Many on Twitter are up in arms over gun control once again, thanks to an NRA post warning Americans that their semi-automatic rifles would be taken away should Joe Biden win the upcoming US presidential vote.
The National Rifle Association has apparently sought to remind Americans about the Democratic Party presidential candidate’s stated plans to crack down on gun ownership. However, it appears instead to have reignited the interminable controversy over the future of gun control instead.
“If Joe Biden wins – Mike Bloomberg wins – and Beto O'Rourke will be knocking on your door for your AR-15,” the NRA wrote in a Twitter post, referring to Biden’s “plan to end gun violence epidemic,” which, according to his campaign website, includes a ban on the manufacture and sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines as well as a buy-back program for those already owning these.
If Joe Biden wins – Mike Bloomberg wins – and Beto O'Rourke will be knocking on your door for your AR-15.
— NRA (@NRA) September 22, 2020
The tweet also hinted at Biden’s support of Beto O'Rourke – a man known for saying “hell, yes, we are going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.” That was what the Democratic congressman and the former presidential candidate said at a Houston primary debate in September 2019.
In March, Biden said O'Rourke was “going to take care of the gun problem” as he received the congressman’s endorsement.
The NRA post immediately triggered a heated debate and ‘AR-15’ quickly got into the list of top trending Twitter topics in the US, as thousands of people turned to social media say their piece on the issue.
The NRA message had indeed triggered America’s gun rights advocates, who rushed to social media to declare their adherence to the Second Amendment and to argue that they need their guns to protect their lives and properties.
The AR-15 is the most popular rifle in America. It is NOT used in war zones!
— Libertarian-In-Chief (@ToddHagopian) September 23, 2020
The rhetoric in the #2A debate is disgusting/misleading
The founders did not write the 2nd amendment for deer hunting, they wrote it so that we’d be equipped to keep a tyrannical Government in check!
Tell me more about how I don’t need an AR-15 https://t.co/n2wtz1UKgT
— Kelb Hull (@CalebJHull) September 20, 2020
Dear @JoeBiden:
— Omar Navarro (@RealOmarNavarro) September 23, 2020
AR-15 is protected by the Constitution.
RT!
Yet, it also sparked an outpouring of support for Biden from gun control advocates, arguing that the semi-automatic rifles do much more harm than good and adding that ordinary Americans just have no need for such a weapon.
Come get ‘em. pic.twitter.com/dqe0cgJNJQ
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) September 23, 2020
If you need an AR-15 and you're not in the Military—you have a "being human" problem.
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) September 22, 2020
Super hill, ghouls. https://t.co/MZifmAFrpl
The AR 15 used to kill my daughter was DEFINITELY the problem. The NRA who pushed sales of these weapons to those who intend to kill is DEFINITELY also the problem. https://t.co/vShIjBZcdr
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) September 17, 2020
There were also those who sought to take the middle ground and declared that they are all for gun rights but the likes of the AR-15 should be banned.
You don’t need to have AR 15s. The 2nd amendment allows our government to regulate what kind of weapons civilians should have, there are plenty of civilian type weapons every American can own to be able to defend themselves. You don’t need weapons meant for war.
— David ex Trump voter for Biden Weissman (@davidmweissman) September 22, 2020
Others argued that the whole issue is a nothing-burger, since Biden is unlikely to move beyond his campaign promises in this field anyway. Some people were just seemingly thrilled at the prospect of O'Rourke paying them a visit and even jokingly promised to buy AR-15 just to get the congressman knocking at their door.
Sweet! Beto's coming to all our houses. https://t.co/sZZa5zKWym
— Hemant Mehta (@hemantmehta) September 22, 2020
Honestly, having Beto O’Rourke and Cory Booker show up at my house to talk about gun safety and affordable housing is a Tiger Beat dream come true. https://t.co/lKIm28kQl0
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) September 23, 2020
Sorry, but I don't own an assault rifle. Should I run out and buy one before Beto shows up?
— Benjamin Dreyer (@BCDreyer) September 23, 2020
It is not the first time the NRA sought to mobilize gun rights advocates against Biden; the former Vice President and the association have never seen eye to eye anyway. In late August, the NRA claimed that Biden would “destroy our Second Amendment” altogether if he wins the elections and “America will become unrecognizable.”
Biden himself did not hesitate to “take on” the NRA either – all while repeatedly saying that he would proceed with his plans to ban assault rifles.
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