Share
Commentary

Kamala Harris Spotted Being Protected by Type of Gun She Wants Banned

Share

Protection for me, not for thee.

That’s the message being sent by Kamala Harris, senator from California and your Democratic vice presidential nominee. In fact, many would argue she’s running to be the president-in-waiting as opposed to the vice president.

Harris was in Florida last week, a critical state for the ticket to win. There was plenty of news to come out of the trip, but not entirely noticed by many was who was surrounding Harris.

I’m not talking about politicians or cultural figures. I’m talking about her security:

Trending:
Hillary Clinton Jumps Into Trump 'Bloodbath' Frenzy with a Question, Doesn't Want to Hear the Answers

Yes, there were plenty of well-armed police and other law enforcement officers around her, including at least one guard armed with what Democrats are fond of referring to as a “weapon of war” or “assault weapon.”

According to the U.K. Daily Mail, a Secret Service agent with the AR-15-style gun was seen helping to protect Harris as she left Florida Memorial University on Sept. 10.

As the outlet pointed out, during her presidential campaign, Harris took a hardline stance on gun control.

“Upon being elected, I will give the United States Congress 100 days to get their act together and have the Courage to pass reasonable gun safety laws. And if they fail to do it, then I will take executive action,” she said during a CNN town hall.

“We need reasonable gun safety laws in this country, starting with universal background checks and a renewal of the assault weapon ban,” she added, according to The New York Times, “but they have failed to have the courage to act.”

As primary-season vows to ban your guns go, Harris’ promise was somewhat overshadowed by Beto O’Rourke’s “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47” line. However, it shouldn’t have been for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that Harris is now in position to be Biden’s No. 2 (or No. 1b, depending on how you parse the Biden-Harris ticket) should they win in November.

Her vow was essentially a pledge to tell the Republicans to enact her gun control measures or she’d do it for them via executive order. (It is, however, unclear whether Harris planned to use executive action to implement an outright ban on so-called “assault weapons.” According to Politico, she vowed to ban the importation of such firearms “until the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives can analyze whether they should be permanently banned under U.S. law.”)

This Constitution-baiting proposal was essentially asking Congress to put its imprimatur on her plans without debate or she’d just enact them. And remember, this isn’t just Harris — Biden wants to ban AR-15-style so-called “assault weapons” as well:

Related:
Joe Biden Gets New 'Transport' Shoes That Have to Be Seen to Be Believed

Of course, Harris is the cogent member of the duo the Democrats are putting forth for the presidency, so one might assume she could accomplish a bit more.

And yes, as the U.K. Daily Mail pointed out: “It’s worth noting, however, that Secret Service agents are trained and equipped to handle such a weapon.” To which I respond with four words: “Shall not be infringed.” I’m curious what part of that construct she has trouble understanding.

Oh yes, and she also had plenty of police protection. In fact, police came to Miami from as far as Homestead, Florida — some 30 miles away.

This is interesting because Harris has given signals she’s for defunding the police. She’s been cagey about the issue, telling “The View” back in June that “a big part of this conversation really is about reimagining how we do public safety in America, which I support,” according to CNN.

In an interview with The Times, she said this: “Many cities in our country spend one-third of their entire budget on policing. With all the responsibilities those cities have, one-third on policing? Put it in the context of the fact that over the last many decades, we have essentially been defunding public schools. If anyone thinks that the way we’re going to cure these problems is by putting more police on the street, they’re wrong.”

Will Kamala Harris eventually become president?

Another quote from Harris on the issue: “For far too long, the status quo thinking has been to believe that by putting more police on the street you’re going to have more safety. And that’s just wrong, that’s not how it works.”

It sometimes is, particularly when you look at tine increased crime in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, when police pulled back for a variety of reasons.

While Harris hasn’t come straight out and said she’s for defunding law enforcement, it’s clear that she supports shifting money away from law enforcement to different areas under the auspices of ending crime, which is a nice way of saying defunding.

Yes, but Kamala Harris is a vice presidential candidate and she needs heavy protection from law enforcement, right?

Well, yes. However, this kind of brings home the point: At some level, we’re all entitled to protection under the Second Amendment. For some of us, our firearms are all we have.

We’re not necessarily targets the way Harris is — but if we become targets, we don’t have the Secret Service or the police offering round-the-clock protection.

It’s also worth pointing out that this brought home a bedrock fact about gun control: You’re not getting rid of certain types of guns. You’re deciding who gets a monopoly on them.

One of the functions of the Second Amendment is that it allows citizens a certain degree of protection not only against intruders but also against their own government.

That’s something to remember as you watch Harris surrounded by men and women carrying the same guns her ticket wants to ban.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , , , , , , , ,
Share
C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he's written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014.
C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he's written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014. Aside from politics, he enjoys spending time with his wife, literature (especially British comic novels and modern Japanese lit), indie rock, coffee, Formula One and football (of both American and world varieties).
Birthplace
Morristown, New Jersey
Education
Catholic University of America
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Topics of Expertise
American Politics, World Politics, Culture




Conversation