82 SEPTEMBER 2019 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN
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Photo by Forrest MacCormackLiving In La-La Land:
Joe Biden’s Alternate Reality
A
nti-gun folks typically characterize
their gun-control restrictions as
“common sense” and “responsible”
regardless of how poorly grounded in reality
these “solutions” tend to be, or how little
their proponents understand what these
measures will do—like the gun-control
supporters at one event who, when asked,
were unable to explain what an AR-15 is.
A related, recurring theme is their claim
that the gun community opposes these
incredible “gun-safety” measures due to
blind, reflexive obstructionism, rather than
because of any actual concerns about the
merits of their proposals.
In June, current presidential candidate and
former vice president, Joe Biden provided a
stunning example of this kind of irresponsible
rhetoric. According to a newspaper source,
Biden outlined his proposals for gun control
to a select group of donors at a posh Upper
East Side penthouse in New York City.
“[I]f that happens,” he said, “guns, we have
the capacity now in a James Bond-style to
make sure no one can pull a trigger unless
their DNA and fingerprint is on it. ...We have
that capacity to do it now. You know it.” He
added that “the gun manufacturers” had
pulled the plug on this technology as soon as
“two folks started to sell some of those guns
to two dealerships”—apparently because
of some misplaced apprehension over the
Second Amendment.
During the second night of the first
debates between Democratic Party
presidential candidates, Biden went even
further, claiming that he would impose a
ban on the sale of any firearm that wasn’t a
so-called smart gun: “No gun should be able
to be sold unless your biometric measure
could pull that trigger. It’s within our right to
do that.”
As we’ve pointed out many times before,
the “James Bond-style” technology that
Biden enthuses over does not actually exist.There is no gun that incorporates both
DNA and fingerprint verification technology.
No firearm technology requires a “DNA
match” before the gun can fire, and this
isn’t a feasible option in any event. DNA
extraction and analysis is currently a complex
and time-consuming process involving
specialized equipment—which means it is
completely unworkable as the basis of any
design intended to allow immediate access
to and use of a gun. A handgun using a
biometric-fingerprint sensor is reportedly in
development, but has some significant flaws.
It depends on a rechargeable battery. The
sensor can’t recognize a dirty fingerprint or
someone wearing gloves, and the prototype
only works for right-handed shooters. Like
the teleportation transporter in Star Trek, the
magic wands in Harry Potter or Iron Man’s
suit, we do not “have the capacity now.”
It’s no wonder that America’s gun owners
continue to reject Biden’s make-believe ideas
on gun control.ILA Grassroots:
(800) 392-8683NRA-ILA: (703) 267-1170NRA-ILA website: nraila.orgIN MEMORY NRA-ILA CONTRIBUTIONS
June 1 – June 30, 2019
Myke Williams, Owasso, OK (from: Mrs. Kay Williams); Calvin Glotfelty, Baltimore, MD (from: Baltimore County Game & Fish
Protective Association Inc.); Christopher Donahoo, Rising Sun, MD (from: Baltimore County Game & Fish Protective Association Inc.);
John Szymanski, Baltimore, MD (from: Baltimore County Game & Fish Protective Association Inc.); Jerry Scholl, Yonkers, NY (from:
Linda and Louis Cersosim); Paul A. Lipp, Decatur, TX (from: William A. Lipp); Mike DelFino, St. James, NY (from: Eleanor DelFino);
Kenneth H. Knapp, Rhinebeck, NY (from: Northern Dutchess Rod & Gun Club Inc.); Charles Houser, Tamaqua, PA (from: Darryl G.
Guy); William L. Heckert, Mechanicsburg, PA (from: James Powell); George Alves, Titusville, FL (from: Warren and Vickie Alves);
James W. Fahlsing, Richmond, IN (from: Mrs. Sharon Fahlsing).