Biden on Second Amendment: When It Was Passed, 'You Couldn't Buy a Cannon'

Authored by newsweek.com and submitted by Sweep145

President Joe Biden on Monday briefly discussed new gun control options, including a potential ban on assault weapons. He said the Second Amendment of the Constitution, which protects the right to keep and bear arms, "was never absolute."

"You couldn't buy a cannon when the Second Amendment was passed," Biden said. "You couldn't go out and purchase a lot of weaponry."

The president's remarks were made to reporters outside the White House after he had returned from Uvalde, Texas. On Sunday, he and first lady Jill Biden comforted families in the Texas city who lost loved ones in the mass shooting at an elementary school on Tuesday. In that massacre, authorities say 18-year-old Salvador Ramos killed 21 people—including 19 children—using an AR-15 assault rifle. Ramos was killed by law enforcement officers.

Biden has pledged to take measures to help prevent such tragedies in the future.

"It makes no sense to be able to purchase something that can fire up to 300 rounds," Biden said on Monday. "The idea of these high caliber weapons—there's simply no rational basis for it in terms of, about self-protection, hunting—and, remember, the Constitution, the Second Amendment was never absolute."

The Bidens visited Robb Elementary School, the scene of the deadly shooting, during their visit to Uvalde. The Associated Press reported that Jill Biden left a bouquet of white flowers for a memorial set up outside the school, and the couple later attended Mass at a local church where several victims' families are members.

The AP wrote that as the president was leaving the church, a crowd of around 100 people outside began chanting "Do something." Biden responded, "We will."

On Monday, Biden told reporters he made a point of not discussing any potential legislation with Republican lawmakers during his Texas trip and instead focused on consoling families who had lost loved ones. However, he said changes would need to be addressed to current gun laws.

NBC News noted Biden seemingly referenced a previous federal assault rifle ban, which expired during former President George W. Bush's administration in 2004, as having affected gun deaths.

"I know what happened when we had rational action before," he said, adding the ban "cut down mass murders."

"So, it's just, as I say, I think things have gotten so bad that everybody's getting more rational about it," Biden said. "At least, that's my hope and prayer."

Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment.

StarblasterGC on May 31st, 2022 at 00:34 UTC »

Own a musket for home defense, since that's what the founding fathers intended. Four ruffians break into my house. "What the devil?" As I grab my powdered wig and Kentucky rifle. Blow a golf ball sized hole through the first man, he's dead on the spot. Draw my pistol on the second man, miss him entirely because it's smoothbore and nails the neighbors dog. I have to resort to the cannon mounted at the top of the stairs loaded with grape shot, "Tally ho lads" the grape shot shreds two men in the blast, the sound and extra shrapnel set off car alarms. Fix bayonet and charge the last terrified rapscallion. He Bleeds out waiting on the police to arrive since triangular bayonet wounds are impossible to stitch up. Just as the founding fathers intended.

hymen_destroyer on May 30th, 2022 at 21:43 UTC »

I get the spirit of this comment but there were absolutely privately owned cannon in the late 18th century

bismark89-2 on May 30th, 2022 at 19:32 UTC »

I did look this up. Today in the US, you can legally buy a cannon manufactured before 1898 without any form of paperwork. By todays standards, it’s considered an antique not capable of firing modern fixed ammunition.