Texans react to Biden crackdown on 'ghost guns' and call for new firearm restrictions

President Joe Biden is pleading with America to push politics aside when it comes to gun violence.

"This an epidemic for God's sake and it has to stop. Every day in this country, 316 are shot. Every single day, 106 of them die. Homicide is the leading cause of death for Black boys and men aged 15 to 34, the leading cause of death," said Biden.

Facing a persistent Republican roadblock to gun reform in the Senate, the Commander-in-Chief issued an initial round of executive orders, one aimed at slowing the proliferation of stabilizing braces which effectively transform semi-automatic pistols into more lethal short-barreled rifles, and a second targeting so-called "ghost guns" assembled from readily available, but untraceable parts.

"Anyone from a criminal to a terrorist can buy this kit in as little as 30 minutes and put together a weapon," said Biden.

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But Gordon Taylor, long-time owner of Black Gold Guns & Ammo, says the hard truth remains the same - firearms will be acquired by criminals regardless of restriction and Biden's proposed ban on military style, semi-automatic rifles unjustly attacks the "tool" and not the user.

"If I run around today and I hit ten people with a hammer, does that make it an assault hammer? It assaulted ten people although the hammer will never get accused of it, I'll be accused. But if you go out and shoot people, it's the gun's fault. I don't get it," said Taylor adding, "It's real simple. We don't have a gun problem. We have a people problem."

But Houston State Representative Ann Johnson, a former prosecutor, says maintaining the status quo does nothing to alleviate the real fear of Texas mothers or lower the rising body count.

"When people say there was a mass shooting and our response is to say - which one? That's not normal. That's not okay!" said Johnson.

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In addition to his executive actions, Biden called on Congress to close the so-called "gun show loophole" with expanded background checks and approve a ban on high capacity magazines.

Beyond the human price, the President reports gun violence costs our nation $280 billion each year.

"Hospital bills, physical therapy, trauma counseling, legal fees, prison costs and the loss of productivity," said Biden.