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You can learn an awful lot by watching presidential debates. Four years ago, we learned that Donald Trump was not the most diplomatic candidate, but that he was hard working and results oriented. This got him past other candidates, as well as Hillary Clinton, who proved that she was neither.

This year, we are learning much about the two dozen candidates who dream of replacing President Trump. When one proposes something that makes little or no sense, the rest either agree or try to top them with something that makes even less sense.

With that backdrop, look at Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke. Beto won a seat in Congress, then almost immediately believed himself qualified to run for the U.S Senate. By using the power of the internet and the left’s hatred of his Republican opponent, he was able to raise many millions of dollars around the country as he lost that Senate race. Almost immediately, he decided he should be President of the United States. He began campaigning for that office. With little or nothing new to say or campaign for except to tear down the existing parts of the southern border wall, he gave us videos of himself going to the dentist and getting a haircut.

Desperate to remain a viable candidate, he has gotten only more outlandish. In fact, he did the one thing that every Democrat candidate has refused to do. He announced that, as president, he would come to your home and take away two specific types of guns. He clearly implied that he would not let a little thing like the Constitution stand in his way, nor would he wait for Congress to act to end ownership of these weapons. He would do it by Executive Order!

Why did this upset the Democrats? Very simply, they do not want you, the voters, to understand their plans until they control the House of Representatives, the U. S. Senate, and the presidency. The Democrats know that if they can limit the debate to assault weapons, the country is divided on that issue and it might make that a winning issue for them. However, their plan is a multistep process that would work something like this.

The first step they openly campaign on is stopping the sale of these weapons. If they take over the Senate and presidency, this will be the first thing they will accomplish. Of course, you and I know that simply blocking the sale of just this classification will have little if any effect. The next step will be to use taxpayer dollars to buy those that law-abiding citizens have. Since law-abiding citizens rarely commit crimes, they will then implement Beto’s goal. However, it would be almost impossible to successfully collect such weapons by simply knocking on doors. They would need to tear apart every home they suspect “might” have such a gun.

After these steps prove to not make anyone safer, these same folks will push for all sorts of new regulations including registering every gun purchased so they better know who to spy on and whose home to target. The restrictions on gun ownership will then be extended to all handguns and hunting rifles.

When the guns are gone

After the Democrats successfully get the guns of law-abiding citizens, the real fun will begin. Criminals will no longer need to be concerned about home invasions. They will feel empowered to break into homes day and night. Gangs will understand that, without the concern that someone will be armed leaving work or going out socially, they can rape or rob with little concern.

The criminal elements in our society fully comprehend what the Democrats do not: All gun laws are written for law-abiding citizens. When a criminal wants a gun, he knows they can be bought illegally with no background check. If he wants to carry that gun hidden from public eye, he will do so, with little fear of being stopped.

You, therefore, should understand that Beto has now fessed up the long-term liberal game plan. You would be wise to thank Beto for letting the cat out of the bag so you can act before it is too late.

Frank Ruff Jr. represents Lunenburg in the state Senate. His email address is Sen.Ruff@verizon.net.