Her intentions may be noble, but Carolyn McCarthy's argument for banning retail sales of guns is downright laughable.
The Quote:
"If they [guns] are not in the stores, they can't be bought. Think of the lives that would save..,"
Context:
Carolyn McCarthy made this ridiculous remark during a 2013 Congressional News conference introducing Diane Feinstein's proposed Assault Weapons Ban.
McCarthy told reporters that removing guns from store shelves would prevent mass shootings and other gun violence by denying would-be gunmen access to the deadly weapons.
She argued that potential shooters wouldn't know how to buy guns on the black market, but evidence gathered by The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) proves otherwise.
Between 2017 and 2021 the ATF documented nearly 230,000 firearms trafficked in the United States, which represents tens of thousands of black market guns illegally sold each year.
The tuth is, it's not difficult to buy and sell guns illegally. Black market firearms are readily available through several different sources:
- Unlicensed sellers: Guns are sold by individuals without a license
- Straw purchases: A licensed gun dealer sells a gun to someone who is buying it for someone else
- Gun thefts: Guns are stolen
- Gun shows: Guns are sold at gun shows by both licensed and unlicensed individuals
- Ghost guns: Guns are assembled at home or with 3D printers using pre-made parts
Who Said It:
Carolyn McCarthy is a former U.S. Representative from New York who is best known for her strong advocacy for gun control, a stance shaped by personal tragedy when her husband was killed and her son injured in the 1993 Long Island Rail Road shooting. The devastating event motivated McCarthy to enter politics, and in 1996 she was elected to Congress as a Democrat representing New York’s 4th Congressional District. She served from 1997 to 2015, dedicating her career to strengthening gun control laws, including advocating for universal background checks and the reinstatement of the federal assault weapons ban.
