TORONTO – Vice President Joe Biden will speak in Connecticut on Thursday on ways to reduce gun violence following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy is currently working to tighten Connecticut gun laws, but he says it won’t make a difference if people can get guns across state lines. He noted that Thursday’s forum is the first conference on gun law reform to be held at the federal level.
On Tuesday, Biden told Americans they should buy shotguns rather than assault rifles if they want to protect their homes.
The Vice President sat down for a Facebook forum hosted by Parents Magazine and responded to a question from “Kate” about whether families would be defenceless if his administration reinstated an assault weapons ban.
“Kate, if you want to protect yourself, get a double-barrel shotgun, have the shells, a 12-gauge shotgun,” said Biden, undercutting comments from the right suggesting that Obama wants to take citizens’ guns.
Biden said this was the same advice he gave his wife on defending herself in her rural Delaware home.
“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. 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.
Biden keeps two shotguns in his home.
Twenty students and six educators were murdered by Adam Lanza at Sandy Hook on December 14.
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