President Joe Biden's focus on gun control as part of his plan to combat the growing nationwide crime wave is not another "grab attempt" to take people's weapons away, but is a push to keep people from getting hold of guns illegally, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell argued on Newsmax Thursday.
"It's a showdown in illegally trafficking guns," the Democrat former state leader told Newsmax's "National Report." "If you look at violence in America, it's being caused by people using guns, whether it's a robbery where one store owner gets killed or it's a mass murder, where 72 people get killed by some automatic weapons. Guns are at the root of the problem."
According to national statistics, shootings are up, but so are assaults, robberies, and grand larceny, but Rendell argued that most of those crimes are committed at gunpoint and said common sense laws such as universal background checks can keep guns away from those who should not have them.
"The American people, including an overwhelming percentage of NRA members, support universal background checks," said Rendell. "Congress ought to pass that tomorrow."
Such measures also won't hurt people who legally obtain guns, said the former governor.
"If you have something to fear from a background check, it means you committed a prior felony, have mental health problems, etc.," said Rendell. "So we can have common sense gun control. Let's look at what President Biden said. No one needs a high-capacity magazine to hunt or protect their house ... nobody but law enforcement and the military should have weapons like that. You don't need them to protect yourself or your family."
He pointed out that when he was mayor of Philadelphia, he worked with Charlton Heston and the National Rifle Association toward prosecuting felons whose prior convictions involved firearms to ensure they were prosecuted in state court.
"They got an average sentencing of nine years in jail," said Rendell. "We should resurrect that program because it goes against people with records who commit violence. There are common sense things we can do without affecting anybody's right to own a gun who lawfully has that right."
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