Democratic Presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke has effectively isolated a large voting population when he said “hell yes” we will take your AR-15’s and AK-47’s. He has not only not backed down, but has increased his aggression towards gun owners. Anderson Cooper asked Beto at the fourth Democratic presidential debate how he would keep his promise to confiscate “weapons of war” from gun owners who don’t participate in a mandatory buyback program. Beto’s response:
“If someone does not turn in an AR-15 or an AK-47, one of these weapons of war, or brings it out in public to brandishes it in an attempt to intimidate, as we saw when we were at Kent State recently, then that weapon will be taken from them. If they persist, there will be other consequences from law enforcement.”
He continued, “But the expectation is that Americans will follow the law. I believe in this country. I believe in my fellow Americans. I believe that they will do the right thing.”
O’Rourke went on MSNBC this morning where Joe Scarborough asked what Beto would do under a specific scenario where “a rancher in Texas” did not comply because they felt it was an “unfair and unjust law and it’s unconstitutional.” So, “What’s the next step? I think that’s what we need to concede because there will be people that don’t turn their guns back in, what’s the next step for the federal government there?” Scarborough asked.
Beto answered confirming that yes, in fact police will be sent to ones home. Additionally, who are these gun owners that “concede” their lawful ownership of firearms to him? Beto responded:
In any law that is not followed or flagrantly abused there have to be consequences or else there is no respect for the law so in that case I think there would be a visit by law enforcement to recover that firearm and to make sure that it is purchased, bought back so that it cannot be potentially used against somebody else…
…But my faith is in this country and my fellow Americans following the law. And listening to people who own AK-47s and AR-15s who acknowledge, who concede they don’t need it for self protection, they don’t need it to hunt, it’s real purpose and use is on a battlefield.
