On Tuesday, President Biden gave a speech discussing gun violence in America, during which he called for a reinstatement of the notoriously ineffective Federal Assault Weapons Ban and told Americans that they would need “an F-15” if they wanted to protect themselves against the U.S. federal government.
“I’m determined to ban assault weapons in this country. Determined. I did it once before, and I’ll do it again,” Biden said, referring to the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which was in place from 1994-2004, and had virtually no effect on firearm homicide rates, according to a 2014 study. In fact, the study found that “murder rates were 19.3% higher when the Federal ban was in effect.”
Biden then said the rights protected by the Second Amendment are limited, adding, “Right now, you can’t go on and buy an automatic weapon. You can’t go out and buy a cannon.” It should be noted, however, that you actually can buy a cannon. As explained by Charles Cooke at National Review, “If the cannon you want to buy was manufactured before 1898 (i.e., it’s a muzzle loading model), you can do so without regulation. If it’s a ‘saluting cannon,’ it’s also exempt. And if it’s neither a ‘saluting cannon’ nor a pre-1898 model, you need to pay a $200 tax stamp, fill in some forms, wait a bit, and . . . well, that’s it. Cannon are categorized as ‘destructive devices’ under the 1934 National Firearms Act, and they’re legal under federal law and in most states. You may have to jump through a few hoops to get one, but get one you assuredly can.”
Biden then went on to warn American gunowners that they would need “an F-15” if they want to be able to protect themselves against the federal government.
“And for those brave, right-wing Americans who say it’s all about keeping America — keeping America as independent and safe: If you want to fight against a country, you need an F-15,” Biden said. “You need something a little more than a gun. No, I’m not joking. Think about this. Think about the rationale we use — that’s used to provide this. And who are they shooting at? They’re shooting at these guys behind me.”
Notably, James Madison, a Founding Father and the fourth President of the United States, warned in Federalist 46 against the argument that Americans would be unable to defend their rights against the government, writing, “Let us not insult the free and gallant citizens of America with the suspicion, that they would be less able to defend the rights of which they would be in actual possession, than the debased subjects of arbitrary power would be to rescue theirs from the hands of their oppressors.”
He also explained that the sole purpose of the Second Amendment was to ensure the American people would have the power to defend themselves against a tyrannical government. Madison explains, “a standing army can be carried in any country, does not exceed one hundredth part of the whole number of souls; or one twenty-fifth part of the number able to bear arms.” He added that Americans have “the advantage of being armed,” compared to the people of other nations.