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Joe Biden: buy a shotgun, not an assault rifle, to protect your home Joe Biden: buy a shotgun, not an assault rifle, to protect your home
(35 minutes later)
Joe Biden, the US vice-president, has said Americans should buy a shotgun rather than an assault rifle if they want to protect their homes. Joe Biden, the US vice-president, has said Americans should buy shotguns rather than assault rifles if they want to protect their homes.
Biden, who is spearheading a push for President Barack Obama's gun control proposals, made the remark during a question-and-answer session on Facebook on Tuesday. Biden, who is leading a push for President Barack Obama's gun control proposals, made the remark during a 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. The vice-president has not one but two shotguns, which 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-barrelled shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house.' "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-barrelled 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. "I promise you, whoever's coming in is not going to," 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. Buy a shotgun," he said."Buy a shotgun. Buy a shotgun," he said.
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. 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 after 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 US gun lobby and their advocates on Capitol Hill. 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 US gun lobby and its advocates on Capitol Hill.
Biden has expressed a predilection for shotguns before. In January, during a similar chat session on Google+, he said that in an apocalyptic scenario like an earthquake that led to mass disturbances, "if you want to keep people alive ... buy some shotgun shells". Biden has expressed a predilection for shotguns before. In January, during a similar chat session on Google+, he said that in a catastrophic scenario such as an earthquake, which could lead to mass disturbances, "if you want to keep people alive ... buy some shotgun shells".