
“It seems that if we’re going to outlaw guns, like so many people want to do — Democrats!” he said. “Then we are going to have to outlaw, immediately, all vans and all trucks, which are now the new form of death for the maniac terrorists.”
Aside from the fact that no mainstream Democratic figures have even come close to advocating for abolishing gun ownership, and aside from the fact that trucks and vans serve many beneficial purposes while guns’ primary purpose is to injure and kill, this argument actually shows the need for stricter gun laws.
Trucks, vans, and all other automobiles are actually strictly regulated by the government. Users must be licensed to drive them by the government, no matter what state they’re in. Owners must insure their vehicles, and they must undergo inspection and meet strict safety standards. And every car must be registered in a system that allows law enforcement to strictly track who owns a car, where it is kept, and when it is sold.
Adding just a few of these measures to a national gun control regime would be a massive improvement on the current landscape of firearm safety regulation. And the reasons we have to regulate guns in this way are the same reasons we regulate cars: They’re extremely dangerous and account for a significant number of deaths and injuries every year, and it would be a major achievement for the public if these harms could be reduced.
Watch the clip below:
Pres. Trump: If people want to outlaw guns, “we are going to have to outlaw, immediately, all vans and all trucks, which are now the new form of death for the maniac terrorists.” https://t.co/Ok10N3hkSQ pic.twitter.com/mODN3jirNp
— ABC News (@ABC) May 4, 2018
