Increasing taxes on gun manufacturers will reduce gun and ammunition sales and bring in new federal revenue that we can use for both gun violence prevention and enforcement of existing gun laws. Together, we can hold gun manufacturers accountable.https://t.co/BsL6FMkgh0— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) August 10, 2019
“We do not sell military-style rifles, and we believe the reauthorization of the Assault Weapons ban should be debated to determine its effectiveness in keeping weapons made for war out of the hands of mass murderers,” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in prepared remarks on Thursday. “We must also do more to understand the root causes that lead to this type of violent behavior.”
Access to guns is the primary "root cause." It's as simple as that. The Gilroy Garlic Festival shooter, at a public event with a large police presence, was able to kill 4 people and wound 13 others in the time it took police to respond. That kind of slaughter is impossible with anything but a firearm. You can't terrorize a busy shopping mall with a knife, not the way you can with a gun. The fundamental root cause of "this type of violent behavior" that government can control is access to weapons and to ammunition. Maybe government should do something to counter the culture of violence, but violence is as American as cherry pie. Government can't change hearts, but it can change access to weaponry. It's really that simple.
As the mayor of Philadelphia said:
"Our officers deserve to be protected and they don't deserve to be shot at by a guy for hours with an unlimited supply of weapons and an unlimited supply of bullets. It's disgusting and we got to do something about it ... quickly," the mayor said. "This government, both on federal and state level, don't want to do anything about getting these guns off the streets and getting them out of the hands of criminals."
You want to end that? Tax ammunition. You may have a "right to keep and bear arms." You don't have an untrammeled, tax-free, right to reload.
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