Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, the Democrat many believe is grooming himself for a gubernatorial campaign in 2020, has thrown his support to an anti-gun-rights initiative sponsored by the Alliance for Gun Responsibility, the Seattle-based billionaire supported gun control lobbying group.
Aimed at forcing young adults to jump through hoops before they can legally purchase a semi-auto modern sporting rifle, the initiative would raise the minimum age for buying such a rifle to age 21. They would also be required to show proof of completing a “safety training course within the last five years.”
Ferguson has established his liberal credentials by suing the Trump administration over immigration-related issues.
Ironically, Democrats are trying to appeal to these same young adults because they want their votes. While the left trusts them with the vote, the left doesn’t trust them with the Second Amendment, said many critics at last Saturday’s massive gun rights rally on the Capitol steps in Olympia, only a few yards away from Ferguson’s office.
Ferguson, according to KUOW, has been frustrated in his earlier efforts to ram through a ban on so-called “assault weapons” in the state Legislature. He has promised to “wall” himself from any process covering the writing of the ballot title and language for the initiative. But will gun rights supporters believe him?
“I’m deeply committed to this and, in general, to having common sense gun reform laws in our state,” Ferguson told KUOW. “It’s outrageous what we have, it’s deeply disappointing to me that our state Legislature won’t address these issues in a forthright manner, and if that means we have go directly to the people to get these changes, then I’m behind it.”
Ferguson was nowhere to be seen during the Saturday rally that drew an estimated 2,500 gun owners, including many teens that will be directly affected if the initiative passes. Many of the demonstrators were openly carrying semi-auto rifles and sidearms. They are tired of being the scapegoats for criminal violence, and will channel this activism into political action, many said.
While the dominant media has given considerable attention to teen anti-gun activists, it remains to be seen whether those same news agencies and networks will give equal time to a counter-protest in support of Second Amendment-protected rights that is scheduled May 2.
Called the “Stand for the Second” movement, this student-led effort is calling for a school walkout at 10 a.m. in each time zone. According to their Facebook page, students at some 100 schools will be participating.
Stand for the Second was founded by Will Riley, a Carlsbad, N.M. high school senior.
