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thomas davison

Joe Biden: buy a shotgun, not an assault rifle, to protect your home

US vice-president in online video Q&A says a 12-gauge shotgun is more than enough to see off intruders

guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 20 February 2013 05.13 GMT

Link to video: Buy a shotgun, says Joe Biden

Joe Biden, the US vice-president, has said Americans should buy shotguns rather than assault rifles if they want to protect their homes.

Biden, who is leading a push for President Barack Obama's gun control proposals, made the remark during a question-and-answer session on Facebook on Tuesday.

The vice-president has not one but two shotguns, which he says he keeps in a locked cabinet at his house in his home state of Delaware, and he has given his wife, Jill, explicit instructions on how to deal with any would-be intruder.

"We live in an area that's wooded and secluded," Biden said. "I said, 'Jill, if there's ever a problem, just walk out on the balcony here ... put that double-barrelled shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house.'

"I promise you, whoever's coming in is not going to," Biden said. "You don't need an AR-15 [assault rifle]. 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," he said.

The vice-president, who is known for sometimes telling long, personal stories in his public appearances, is pushing Obama's plan for curbing gun violence after the December school shooting massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.

But some of the proposals, including a ban on the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips, have run into stiff opposition from the influential US gun lobby and its advocates on Capitol Hill.

Biden has expressed a predilection for shotguns before. In January, during a similar chat session on Google+, he said that in a catastrophic scenario such as an earthquake, which could lead to mass disturbances, "if you want to keep people alive ... buy some shotgun shells".

This is a good idea, everyone should have shotguns to protect their lives and homes because the police will not do it., unless your rich.

2Anne · Joined: 04 May 2008 Posts: 399 Location: Norfolk

I wish I had a gun in my home. The Americans are very lucky.
The only people with guns in the UK seem to be criminals.
I live in a very rural part of Norfolk and regular thieving from travellers goes on.
If there was an assault on my home I would be more than ready to shoot.
Sadly I do not have a weapon,and can't be bothered to go through the pathetic rituals required by the police and govt. to get one.