No one would own handguns in a perfect world, several Democratic presidential hopefuls believe.
“In an ideal world, people would not own handguns, and there are a number of countries around the world where people do not own handguns.” said Julián Castro, former secretary of Housing and Urban Development told the New York Times. Castro acknowledged, however, that there is a constitutional right to bear arms and suggested reforms such as gun buybacks and universal background checks to address gun violence.
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper offered a similar view of private handgun ownership.
“In an ideal world, you could philosophize it that no one wants handguns,” Hickenlooper said. “Study after study shows that having a handgun in most cases makes you less safe, not more.”
The New York Times asked 18 Democratic presidential candidates whether anyone in an ideal world would own handguns. Some, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said that handgun ownership for the purpose of sport and target shooting are acceptable. Others said that a perfect world would not have violence or a need for guns, but indicated support for handgun ownership with proper limitations.
“Well, in an ideal world, no one would feel a need” to own a handgun, South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg said. “But I respect the Second Amendment. I respect the desire of people to have a means of self-defense, as long as there are common-sense measures.”
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio holds a similar view.
“In an ideal world, anyone who owned a gun would know how to make sure they were safe and would use them responsibly,” de Blasio said. “I believe in the Constitution, but I think the ideal world, gun ownership would be treated very, very differently.”
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., who has made combating gun violence a key issue of his campaign and proposed banning buying back 15 million assault weapons, said that he has “no problem with people owning handguns.”
“Keep your pistols, keep your shotguns, keep your rifles,” Swalwell said. “If you want to go hunt for with your family, shoot for sport, protect your house, that’s within our Constitution and you’re allowed to do that.”
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., who has proposed a federal gun licensing system, did not directly answer whether anyone in an ideal world would own handguns, opting instead to talk about his frustration with lack of action in response to gun violence. “As president of the United States, I’m going to bring a fight to this problem like folks have never seen before,” Booker said.
Former Vice President Joe Biden declined to participate in the New York Times project. He has previously suggested fingerprint locked firearms — “James Bond kind of stuff,” Biden said, as a way to reduce gun violence.
