The Biden administration is stepping up its war against the right to keep and bear arms. On Saturday, Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Parkland, Florida, to stand on the graves of the children who perished in a tragic school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School six years ago.
The vice president spoke at the school, pushing for red flag laws and other restrictions on lawful gun ownership ostensibly to combat gun violence. During her visit, she touted a brand spanking new anti-gunner initiative: The National Extreme Risk Order Resource Center.
The new office is supposedly aimed at helping local and state law enforcement agencies enforce red flag laws to stop mass shootings and other forms of violence before they happen. Naturally, not everyone is on board with this anti-gun endeavor.
Gun Owners of America, a pro-gun rights organization, wrote a post on X, accusing the White House of weaponizing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, while taking a shot at Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) who supported the legislation.
Conservative radio talk show host Dana Loesch also chimed in, referring to the center as “an attack on due process,” and pointing out that “existing law” already “provides a way to adjudicate someone ineligible.”
Conservative influencer Mike Cernovich slammed the new center and bashed Republicans who “voted to fund this gun confiscation operation against the American people.”
The Libertarian Party also weighed in on the move, vowing to “resist this until the end of time.”
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who is not one to mince words when it comes to violations of natural rights, also responded, referencing the massive omnibus spending package recently passed in both chambers of Congress.
The Justice Department announced the formation of the new center on Saturday, touting it as a way to “keep firearms out of the hands of individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others.”
On Saturday, the Justice Department announced the formation of a "National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center" to help train local officials to enforce these laws.
“The launch of the National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center will provide our partners across the country with valuable resources to keep firearms out of the hands of individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The establishment of the Center is the latest example of the Justice Department’s work to use every tool provided by the landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to protect communities from gun violence.”
However, red flag laws have been roundly criticized by supporters of gun rights, who argue that they are ineffective and make it easier to violate people’s Second Amendment rights.
Indeed, as Loesch pointed out, there are already existing laws aimed at stopping bad actors from obtaining firearms. Moreover, in most of the high-profile mass shootings that have taken place over recent years, the shooter had exhibited signs that they were experiencing mental health problems that could turn them into a threat. These signs were ignored by law enforcement even after they were made aware of them.