Buckeye Reporter

The Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week has brought the party's official platform on gun control into focus. The Republican Party Platform, by contrast, provides a brief statement of support for the Second Amendment on page 6: "DEFEND OUR CONSTITUTION, OUR BILL OF RIGHTS, AND OUR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS, INCLUDING FREEDOM OF SPEECH, FREEDOM OF RELIGION, AND THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS." Interpretations of this statement may vary.

The Democratic Party Platform addresses gun control under the section titled "Healing the Soul of America," with a subsection named "Ending the Epidemic of Gun Violence." It describes gun violence as a public health crisis in the United States, citing over 100,000 people shot and nearly 40,000 deaths annually. The platform calls for various measures to address this issue.

Key proposals include universal background checks and ending online sales of guns and ammunition. Democrats also aim to close loopholes that allow certain individuals convicted of assault or battery to buy firearms and seek to prevent those convicted of hate crimes from possessing them. The platform supports banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and incentivizing states to enact licensing requirements for firearm ownership.

Additional measures include funding mental health care initiatives aimed at suicide reduction and interventions to reduce homicides. The party plans to ensure sufficient resources for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to study gun violence as a public health issue. Democrats also propose repealing laws that shield gun manufacturers from civil liability.

Dean Rieck is Executive Director of Buckeye Firearms Association and has shared his interpretation of these proposals. He argues that viewing firearms through a public health lens aims to sidestep constitutional protections for gun rights. He criticizes various elements such as universal background checks, bans on online sales, closing the Charleston loophole—which allows three days for background checks—and ownership bans based on hate crime convictions.

Rieck contends that an AR ban would violate the Second Amendment due to their popularity among rifle owners in the U.S., while mandated safe storage laws impose additional responsibilities on gun owners. He also raises concerns about extreme-risk protection order laws allowing authorities to seize firearms without due process.

Rieck concludes by urging voters who support gun rights to understand what their party advocates before casting their ballots.

Dean Rieck is Executive Director of Buckeye Firearms Association and host of Keep and Bear Radio podcast.

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