Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

Congressman Eric Swalwell’s Radioactive “Common Ground”

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Congressman Eric Swalwell’s Radioactive “Common Ground”

Those who oppose our Right to Keep and Bear Arms have been mislabeling NRA as “extremists” for decades, but the vitriol against this institution from true extremists has escalated to absurd proportions over the last year. Unfortunately, our Association has become accustomed to being blamed by gun-ban advocates for the acts of violent criminals. These baseless attacks took a very dark turn, however, after the horrific murders at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida last February.

Anonymous vandals painted violent threats like “Kill the NRA” on billboards. Democrat political operatives rented billboards to accuse the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights group of being a “terrorist organization.”

The outrageous rhetoric directed at NRA, its more than five million members, and the one hundred million law-abiding American gun owners hasn’t really abated nearly one year later. And with Democrats taking control of the US House of Representatives in January, you may be asking yourself, “What can gun owners expect next?”

Enter California Democrat Congressman Eric Swalwell.

Swalwell is the co-chair of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which means he is one of the primary forces behind setting the legislative agenda for the House Democrats. He is also an unapologetic supporter of banning firearms. This should cause grave concern with those who respect the Second Amendment.

To put a finer point on why you should be concerned, the California Congressman had an op-ed published in USA Today last May where he stated support for not just banning the future manufacture of semi-automatic firearms, but banning the possession of those that currently exist. In other words, mass confiscation.

His stated proposal includes a turn-in program (which he mislabels as a “buy-back”), with those who comply being paid as little as $200. And for those who choose to not comply with the law? Swalwell wrote, “[W]e should criminally prosecute any who choose to defy it by keeping their weapons.”

Congressman Swalwell, of course, doesn’t clearly explain exactly which firearms he wants to ban. Instead, his op-ed uses the contradictory term “semiautomatic assault rifle,” and the nebulous, ever-morphing term “semiautomatic assault weapon.” Banning virtually every semiautomatic firearm could easily be his goal.

As if the thought of a proposed ban, followed by a prosecution campaign of legislatively-created “criminals,” were not troubling enough, in November, Swalwell implied that criminal prosecution may not be his only tool to ensure compliance. The Congressman decided to insert himself into a Twitter discussion about his very proposal, and raised quite a few eyebrows in the process.

When a supporter of the Second Amendment implied that Swalwell “wants a war” between gun owners and the federal government, the Congressman decided to interject himself into the conversation, and tweeted a rather chilling response.

“And it would be a short war my friend. The government has nukes.”

Swalwell added, “I’m sure if we talked we could find common ground to protect our families and communities.”

After the twitterverse had its way with Swalwell for his gaff (or was it shocking honesty?), he tried to assure people that he was actually using sarcasm when he threatened the US government would use nuclear weapons against its own citizens.

And while we certainly hope his flippant comment about using the nuclear option was intended to be sarcastic, it is even more likely his comment about finding “common ground” was the real sarcasm.

As the Congressman is well aware, there is virtually no “common ground” that a law-abiding gun owner who supports the Second Amendment would find with a politician who wishes to ban the most popular class of firearms in the country – especially one who would imprison any citizen who disagrees with such an attack on our Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

There is obviously little “common ground” that those who support the Second Amendment would have with any firearm-related legislation promoted by Congressman Swalwell. Unfortunately, with gun control advocates now in charge of the House of Representatives, that is likely to become painfully apparent over the next two years.

TRENDING NOW
MA Supreme Judicial Court Holds Old Nonresident Carry Licensing Scheme Unconstitutional But Upholds New Law

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

MA Supreme Judicial Court Holds Old Nonresident Carry Licensing Scheme Unconstitutional But Upholds New Law

On March 11, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts issued two decisions concerning the Commonwealth’s firearms carry licensing scheme for nonresidents.

Washington Post Admits that Anti-gun Lawfare “Cannot be the Solution” to Crime

News  

Monday, March 17, 2025

Washington Post Admits that Anti-gun Lawfare “Cannot be the Solution” to Crime

In a turnabout worthy of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Washington Post (WAPO) published an editorial last Tuesday criticizing the gun control movement for ignoring the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) and pursing its agenda in ...

Washington: Gun-Free Zone Expansion Bill Scheduled for Hearing on Tuesday

Friday, March 14, 2025

Washington: Gun-Free Zone Expansion Bill Scheduled for Hearing on Tuesday

On Tuesday, March 18th, the House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary will hold a public hearing on Senate Bill 5098, a gun-free zone expansion bill. The hearing has been set for 10:30AM.

Vermont: Crossover Day Defeats All Anti-Gun Bills for 2025

Friday, March 14, 2025

Vermont: Crossover Day Defeats All Anti-Gun Bills for 2025

Today, March 14th, is  the "crossover" deadline in the Vermont legislature. Bills that fail to advance out of the chamber of origin are considered "dead" for the session.

Canada: A Fresh Gun Ban as Trudeau Exits

News  

Monday, March 17, 2025

Canada: A Fresh Gun Ban as Trudeau Exits

Just three months ago, Canada’s Liberal government announced that an additional 324 so-called “assault-style” firearms had been added to the list of banned guns established under then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2020.

VPC Recycles Old Campaign Against .50 Caliber Rifles

News  

Monday, March 17, 2025

VPC Recycles Old Campaign Against .50 Caliber Rifles

It’s been some time since we have talked about one of the oldest, most extreme anti-gun organizations, the Violence Policy Center (VPC).  Back in 2022, we noted the organization wanted then-president Joe Biden’s administration to reclassify ...

NRA Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Protecting Second Amendment Rights

News  

Second Amendment  

Friday, February 7, 2025

NRA Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Protecting Second Amendment Rights

Today, the White House announced a new Executive Order to protect and expand the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans. This is the first action taken by President Donald J. Trump to carry through ...

Washington Post Gets It Almost Right About Restoration of Second Amendment Rights

News  

Monday, March 17, 2025

Washington Post Gets It Almost Right About Restoration of Second Amendment Rights

Last week brought yet another installment in the ongoing saga of The Washington Post’s (WAPO) pivot toward “individual liberties and free markets” in its opinion section.

Oregon Court Of Appeals Reverses Lower Court Decision, Lifts Hold on Ballot Measure 114

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Oregon Court Of Appeals Reverses Lower Court Decision, Lifts Hold on Ballot Measure 114

On Wednesday, March 12th, the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision that had declared unconstitutional Ballot Measure 114, which imposed a permit-to-purchase scheme and banned the possession of magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. ...

Oregon: Permit-to-Purchase and FFL-Killer Bills in Committee Next Week!

Friday, March 14, 2025

Oregon: Permit-to-Purchase and FFL-Killer Bills in Committee Next Week!

In the wake of this week's court decision on Ballot Measure 114, anti-gun radicals in the legislature intend to add insult to injury. 

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.