QI am curious as to the stance of the Communist Party USA on gun ownership?
AThe Communist Party doesn’t have a “stance” or “official position” on gun ownership. We do support the Second Amendment rights to gun ownership, and we also support common sense restrictions on that right—limitations but not bans.
We have members who are hunters, own guns, and appreciate that right, and others who are appalled by the level of gun violence in our society. We think that registration, waiting periods, limits on the KINDS of guns that can be sold AND MANUFACTURED can help with the extreme levels of gun violence against people, and the many fatal accidents that occur each year when children play with guns and end up causing horrific damage and death.
Having lots of guns around by itself won’t change the political balance of forces. The existing power structure, including police and armed forces, will always have more weapons and firepower. We see revolution as basic change brought about by the actions of millions of people; it is a fundamentally democratic act. We don’t see revolution as inherently violent. We seek a peaceful revolution. At the same time we recognize that historically many ruling classes, rather than giving up their power, resort to violence against people’s movements, and we support the right of those movements to engage in armed self-defense.
This I think represents our general feeling about guns, not the “official position” nor a unanimous one.
We have members who are hunters, own guns, and appreciate that right, and others who are appalled by the level of gun violence in our society. We think that registration, waiting periods, limits on the KINDS of guns that can be sold AND MANUFACTURED can help with the extreme levels of gun violence against people, and the many fatal accidents that occur each year when children play with guns and end up causing horrific damage and death.
Having lots of guns around by itself won’t change the political balance of forces. The existing power structure, including police and armed forces, will always have more weapons and firepower. We see revolution as basic change brought about by the actions of millions of people; it is a fundamentally democratic act. We don’t see revolution as inherently violent. We seek a peaceful revolution. At the same time we recognize that historically many ruling classes, rather than giving up their power, resort to violence against people’s movements, and we support the right of those movements to engage in armed self-defense.
This I think represents our general feeling about guns, not the “official position” nor a unanimous one.
Author
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Marc Brodine is Chair of the Washington State CPUSA. A former AFSCME member and local officer, he is currently an artist and guitar player. Marc writes on environmental issues and answers many web site questions.
Marc is the author of an extended essay on Marxist philosophy and the environment, titled Dialectics of Climate Change.
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