The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is a federal law enforcement agency that is not well-received among those who fight to protect our Second Amendment rights. And rightfully so. If Democrats had their way, this agency would be expanded and part of the effort to confiscate firearms the Left views as “scary” looking. To use their lexicon, those “assault weapons” they rail against on a daily basis. This is the agency that will maintain the gun registries that would serve as the logistical blueprint for gun grabbers. And right now, they’re planning the largest gun registration push in American history. Yes, you read that right. And it’s happening under President Trump’s watch. Stephen Gutowski has more at the Washington Free Beacon [emphasis mine]:
New guidance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) could put millions of Americans in legal jeopardy.
The ATF published a notice Thursday that could require millions of AR-15 pistols and similar firearms—which are designed with braces that strap on to a shooter's forearm—to be either registered, turned in, destroyed, or dismantled. But the standards laid out for determining the devices' legality, such as caliber or weight, provide no objective measures, and the agency said it may also use undisclosed factors to judge the legality of the devices.
The agency conceded in the notice that some pistol braces are legal and should not be subject to the registration or destruction requirement. It said, however, that it could not provide a blanket determination for which pistols, or braces with which they're often equipped, are legal and said it would have to examine each gun "on a case-by-case basis." That means owners of the vast majority of the estimated three to four million AR-15 pistols and similar firearms may have to register with the ATF.
Second Amendment advocates were up in arms over the proposed rule, saying the uncertain legal status could destroy several businesses that make pistol braces and harm the gun industry. Erich Pratt, senior vice president of Gun Owners of America (GOA), said the subjective nature of the guidance shows that the "ATF has gone off into the deep end."
It's unclear why the Trump Administration has turned a blind eye to what the ATF is doing. With the gun-rights movement and gun industry up in arms, it's odd to see them remain silent. https://t.co/EBZynDBdIm
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) December 18, 2020
President Trump backed the ATF’s push to ban bump stocks, but this is different. This is the destruction of businesses and a gross infringement on Second Amendment rights. It’s the forced compliance for millions of law-abiding citizens to be included in a government database for merely exercising their constitutional rights. And Trump is AWOL. To makes matters worse, Joe Biden will be sworn in as the next president of the United States in January. Right now, with an incoming Biden presidency, there’s really no room to mount an effective defense other than exposing what this agency plans to do. Under Biden, these intrusive and unconstitutional action items against gun owners and Second Amendment rights will be jacked up on steroids paid for by Mike Bloomberg and his Everytown harem.
And so, what if this regulation is nixed under Trump, hypothetically, in the waning days of his administration. Biden would just push for it again when he’s in the Oval, along with other items attached. Gun control is going to be attempted at some point in the next four years—and it’ll be more aggressive than Obama’s failed push in 2020 post-Sandy Hook.
Look, elections have consequences. That cuts both ways, but in this case, when you push an agenda that shreds the Bill of Rights, fight to the death. That starts with non-compliance with this unenforceable regulation. And if Democrats want to attempt to go door-to-door on this, please try it. The entire judiciary has had a conservative facelift over the past four years—big league.
