As Twitchy reported earlier, President Donald Trump followed through on a promise he made this spring to reclassify bump stocks as machine guns, thus making them illegal to possess.
Our question then was, just how close are we getting to confiscation, if something that was purchased legally suddenly becomes illegal to possess? The Washington Free Beacon’s Stephen Gutowski continued his thread from earlier after speaking with someone at the Justice Department.
I questioned senior DOJ officials on the bump stock ban and confiscation plan. I asked them about enforcement. I asked them about the logic of the ban. I asked them about the Takings Clause. Here is what they had to say: https://t.co/awdkp0xqAM
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) December 18, 2018
When asked how the DOJ plans to enforce the new ban, officials said they had no broad enforcement plans and would consider cases as they come up.
“We have no plans to go door to door nor do we have the resources,” a senior official told reporters. “The Department of Justice primarily relies on voluntary compliance by citizens. Most firearms owners are law-abiding citizens. We anticipate compliance with the law. Those who choose not to comply with the law we will investigate on a case-by-case basis. There is not a blanket plan here.”
When asked why the DOJ believes the confiscation of bump-stocks without compensation is in compliance with the Fifth Amendment’s prohibition on taking lawful property from Americans without fair compensation, the DOJ officials referred reporters to the rule’s explanation. The rule itself claims the government can take previously legal property so long as it is dangerous and taking it serves a public safety interest.
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Again, like we said earlier, we can take or leave bump stocks, but apparently, there’s no plan on how to enforce the new rule, and — not that this sets a bad precedent or anything — the government can take your property if doing so serves a public safety interest.
DOJ more or less told me they're hoping people voluntarily give up their bump stocks. They won't go door to door to collect them. But they will prosecute people found with them after the deadline of March 21st. https://t.co/awdkp0xqAM
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) December 18, 2018
DOJ couldn't explain why their logic for banning bump stocks couldn't apply to any semi-automatic firearm that could successfully be bump fired even without a stock (which is pretty much all of them). https://t.co/awdkp0xqAM
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) December 18, 2018
The officials said they only examined bump fire stocks and not bump firing as a whole. They are banning the device, not the shooting technique. https://t.co/awdkp0xqAM
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) December 18, 2018
We know we feel safer now.
"The rule itself claims the government can take previously legal property so long as it is dangerous and taking it serves a public safety interest."
That's a dangerous statement.
— AK (@aaronkain) December 18, 2018
So we’re not the only ones who thought that. Wait until Moms Demand and Everytown hear Trump is all for the seizure of dangerous property.
Dangerous definition in an administration anti-2A. Shame on the @NRA @NRAILA for not pushing back for US.
— Tabitha1791 (@Tab1791) December 18, 2018
What does the NRA have to say about this?
The NRA criticizes bump stock ban by saying current owners should be allowed to register their stocks instead of having them confiscated. https://t.co/awdkp0xqAM
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) December 18, 2018
The @NRA better start mailing free yellow vests to membership. This nonsense is why a lot of us joined. We've given way more than an inch.
— Matt Wolkins (@matt_wolkins) December 18, 2018
And do we see the NRA first in line filing a suit? That would be NO! Why not? Why aren’t they putting out an immediate statement revising Trump’s rating from A to F?https://t.co/nKIPXUQUij
— Vanns40 (@Vanns40) December 18, 2018
Is the @TheJusticeDept on drugs. "Trigger resets but doesn't require it be pulled." That's rich. After it resets it has to be pulled. A person could do the same thing with a straight finger from the hip by cycling their finger/hand back & forth rapidly.
— LACARL (@TCWARL) December 18, 2018
Hey Stephen do they know who has bump stocks? Is their a registery somewhere?
— shelbiUS (@donofrio_shelbi) December 18, 2018
No. There's no registry. There's no real way for them to know who has them.
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) December 18, 2018
I don’t even care to have one. As a trained shooter, I have little use for them. But the principle remains, this should be challenged!
— SmallmthbassCurt #mayhem (@smallmthbass) December 18, 2018
My thoughts exactly.
— Jeepers Threepers (@LogicalLogic76) December 19, 2018
There doesn’t seem to be much common sense behind this bit of common-sense gun reform.
Related:
New DOJ rule will reclassify bump stocks as machine guns in de facto ban https://t.co/pAP4X6B667
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) December 18, 2018
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