Key Takeaways:
- Ban First, Facts Later: NY Assemblyman Alex Bores called for a nationwide AR-15-style weapons ban while dismissing the details of firearm classifications as “ticky-tacky.”
- Confusing the Facts: Bores admitted the firearm in question was technically a pistol, but argued it “looked” like an assault rifle—proof critics say politicians don’t understand the weapons they’re regulating.
- Gun Rights Under Fire: Rather than focus on criminals or enforce existing laws, Democrats like Bores are doubling down on nationwide restrictions that target lawful gun owners.
On Tuesday’s broadcast of CNN News Central, New York Assemblyman Alex Bores (D) called for a nationwide ban on AR-15-style firearms, saying Americans shouldn’t get caught up in the “ticky-tacky aspects” of gun classifications.
“It is finally time for us to have a nationwide ban on assault weapons, on these AR-15-style weapons,” Bores said. “No one should have a magazine that can shoot 30 rounds. No one should have such a high-powered and maneuverable weapon and be able to walk around city streets or drive it into our state.”
The problem? Even Bores admitted he wasn’t clear on what he was trying to ban. When pressed by co-host Brianna Keilar, he conceded that the weapon at issue was “technically… a pistol,” not an AR-15 rifle. He acknowledged that the firearm lacked rifling and was classified as a pistol, but insisted it still “looked” like an assault rifle. His takeaway: the details don’t matter, the ban does.
WATCH:
Gun rights advocates argue this is exactly the problem with blanket gun bans: politicians trying to legislate away constitutional rights without understanding the hardware they’re regulating. Millions of law-abiding Americans own AR-15s and similar semi-automatic firearms for sport, self-defense, and home protection.
New York already bans many of these firearms, but as Bores complained, “There’s nothing we can do if other states are going to keep selling it.” Translation: Albany wants Washington to impose its gun restrictions on the rest of America.
The push for sweeping gun bans—without acknowledging the complexity of firearm classifications or the reality of lawful gun ownership—reflects the left’s ongoing tension with the Second Amendment. Rather than targeting criminals or enforcing existing laws, politicians like Bores aim to chip away at the rights of responsible citizens under the banner of “safety.”
As history and markets both show, Americans are unlikely to give up liberty—especially the kind that comes with their own security—just because a lawmaker shrugs off the “ticky-tacky” details.