EXCERPT:
AVLON: “But, finally, Reagan joined with former presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter to support the passage of an assault weapons ban in '94, which was co-authored by then-Senator Joe Biden. This trifecta of ex-presidents cited a 1993 CNN/Gallup poll which found that 77% of Americans support a ban on the manufacture, sale or possession of semi-automatic assault guns such as the AK-47, while noting that during the past five years, more than 40 law enforcement officers have been killed or wounded in the line of duty by an assault weapon. Reagan’s support was considered pivotal in the bill’s passage, by a two-vote margin. The assault weapons ban was allowed to sunset in 2004, but now President Biden is calling for its reinstatement or at least a ban on people under the age of 21 for being able to purchase such weapons. Look, any hope of gun safety reforms runs through the Republican Party, which will need to provide at least ten Senate votes in favor of gun safety to not be doomed by filibuster. That’s exactly why the memory of Ronald Reagan’s support for targeted and relevant gun reforms is a bit of a historic perspective we could use in our polarized times. There is a lot of rewriting of history when it comes to people like Reagan and sometimes activists just attribute false quotes to him, like this chef's kiss of a fail which attributes a quote from communist Karl Marx to that proudly anti-communist man, Reagan. In fact, Reagan’s real legacy on gun safety shows how common sense can help lead us to common ground. And that’s your reality check."