Only Joe Biden could promote gun control in a way that encourages people to break the law and is more likely to injure innocent people than potential threats.
First, here’s what Biden said, during a Facebook chat Tuesday, he had advised his wife to do:
“I said, ‘Jill, if there’s ever a problem, just walk out on the balcony here, walk out and put that double-barrel shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house.’ … You don’t need an AR-15 — it’s harder to aim, it’s harder to use, and in fact you don’t need 30 rounds to protect yourself. Buy a shotgun! Buy a shotgun!”
Now, in a secluded, mostly wooded area, like the one where Biden said he and his wife live in Delaware, that might not be the worst advice. Not the best, either, but not the worst. But not all Americans live like that. In fact, in his state’s largest city, his advice could land someone in jail. From U.S. News and World Report:
A sergeant with the Wilmington, Del., police department explained to U.S. News that city residents are not allowed to fire guns on their property.
The sergeant, who preferred not to be identified, said that Wilmington residents are also not allowed to shoot trespassers. “On your property you can’t just shoot someone,” he said. “You have to really feel that your life is being threatened.”
In fact, Biden’s advice could land his wife in jail in Delaware:
Defense attorney John Garey — a former Delaware deputy attorney general — agreed, and added that several criminal charges might result if Jill Biden took her husband’s advice.
“In Delaware you have to be in fear of your life to use deadly force,” Garey said. “There’s nothing based on his scenario alone” indicating a reason to fear imminent death, he noted.
There’s more at the link, including visual evidence to suggest the Bidens’ home isn’t as secluded as the vice president let on.
On one hand, the illegality of what Biden suggested has more to do with what one does with any weapon — it’s a lot closer to the controversy at the heart of the Trayvon Martin shooting, though not quite the same — rather than the specific kind of weapon one uses.
On the other hand, it’s rather ironic that Biden’s explanation for how you can still protect yourself in a world without “assault weapons” is that you could always … break another law.
– By Kyle Wingfield
362 comments Add your comment
Bruno
February 21st, 2013
7:58 pm
I’ve been to the funeral of a 3 year old who fell in a swimming pool, so this ain’t quite as humorous to me as some.
HD–I don’t think anyone’s trying to be disrespectful here.
The saddest funeral I ever went to was that of a former GF who drank herself to death at age 32. She was the most beautiful girl in town, and her dad was the richest man in town. But, for whatever reason, the ones who have the most going for them are often the ones who don’t take advantage of it, or even appreciate it.
bluecoat
February 21st, 2013
7:59 pm
And I thought Jonah/Whale hard to believe.
Hillbilly D
February 21st, 2013
7:59 pm
How many of the motor vehicle accidents were suicides?
That’s actually a pretty good question but one that we can’t ever really know the answer to. Just about every time I hear of a head on collision, especially somebody going the wrong way on a divided highway, I wonder.
getalife
February 21st, 2013
8:00 pm
The Vice President is correct and working hard to save your children from being slaughtered at school.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right
February 21st, 2013
8:01 pm
And just a point of information, the NRA needs to get behind criminal background and mental health checks for every gun sale.
No excuses on this, given the information age we live in.
Bruno
February 21st, 2013
8:02 pm
Just about every time I hear of a head on collision, especially somebody going the wrong way on a divided highway, I wonder.
A few “accidents” may be murder, as well. One of my former patient’s daughters was killed in a fatal wreck after her former BF ran her off the road.
Hillbilly D
February 21st, 2013
8:03 pm
sailfish, Bruno
Sorry, just hit a nerve I reckon.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right
February 21st, 2013
8:03 pm
Then he’s going about it the wrong way,getalife.
And their local cops procedure both him and you wrong on this.
Or don’t you bother reading the article?
getalife
February 21st, 2013
8:04 pm
I would advise the divided and conquered gop to surrender to our President and get out of the way to save the gop party.
Bruno
February 21st, 2013
8:05 pm
Sailfish–Beautiful Donovan song.
Just in case your Poseidon Adventure ever goes awry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KClpLzFftU
md
February 21st, 2013
8:06 pm
“The Vice President is correct and working hard to save your children from being slaughtered at school.”
Then we need to quit broadcasting to the evil/sick people that there is no resistance on campuses.
Question, do the schools in the Atl have armed resource officers?
Hillbilly D
February 21st, 2013
8:06 pm
Bruno @ 8:02
Yeah, there’s no telling what all goes on. I used to have a friend that’s had more DUI’s than I can count. I’m still amazed they haven’t killed themselves or somebody else. You can’t talk sense into some people and eventually, you just have to walk away to keep them from dragging you down with them.
Aquagirl
February 21st, 2013
8:07 pm
I meant to say gun accidents versus drowning.
I should have figured that part out, my bad.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 21st, 2013
8:07 pm
Yes, school children should stick their double barrels out the window and blast away every now and again, like biden says.
getalife
February 21st, 2013
8:07 pm
The gop are in basic survival mode losing badly on the polls on the issues like guns.
Brace yourself for the gop caving many times to President Obama.
They are fighting to survive but they made this bed so they can lie in it.
md
February 21st, 2013
8:10 pm
Guess they do:
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/crime-law/nra-push-for-armed-officers-backed-by-state-superi/nTc3X/
Bruno
February 21st, 2013
8:11 pm
Sorry, just hit a nerve I reckon.
Just finished reading “The Dirt”, which is the story of Motley Crue. I’m not really a Crue fan, but it’s a can’t-put-down book. Of the four main members of the group, I felt the least empathy for Vince Neil, until I read the chapter about how his 4 year old daughter died from cancer. You wouldn’t wish that on your worst enemy.
At my Dad’s funeral, the preacher used the allegory of life being like a large tapestry. We just have to trust that the black threads are there for a reason, that the picture wouldn’t be complete without them.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 21st, 2013
8:13 pm
The National Rifle Association will launch a print advertising campaign targeting mostly Democratic senators up for re-election in 2014, according to sources close to the group.
Game ova.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right
February 21st, 2013
8:15 pm
Anyone figure out how many times getalife posts the same thing without addressing the topic?
Bruno
February 21st, 2013
8:16 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-R8gHj_7v8
They say the sea turns so dark that
You know it’s time, you see the sign
They say the point Demon’s Guard is
An ocean grave, for all the brave
Was it you that said, “How long, how long?
How long to the point of no return?”
Rafe Hollister preparing for an Obamanist America
February 21st, 2013
8:18 pm
The carping back and forth gets pretty technical, but the brief version is that Hemenway believes Kleck includes too many “false positives”: respondents who claim they’ve chased off burglars or rapists with guns but probably are boasting or, worse, categorizing unlawful aggressive conduct as legitimate DGU. Hemenway finds more reliable an annual federal government research project, called the National Crime Victimization Survey, which yields estimates in the neighborhood of 100,000 defensive gun uses per year. Making various reasonable-sounding adjustments, other social scientists have suggested that perhaps a figure somewhere between 250,000 and 370,000 might be more accurate.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-12-27/how-often-do-we-use-guns-in-self-defense
Well even Bloomberg knows that these guns are not just something to lay around the house and kill the children.
getalife
February 21st, 2013
8:19 pm
The expanded background checks will pass and now they agree to insurance liability .
Read the New York Times
Bruno
February 21st, 2013
8:21 pm
By far, my favorite song about the ocean:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVHL_rxbhg0
Today you looked around to my heart’s call
This tiny life ain’t been strangled after all
Time, time, time, time
Never ask what’s become of us
Just dedicate your sorrow
Here and now
To the soul of the sea
And me
Sailfish
February 21st, 2013
8:22 pm
The only real thing that makes sense is to really find a way to keep guns away from the mentally ill, which at this point in time, practically impossible. How many people are just so stressed out and the availability of a weapon compounds a “bad” day.
People of statistics, here’s one I’d like to know just for the heck of it: How many people die before the age of 62 and never collect social security after paying for thirty years? I think the number might be shocking. In a twisted way, it’s one mechanism that helps keep the fund in the black.
Hillbilly D
February 21st, 2013
8:22 pm
In the real world, most guns aren’t bought at stores or at gun shows.
Hillbilly D
February 21st, 2013
8:25 pm
The only real thing that makes sense is to really find a way to keep guns away from the mentally ill, which at this point in time, practically impossible.
That I agree with. The real problem is the mental health system, in my eyes. It’s damn near impossible to get a person committed to treatment, against their will, no matter how friggin’ crazy they are or how many threats they make. Been through all that and the answer you always get from law enforcement/mental health is “well, they haven’t done anything yet”.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 21st, 2013
8:29 pm
gitmo the robot. gitmo was once a major hillary suckup but Anka told him to support obozo. gitmo complied. gitmo was once a 2nd Amendment proponent, last week as I remember it but Anka told gitmo that guns are bad. gitmo complies.
Liability will die in the House.
Rafe Hollister preparing for an Obamanist America
February 21st, 2013
8:29 pm
If you buy a gun from a dealer at a gun show, you have to go through the background investigation. This “gun show loophole crappola” is just liberal code for we want to do BI on private sales. How that will ever be enforced is a mystery to me, but then again we don’t enforce a lot of our laws, the politicians just love to make more of them for some non apparent reason. When is the last time someone was stopped for not having their lights on, in the rain?
Bruno
February 21st, 2013
8:30 pm
Ooops, before Kyle gets on me for going off topic, I guess I’d better switch the musical theme to guns:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUhIEEwSSSo
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 21st, 2013
8:33 pm
Imagine what the number of gun murders would be if you subtracted out the obozo voters who committed them.
Dave
February 21st, 2013
8:33 pm
Gosh Kyle, Biden opened himself up to criticism for what, the 100th time in his career while making a point? Good catch! His point, right or wrong is that you don’t need a rifle with a big ass clip to defend yourself. He could be wrong. I happen to think he’s right. Golly, his wife is threatened by an intruder and shoots whichever firearm into the air. You’d rather she fire at whomever it is that is threatening her? She misses and hits an innocent person. She hits the intruder. In most jurisdictions she hasn’t violated a law. That only happens if she fires in the air, if that is indeed illegal if there’s an intruder nearby. You going to lead the prosecution? If not, lay off the legalizing and save your ire for more important stuff.
Bruno
February 21st, 2013
8:38 pm
Wow, didn’t know that this color video existed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Doi07ewYDhc
Aquagirl
February 21st, 2013
8:42 pm
I guess I’d better switch the musical theme to guns:
I’ll see yer guns and raise you an air raid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZwayNMSomY
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 21st, 2013
8:46 pm
Ooops, before Kyle gets on me for going off topic, I guess I’d better switch the musical theme to guns:
Don’t sweat it Bruno. It seems as though the enforcement of any rules are not predicated on minor violations of them, our blog host actually seems to be pretty cool about it, which earns him high respect from me. But when these blog sissies start bombarding him with emails about things that they should just man up about, I guess he feels he must respond to them. Maybe he’s too busy to see that the problem really lies with those who anoint themselves the blog police official.
independent thinker
February 21st, 2013
8:46 pm
Kyle prefers a vice president like ole Dick “maddog” Cheney who just hauls off and shoots people in the face with birdshot from their rifle. Now that is a real hero!
Bruno
February 21st, 2013
8:47 pm
I’ll see yer guns and raise you an air raid:
What, am I going to have to go nuclear on ya, Aquagirl??!?!?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTOQUnvI3CA
Bruno
February 21st, 2013
8:49 pm
Aesop @ 8:46: With you all the way.
Hillbilly D
February 21st, 2013
8:51 pm
Kyle prefers a vice president like ole Dick “maddog” Cheney who just hauls off and shoots people in the face with birdshot from their rifle. Now that is a real hero!
First off, you don’t shoot birdshot out of a rifle. Second off, what Cheney did was pure carelessness and there’s no excuse for it. Any time you hit something or somebody that you’re not shooting at, it’s your damn fault.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 21st, 2013
8:51 pm
Hopefully this won’t become like kookman’s where the total bedwetters send emails about every single solitary comment that doesn’t conform to the party approved groupthink.
Aquagirl
February 21st, 2013
8:54 pm
No Nukes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHylQRVN2Qs
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 21st, 2013
8:56 pm
I’ve got the gun -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWkLOrfDAo4
SeeLow
February 21st, 2013
8:57 pm
I would be interested to know if the audience applauded Biden’s stupidity.
md
February 21st, 2013
9:00 pm
” This “gun show loophole crappola” is just liberal code for we want to do BI on private sales. How that will ever be enforced is a mystery to me, but then again we don’t enforce a lot of our laws, the politicians just love to make more of them for some non apparent reason.”
There is one way and one way only…..register all guns.
I can see the push coming down the road…..
JDW
February 21st, 2013
9:01 pm
@Rafe…”JDW you do know that more folks drown than die from gun violence according to the CDC.”
Actually no they do not.
Drowning…3517…Guns Homicide…11,493…Suicide…18,735….Accidental around 900
http://www.cdc.gov/Injury/wisqars/pdf/Leading_Causes_Injury_Deaths_Age_Group_Highlighting_Violence-Related%20Injury_Deaths_US_2009-a.pdf
md
February 21st, 2013
9:02 pm
” His point, right or wrong is that you don’t need a rifle with a big ass clip to defend yourself. ”
Depends……the last few incidents had bad guys heavily armed….no match for a shotgun.
And too many are assuming bad guys don’t travel in groups…..
Bruno
February 21st, 2013
9:06 pm
No Nukes!
Too late, Aquagirl.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKZixANuNNg
HD–I’m sure you’ve heard it, but this demo of “Morning Dew” by The 31st of February is rocking. “Dew” was a favorite of the Dead, and has been covered almost as many times as “Rocky Top”.
md
February 21st, 2013
9:07 pm
The last time I came home to some “uninvited guests”, there were more than one…….I didn’t have a gun, but I would have preferred the bigger clip as I was outnumbered……
Bruno
February 21st, 2013
9:09 pm
I would be interested to know if the audience applauded Biden’s stupidity.
SeeLow–MarkV and getalife were fawning over Biden earlier tonight here on the blog.
Bruno
February 21st, 2013
9:12 pm
Always liked this one by Jr Walker and the Allstars:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnhI_ECOAK4
Aquagirl
February 21st, 2013
9:12 pm
Actually no they do not.
He did clarify later he meant accidental gun deaths. Why the homicides and suicides by gun don’t count is another matter, but there ya go.