WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Joe
Biden’s advice for self-defense: Buy a shotgun, not an assault
rifle.
Biden, who is spearheading a push for President Barack
Obama’s gun control proposals, dispensed this off-the-cuff tip
for protecting life and property during an online
question-and-answer session on Facebook on Tuesday.
The vice president has not one but two shotguns that 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-barreled shotgun and fire two
blasts outside the house.”
“I promise you whoever’s coming in is not gonna,” 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,” he said, lowering his voice almost to
whisper.
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 following 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 U.S. gun lobby and
their advocates on Capitol Hill.
(Reporting By Matt Spetalnick)
