In a recent interview on WILS, political strategist and former congressional candidate Raven Harrison joined host Mike Austin to discuss President Biden's ATF budget proposal, which includes a significant allocation of two billion dollars to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to address gun violence. The conversation delved into the specifics of the budget, concerns about its implementation, and potential consequences
WILS March 20th, 2023 with Raven Harrison
During the interview, Raven Harrison highlighted the lack of a comprehensive budgetary plan, emphasizing that a budget typically operates within certain parameters. Harrison expressed apprehension about the 53% increase in the ATF budget intended to target the Second Amendment, arguing that the excessive spending is unsustainable. She criticized the lack of a clear plan to address gun violence, particularly given the issue of an open border facilitating drug trafficking, violence, and sex trafficking.
Transcript
- Mike Austin: She is our good friend, political strategist, former congressional candidate, and author of "Raven's Mantle: Fighting the Betrayal of America." Here is Raven Harrison.
- Raven Harrison: Hey, good morning.
- MIke: The one, I'm gonna make you pay out on that, minstrel man. I didn't know I was…
- Raven: Come on.
- Mike: Hey, alright, so let's talk about this. President Biden's budget proposal just allocated two billion dollars to the ATF to curb gun violence. How are they going to use this?
- Raven: Well, the problem is that, you know, we don't have a budget. Usually, a budget implies that we're working with certain parameters that we have to spend. So that's the first thing. But this increases the ATF budget by 53%, so that's a 53% bump in the ATF budget to come after the Second Amendment again, which is ridiculous. We can't sustain the spending. The plan, on its merit, is ridiculous. There's no plan to curb gun violence, especially when you've got the border wide open. We've got a wide open border that's pouring in drugs, violence, and sex trafficking. And he's going to increase the operating budget to go in a few directions of some obscure laws. It's not going to work.
- Mike: Is there anything going toward the border in the budget?
- Raven: Well, no, so this is what a lot of people don't understand. The 1.9 trillion-dollar omni-strocity that they pushed through allocates billions to the budget but none to secure the border. The money, the wording actually says that they are not allowed to use that to secure the border. It's only earmarked for processing. That's my great. So this is the double top.
- Mike: Okay, so to beef up the ATF and do all that, what exactly are they going to use the money for? Programs, I suppose. I mean, is this…give me specifics.
- Raven: The thing that it highlights the most is, you know, we know that we've gone back and forth. He keeps using the term AR, as in AR-15, to stand for assault rifles. So, we don't even know what we're classifying. But his latest target in this budget seems to be ghost guns. And for those who don't know, it's basically what means targeting the people who sell kits that they can assemble guns at home. It's better untraceable and made with 3D printers. And that set is so incredibly small. It's grown since 2017, but it's so incredibly obscure. That's not what we're really dealing with. You're beefing up just like you do stuff the IRS. He's beefing up the ATF and he's beefing up things to go after his pet projects or trying to disarm Americans.
- Mike: Okay, by the way, assault rifle. What does AR stand for? I've been told but I can't remember. It is not an assault rifle. So, what is it?
- Raven: I just want to remind people that the guns, the bullets come out of every single weapon very, very fast. So, for him to kind of take aim at any of them, the Second Amendment says not to be infringed. And I want to remind people that when the Second Amendment was written, they hadn't just finished deer hunting. They had just finished liberating a country. So, that's what I feel like he's entitled. So, then he'll go, I mean, he'll start on, "Well, we have to get those AR-14s. We have to… you know, what all the…" They come out really, really fast. It's responsible gun owners. And when you look at the statistics he posts about the gun violence, none of these are responsible gun owners. They are lunatics who should not have had access, who have failed on multiple levels of the system.
- Mike: Very good. Very good. Alright, Raven, you knew I was going to do this at some point. Is Donald Trump getting arrested tomorrow? Come on.
- Raven: Well, uh, it would be a very, very bad idea for them to do that. Um, if they perp walk Donald Trump and don't do Hunter, since the classified documentation, they're going to have a revolution of epic proportions on their hands. So, hopefully, this prosecutor, helping Brad, I mean, he has downgraded 50% of the caseload from felonies to misdemeanors so he doesn't have to prosecute. So, I guess he's only selectively deciding what he wants to do his job. You know what? He's not getting payment from Soros and he is a Soros puppet. So, he's got to stop drinking the Soros Kool-Aid.
- Mike: So, what are the odds? I mean, this just seems like it's not going to happen.
- Raven: Well, this is desperation. The thing is that they've tried everything to keep Donald Trump from running again and it's all backfired in grand fashion. So, it would not be out of the realm of their plausibility to attempt to do this. But if they want to open a perp walk when Biden's being investigated for leaking classified documents and we know Biden's Hunter's laptop is real, now that would be a dangerous and very slippery slope.
- Mike: Very good.
- Raven: The guys can't go. It does not need to be on.
- Mike: Alright, now you made me hungry. By the way, peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich. Are you into peanut butter and mayonnaise? We're having lunch, you want some?
- Raven: Can't do it. Sorry.
- Mike: Come on.
- Raven: I'll be there for cleanup. That could be messy.
- Mike: Oh, my guest turned me down today, man. I've had one that Jennifin sandwich. The guy in England said, you know, I used to have that as a kid. Let's have some ham and cheese. Alright, fine.
- Raven: I can't do it, Mike.
- Mike: Alright, next time, I'm gonna turn your mind. We're gonna get together, Raven Harrison, my good friend, and you can find her book "Raven's Mantle: Fighting the Betrayal of America." Raven, thanks a lot. We'll chat again, probably next week if not this week.
- Raven: Alright, sounds great.
ATF Budget Wrap-up
While discussing the specifics of the ATF budget, Raven Harrison drew attention to the focus on so-called "ghost guns." These are firearms that can be assembled at home using kits and 3D printers, making them harder to trace. However, Harrison viewed this as a minor concern, suggesting that increasing ATF resources primarily served the purpose of targeting pet projects and disarming law-abiding citizens rather than addressing the core issues related to gun violence.
Furthermore, the interview touched upon the misconception surrounding the term "AR" in reference to firearms. Mike Austin asked Raven Harrison what "AR" stands for. We looked it up, and for clarity - it stands for Armalite Rifle. Thanks to Carry-Texas's glossary on AR rifles, available at https://carry-texas.com/glossary/ar.
As the ATF budget allocation stirs debate and concerns about its efficacy, it is essential for citizens to stay informed and engage in discussions surrounding gun violence and its possible solutions. It is crucial to understand the implications and consequences of such budget decisions on personal freedoms and public safety. By staying educated on these matters and participating in constructive conversations, we can collectively work towards finding effective and comprehensive solutions to address gun violence in our society.
