In the wake of the mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado, Democrats have called for stricter anti-Second Amendment legislation. They believe that “common sense” gun control laws — like a ban on “assault weapons” and “high capacity” magazines, as well as universal background checks — could have prevented the tragedy. What they either fail to realize or intentionally ignore is that current gun control policies — like background checks — failed to stop the heinous crime. What makes this failure even worse is that they refuse to hold their own accountable.
Just look at Hunter Biden.
Over the weekend, Hunter admitted in an interview with CBS News’ Tracy Smith that he took drugs and drank vodka during the peak of his addiction, to the point where he “spent more time on” his “hands and knees picking through rugs smoking anything that resembled crack cocaine.”
This admission came after it was revealed that the widow of Beau Biden, Hallie Biden, allegedly took Hunter Biden’s firearm and threw it in a dumpster behind a Delaware grocery store. Police investigated out of concern the gun could be used in a crime, particularly because the grocery store was in close proximity to a school. When Hallie returned to retrieve the firearm, it was gone, and it is alleged that the Secret Service in Delaware helped cover up the incident.
“Secret Service agents approached the owner of the store where Hunter bought the gun and asked to take the paperwork involving the sale, according to two people, one of whom has firsthand knowledge of the episode and the other was briefed by a Secret Service agent after the fact,” Politico reported at the time. “The gun store owner refused to supply the paperwork, suspecting that the Secret Service officers wanted to hide Hunter’s ownership of the missing gun in case it were to be involved in a crime, the two people said. The owner, Ron Palmieri, later turned over the papers to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, which oversees federal gun laws.”
It also appears that Hunter Biden lied on his 4473 form, the ATF document that is used to perform a background check through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Section 21.e. of the form asks about drug use, something that would automatically disqualify Hunter from legally obtaining a firearm.
“21.e. Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?” the form asks. “Warning: The use or possession of marijuana remains unlawful under Federal law regardless of whether it has been legalized or decriminalized for medicinal or recreational purposes in the state where you reside.”
Failing to provide truthful answers on a 4473 form can result in fines up to $250,000 and/or 10 years in prison.
Of course, the very people who are pushing for stricter gun control laws have remained entirely silent on Hunter Biden’s apparent abuse of gun control processes. The hypocrisy is glaring, given that the anti-gun Democrats claim they simply want to prevent criminals from obtaining firearms. If that were the case, they would prosecute Hunter Biden to the full extent of the law, and demonstrate that government officials were serious about cracking down on illegal firearm purchases made through legal channels.
Surely prosecuting prohibited possessors is a move every single American — regardless of how they feel about firearms or who their father is — can agree on?
Beth Baumann is a Political Reporter at The Daily Wire. Follow her on Twitter @eb454.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.