Bloomberg wants to know what it would take for the US to follow New Zealand and ban semi-automatics

Just six days after a mass shooter killed 49 people at two mosques in New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced all assault weapons and “military-style automatic weapons” would be banned, and there would be a mandatory buy-back program to get every weapon out of the hands of New Zealand’s citizens.

Plenty of Americans cheered, among them 2020 presidential candidates, apparently impressed with how quickly a government could just unilaterally clamp down on its citizens’ freedoms in response to something that had already happened and couldn’t be prevented.

Now Bloomberg is asking what it would take for America to do the same? First clue: this is America, not New Zealand.

It took New Zealand just 6 days to ban semi-automatic rifles after the mass shooting of 50 people last week.

What will it take for the U.S. to follow in its footsteps? https://t.co/14VSSOsuAB via @bopinion

— Bloomberg (@business) March 23, 2019

Somehow that didn't bring any victims back to life https://t.co/iU79gapQrE

— Now I have a machine gun HO HO HO (@jose_gill) March 23, 2019

It took them the same amount of days to prosecute you if you happen to possess a copy of the manifesto. I'd argue it's very hard to have a system that can achieve the former without also having the power to achieve the latter. https://t.co/VIbD6kBuyQ

— neontaster (@neontaster) March 23, 2019

And right after they finished with that they banned free speech. See how that works, cupcake? https://t.co/LQzhGOJUXv

— Rob Tam (@robtr2) March 24, 2019

They also banned books, websites and threatened to jail people for talking about it or sharing the video.

A tyrannical deserves zero compliments. Period. https://t.co/CGplFtyeXz

— The Dank Knight ? (@capeandcowell) March 24, 2019

It took New Zealand just six days to put people in jail for talking about things they didn't want people to talk about.

You seriously are the enemy of all Americans. https://t.co/EzI75RrTuK

— Sensurround (S/PDIF via TOSlink) (@BBC_dip) March 24, 2019

What would it take to ram through a sweeping and unconstitutional ban of the most commonly owned rifle in the US, including requiring gun owners to turn them in?

You just need Dems in charge of the legislative and executive branches. Now, enforcing that law’s a different story. https://t.co/jc9OawF5hd

— Cam Edwards (@CamEdwards) March 24, 2019

Well we would have to get rid of the Constitution and forgo that whole natural rights thing and then fight a guerrilla civil war with all the gun owners who refuse to give up their firearms https://t.co/NeTKIJz1Kd

— jake (@secretaryofjake) March 23, 2019

Maybe because they know tyranny well enough, New Zealand has yet to experience a 1776. https://t.co/DrJhYYbuUA

— Malachi Safford (@1MalachiD) March 23, 2019

The repeal of the second amendment and a civil war. https://t.co/shjbFDXW1n

— Rev. Ducati ? (@Reverend_Ducati) March 23, 2019

Repeal of 2A and armed resistance to firearms confiscation.
So, civil war. https://t.co/l4NiRGTJtA

— ❤️ Jayvie ❤️ (@OneFineJay) March 24, 2019

Well, for starters, another civil war https://t.co/iheyErAzCP

— The H2 (@TheH2) March 24, 2019

A massive, bloody war that will significantly reduce the amount of people who are against citizen-owned firearms. https://t.co/fMyFX9LPcz

— AJ Powers (@aj_powers) March 24, 2019

Lots of gun power. Too bad you are telling Lefties to submit. https://t.co/XSuXlU08Ai

— Terry O' (@IrishTea1) March 24, 2019

Get a grip, America is not New Zealand. And good luck picking up all those semiautomatic rifles. Have fun with that. https://t.co/Ni3iAxtCkZ

— Tim Krieg (@timkrieg_tim) March 23, 2019

But it’s a “mandatory” buy-back.

Related:

Bernie Sanders among those impressed by New Zealand’s insta-ban on assault weapons https://t.co/LgVrk61yyP

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 21, 2019