New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a ban on semi-auto “military style” firearms because of the Christchurch attack on mosques. (Dave Workman)
By Dave Workman
Senior Editor
Less than one week after a madman launched attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, that country’s prime minister announced an immediate ban on so-called “assault weapons” and Parliament set in motion plans for surrender of those firearms.
Fifty people were killed in the double-attack and dozens more were wounded. The suspect, Brenton Tarrant, had assembled a lengthy “manifesto” in which he admitted that one of his reasons for the mayhem was the desire that a conflict over the Second Amendment would erupt in the United States.
While that fact seemed to get lost by the establishment media, it was not lost on Second Amendment activists in the U.S. And, with the decision by the Kiwi government to ban a whole class of firearms, the suspect is possibly getting exactly what he wanted.
In that document, the suspected killer cited as “Finally,” he apparently wrote, “to create conflict between the two ideologies within the United States on the ownership of firearms in order to further the social, cultural, political and racial divide within the United states (sic). This conflict over the 2nd amendment and the attempted removal of firearms rights will ultimately result in a civil war that will eventually balkanize the US along political, cultural and, most importantly, racial lines. This balkanization of the US will not only result in the racial separation of the people within the United States ensuring the future of the White race on the North American continent, but also ensuring the death of the ‘melting pot’ pipe dream.”
Almost immediately following the ban announcement, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) both sent tweets that essentially endorsed the idea and suggested that the same kind of action should be taken in this country.
Not surprisingly, when the New Zealand government began talking about stricter gun controls, there were reports that many gun owners went to local shops and actually bought the kinds of firearms that were ultimately banned. But Ardern’s order included an immediate halt to any sales.
The suspect has been described as a “white supremacist.” He now faces at least one charge of murder.
New Zealand already had tight gun laws when the mass shooting occurred, so the ban was evidently seen as the only other step the government could take.
Such a sudden gun ban could not happen in the U.S. due to the Second Amendment and the many state constitutional provisions covering the right to keep and bear arms. That’s not to say the American gun prohibition lobby isn’t hoping that one day such a ban could be achieved.
New Zealand does not have a constitutional protection of the right to keep and bear arms like the Second Amendment protection for gun owners.
