Topics in the News: Second Amendment
Duncan Hunter on Gun Control
: Nov 28, 2007
Bearing arms is a tradition of the American soldier
Q: What is your opinion of gun control?A: The right to keep and bear arms is an important element of community security, home security, and national security.
I think it is a tradition of the American soldier. I will strongly enforce the Second Amendment as president of the United States.
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Source: 2007 GOP YouTube debate in St. Petersburg, Florida
Ron Paul on Gun Control
: Sep 5, 2007
Let airlines make rules about passenger guns to fight terror
Q: You have said that the 9/11 attackers might have had second thoughts if they'd felt that some of the passengers aboard the airplanes might have been armed.A: You're quoting me incorrectly. I said the responsibility for protecting passengers falls
with the airline, not the government--and not the passengers. The airline's responsible for the aircraft and the passengers. If we wouldn't have been dependent on the federal government to set all the rules, which meant no guns & no resistance, then the
terrorists may well have had second thoughts, because the airlines would have had the responsibility. But we assumed the government was going to take care of us. After 9/11, instead of moving toward the direction of personal responsibility & private
property & 2nd amendment, we moved in the opposite direction. We turned it over to the federal government. Private industry protects their property all the time. But here is one example when the federal government was involved and they messed it up.
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Source: 2007 GOP debate at UNH, sponsored by Fox News
Duncan Hunter on Gun Control
: Sep 1, 2007
Criminals prefer unarmed victims
Regarding the Second Amendment: I thoroughly enjoy hunting, having just recently spent a great weekend hunting elk in Arizona. But, the Second Amendment is not about hunting. It is about the right of you and me to be secure in our homes.
We must vigorously defend against all attempts to chip away at the Second Amendment. You know as well as I do that there is one thing criminals prefer over any other: unarmed victims.
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Source: Campaign website, www.gohunter08.com, "Core Principles"
Tom Tancredo on Gun Control
: Sep 1, 2007
Completely support right to keep and bear arms
I fully and completely support the right of the people to keep and bear arms.
The failure of the ACLU to defend this right, and of federal courts to make the second amendment binding on the states, as they have made the first amendment and most others, testifies to their intellectual hypocrisy.
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Source: Campaign website, www.teamtancredo.com, "Issues"
Dennis Kucinich on Gun Control
: Jul 12, 2007
We have babies dying in the streets; ban handguns
Q: How would you address gun violence that continues to be the #1 cause of death among African-American men?A: I was mayor of Cleveland and I grew up in the city and you could sometimes hear gunshots as part of the music of the night. We know that
there's a Virginia Tech happening in this country every day. At least 32 people are killed every day with handguns. We know that over a period of 100 days, as many people are killed by handguns as died in 9/11 in this country. We know that there is a
crisis of public safety and security. We have babies dying in the streets because of these handguns. Now, we've got to give a direct answer. It is time that we ban handguns. We have to do that in order to protect our cities. It is time that we took a
position that says that the 14th Amendment, you know, that right to life, liberty, is just as important as the 2nd Amendment. It's time that we took a stand on behalf of the health and safety of the American people and, as president, I'm ready to do that
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Source: 2007 NAACP Presidential Primary Forum
Barack Obama on Gun Control
: Jul 12, 2007
Stop unscrupulous gun dealers dumping guns in cities
Q: How would you address gun violence that continues to be the #1 cause of death among African-American men?A: You know, when the massacre happened at Virginia Tech, I think all of us were grief stricken and shocked by the carnage. But in this year
alone, in Chicago, we've had 34 Chicago public school students gunned down and killed. And for the most part, there has been silence. We know what to do. We've got to enforce the gun laws that are on the books. We've got to make sure that unscrupulous
gun dealers aren't loading up vans and dumping guns in our communities, because we know they're not made in our communities. There aren't any gun manufacturers here, right here in the middle of Detroit. But what we also have to do is to make sure that we
change our politics so that we care just as much about those 30-some children in Chicago who've been shot as we do the children in Virginia Tech. That's a mindset that we have to have in the White House and we don't have it right now.
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Source: 2007 NAACP Presidential Primary Forum
Mike Gravel on Gun Control
: Jul 12, 2007
Military culture causes more gun violence
Q: How would you address gun violence that continues to be the #1 cause of death among African-American men?A: The answer to that is to try to decrease the military culture in this country that's been created over the last 50 years.
That sustains the military industrial complex. It's not that complex. When you take Americans and you teach them to solve problems with violence, they come home and they deal in violence. That's our problem.
When you talk about crime problems, you're nine times more likely to get killed if you're African-American. There's a fellow by the name of Todd Tiahrt. He just has been sentenced to 25 years in
Florida and all he did was the same thing as Rush Limbaugh did--had some pain pills, but he didn't have any of those Viagra. That's justice.
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Source: 2007 NAACP Presidential Primary Forum
John Cox on Gun Control
: Jul 2, 2007
Gun control doesn't work
I am a Lifetime member of the NRA and fully support gun ownership and our Second Amendment right to bear arms. "Gun control" doesn't work, and uses precious resources rather than going after criminals.
Concealed Carry laws have helped prevent crime in the states that have adopted them.
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Source: Campaign website, cox2008.com
Mike Gravel on Gun Control
: May 23, 2007
Require license & training for gun ownership
While Senator Gravel fully supports the 2nd Amendment, he believes that fundamental change must take place with regards to gun ownership.
The senator advocates a licensing program where a potential gun owner must be licensed as well as properly trained with a firearm before they may own one.
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Source: Campaign website, www.gravel2008.us, "Issues"
Mitt Romney on Gun Control
: May 15, 2007
Supports Second Amendment rights but also assault weapon ban
Q: As governor you signed into law one of the toughest restrictions on assault weapons in the country. A: Let's get the record straight. First of all, there's no question that I support 2nd Amendment rights, but I also support an assault weapon ban.
Look, I've been governor in a pretty tough state. You've heard of blue states. In the toughest of blue states, I made the toughest decisions and did what was right for America. I have conservative values.
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Source: 2007 Republican Debate in South Carolina
Joe Biden on Gun Control
: Apr 26, 2007
Keep assault weapons ban; close gun show loophole
Q: How many of you, in your adult lifetime, have had a gun in the house? [Show of hands]: Senator Gravel, Senator Biden, Senator Dodd, Governor Richardson, Congressman Kucinich.
Q: Sen. Biden, what could the federal government have done to save
those kids at Virginia Tech?
A: What they could have done is three things.
- In the so-called Biden crime bill, we put 100,000 cops on the street. I've worked with law enforcement for the past 30 years, with armor-piercing bullets, waiting
periods, etc. But the one thing that's clear: We should not have let the assault weapons ban lapse.
- We should close this so-called gun show loophole, so you can't go into a gun show and buy a gun that you couldn't buy walking into a gun shop.
-
We have let the country down in the way in which we have not focused on mental illness. We should know that your kid is safe at college. If teachers determine that a child is a danger, the school should be able to take them off the campus.
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Source: 2007 South Carolina Democratic primary debate, on MSNBC
Bill Richardson on Gun Control
: Apr 26, 2007
The 2nd Amendment is precious
Q: You are currently the NRA's favorite presidential candidate declared in either party, based on their rating system. Did anything about the massacre at Virginia Tech make you rethink any part of your position on guns? A: The first point I'd want to
make is my sincerest condolences to the families of those loved ones that perished. It was an unspeakable tragedy. You're right; I'm a Westerner. The 2nd Amendment is precious in the West. But I want to just state for the record, a vast majority of gun
owners are law-abiding. This is an issue that deals with two fundamental problems in our system. The first is mental illness. We should ensure that all federal and state initiatives deal with making sure those with mental illnesses cannot get a gun.
We should find ways to ensure that our schools get the help that they need to detect these mentally ill patients. Secondly, I'm for instant background checks. We have to make sure states are properly funded to be able to detect those problems.
Click for Bill Richardson on other issues.
Source: 2007 South Carolina Democratic primary debate, on MSNBC
Sam Brownback on Gun Control
: Apr 22, 2007
Respect Second Amendment as strongly as First Amendment
Q: In the aftermath of Virginia Tech, is it time to tighten up gun laws so that an individual who is clearly mentally ill can't simply walk into a store and buy a pistol?A: Well, we have the Second Amendment, just as we have the First Amendment, and
I believe in the Constitution. And I believe it says what it does, but there are imitations on what we can do because people do have the right to bear arms. What I would hope we could do as a Congress is step back and take a long view of violence in this
country and what it is that we can and can't do within the constrictions of the Constitution, both the First and the Second Amendment. Doing that on a bipartisan basis is called for after Virginia Tech.
Q: Should a mentally imbalanced individual be
able to walk into a gun shop and not be checked against the federal database?
A: It looks like there was a weakness in the system on this one. We need to be able to get that information out to the states for them to be able to use.
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Source: CNN Late Edition: 2007 presidential series with Wolf Blitzer
Fred Thompson on Gun Control
: Apr 19, 2007
Allowing concealed carry could have limited VA Tech massacre
How is it that one man with two handguns could reload time & time again, and go from classroom to classroom on the Virginia Tech campus without being stopped. Much of the answer can be found in policies put in place by the university itself. Virginia
allows citizens with training and legal permits to carry concealed weapons. That means that Virginians regularly sit in movie theaters and eat in restaurants among armed citizens.
The statistics are clear. Communities that recognize and grant Second
Amendment rights to responsible adults have a significantly lower incidence of violent crime than those that do not. Incarcerated criminals tell criminologists that they consider local gun laws when they decide what sort of crime they will commit, and
where they will do so.
But Virginia Tech administrators overrode Virginia state law and threatened to expel or fire anybody who brings a weapon onto campus. Those "Gun-free Zone" signs don't mean much to the sort of man who murdered 32 people.
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Source: Thompson's blog on ABCradio.com, "Signs of Intelligence?"
Fred Thompson on Gun Control
: Mar 11, 2007
Having handguns in your home is a Constitutional right
Q: Let's do a lightning round to see where you stand. Gun control.A: Well, I'm against gun control generally. You know, you check my record. You'll find I'm pretty consistent on that issue.
Q: So you'd be perfectly happy to have people have handguns in their homes?
A: Yes. Absolutely. The court basically said the Constitution means what it says, and I agree with that.
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Source: Fox News Sunday: 2007 "Choosing the President" interviews
John Cox on Gun Control
: Feb 7, 2007
Gun control is a waste of time
Q. Where do you stand on gun control?A. I am a lifetime member of the NRA. In every state that has enacted conceal-carry, the crime rate has gone down. I think gun control is a waste of time.
Washington, D.C. has the best gun control laws and the highest crime rate. I want our resources to go to prosecute criminals.
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Source: John Beaudoin, Logan (IA) Herald-Observer
Dennis Kucinich on Gun Control
: Nov 1, 2006
Ban sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns
Kucinich supports the following principles regarding guns:- Reauthorize the ban on the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
- Maintain and strengthen the current level of
enforcement of existing federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
- Require a license for gun possession.
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Source: National Political Awareness Test--2006 Congress
Barack Obama on Gun Control
: Oct 1, 2006
Keep guns out of inner cities--but also problem of morality
I believe in keeping guns out of our inner cities, and that our leaders must say so in the face of the gun manfuacturer's lobby. But I also believe that when a gangbanger shoots indiscriminately into a crowd because he feels someone disrespected him,
we have a problem of morality. Not only do ew need to punish thatman for his crime, but we need to acknowledge that there's a hole in his heart, one that government programs alone may not be able to repair.
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Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p.215
Bill Richardson on Gun Control
: Apr 18, 2005
We should ally with pro-gun recreationists in West
Richardson revels in his image as the quintessential Westerner. "You have to talk about guns in the context of lifestyle, recreation, a way of life," the Governor argues, "rather than as just a measure to prevent murders and deaths. Democrats need to
move into a void in the West. The Bush Administration is scaring off recreationists, hunters and fishermen because of their extreme anti-environmental policies. It's important to build alliances with them, and not to make the gun issue a litmus test."
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Source: Sasha Abramsky, in The Nation, "Democrat Killer?"
Dennis Kucinich on Gun Control
: Jan 8, 2004
Require background checks, licensing, and fingerprinting
Which principles do you support regarding guns:- Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks.
- Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
- Require a license for gun possession.
- Establish a national
database of ballistic "fingerprints" to track guns used in criminal activities.
- Renew the ban on the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns.
- Strengthen the enforcement of existing federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
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Source: Vote-Smart Presidential National Political Awareness Test
John Edwards on Gun Control
: Oct 26, 2003
Guns are about independence-don't mess with that
"It's very important for us as Democrats to understand that where I come from guns are about a lot more than guns themselves," said John Edwards. "They are about independence.
For a lot of people who work hard for a living, one of the few things they feel they have any control over is whether they can buy a gun and hunt. They don't want people messing with that, which I understand."
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Source: Jim VandeHei, Washington Post, p. A1
John Edwards on Gun Control
: Oct 26, 2003
Leading Dems distance themselves from divisive gun debate
Democratic presidential candidates are distancing themselves from tough gun control, reversing a decade of rhetoric and advocacy by the Democratic Party in favor of federal regulation of firearms. Howard Dean proudly tells audiences that the
NRA endorsed him as governor of Vermont, and that he would leave most gun laws to the states. Dick Gephardt, a longtime gun control advocate, is careful to highlight his support for law-abiding gun owners. John Edwards says, "Guns are about independence.
They don't want people messing with that."
As a result, Democratic strategists predict the debate over gun laws in this campaign will be less divisive. Democrats might fight for narrow proposals to make guns safer and more difficult for
children and criminals to obtain, they said, yet voters are likely to hear as much about enforcing existing gun laws as creating new ones-a position Republicans and the NRA have pushed for years.
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Source: Jim VandeHei, Washington Post, p. A1
Mike Huckabee on Gun Control
: Nov 1, 2002
Allow concealed carry
Indicate which principles you support concerning gun issues. - Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
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Source: 2002 AR Gubernatorial National Political Awareness Test
Tommy Thompson on Gun Control
: May 1, 2001
Against gun control
Thompson supports school vouchers (which he calls "pro-school choice"), is against gun control, and supports giving public funds, including monies for public education, to church-run programs.
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Source: The Tommy Thompson Myth on ChoiceMatters.org
Tommy Thompson on Gun Control
: Jan 8, 2001
Zero tolerance for guns, violence, drugs in schools
The governor signed legislation creating school zones free of violence, guns and drugs. Crimes committed in these zones carry enhanced penalties.
Gov. Thompson also gave school administrators authority to search student lockers if they suspect weapons, drugs or other illegal materials may be in there.
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Source: WI Governor’s website
Rudy Giuliani on Gun Control
: Jun 26, 2000
NYC sued two dozen major gun manufacturers and distributors
On June 20th [2000], I was pleased to announce that the City of New York filed a lawsuit against two dozen major gun manufacturers and distributors. This is an industry which profits from the suffering of innocent people.
The lawsuit is intended to end the free pass that the gun industry has enjoyed for a very long time, which has resulted in too many avoidable deaths.
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Source: NYC.gov press release, "Lawsuit"
Rudy Giuliani on Gun Control
: Mar 21, 2000
All gun owners should pass written test
I do not think the government should cut off the right to bear arms. My position for many years has been that just as a motorist must have a license, a gun owner should be required to have one as well. Anyone wanting to own a gun should have to
pass a written exam that shows that they know how to use a gun, that they’re intelligent enough and responsible enough to handle a gun. Should both handgun and rifle owners be licensed...we’re talking about all dangerous weapons.
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Source: Boston Globe, p. A4
John McCain on Gun Control
: Aug 17, 1999
Ban cheap guns; require safety locks; for gun show checks
McCain favors outlawing cheaply made handguns called Saturday night specials, and favors mandating safety locks on certain guns. He said he is intrigued by new technology that electronically identifies a person handling a gun, allowing only the owner to
fire it. McCain rallied Senate Republicans behind a Democratic measure requiring background checks at gun shows.
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Source: Scott Lindlaw, Associated Press
Hillary Clinton on Gun Control
: Jul 15, 1999
Gun control protects our children
We will not make progress on a sensible gun control agenda unless the entire American public gets behind it. It is really important for each of you [kids] to make sure you stay away from guns.
If you have guns in your home, tell your parents to keep them away from you and your friends and your little brothers and sisters.
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Source: Forum at South Side Middle School in Nassau County
Hillary Clinton on Gun Control
: Jul 5, 1999
Don’t water down sensible gun control legislation
We have to do everything possible to keep guns out of the hands of children, and we need to stand firm on behalf of the sensible gun control legislation that passed the Senate and then was watered down in the House.
It does not make sense for us at this point in our history to turn our backs on the reality that there are too many guns and too many children have access to those guns-and we have to act to prevent that.
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Source: Remarks to NEA in Orlando, Florida
Al Gore on Gun Control
: Jun 18, 1999
Counter gun lobby with ‘family lobby’ to shield kids
Gore stressed the need for stricter gun control laws. “Families need help getting guns off our streets, out of our schools and away from children and criminals,” he said. “And I say to every family in America: Let us create a family lobby as powerful as
the gun lobby. If we did that, then instead of fighting off new protections for gun manufacturers that would shield them from lawsuits, we can start passing legislation to actually shield our children from gun violence,” Gore said.
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Source: CNN.com/AllPolitics “Family agenda”
Hillary Clinton on Gun Control
: Jun 4, 1999
Lock up guns; store ammo separately
If you own a gun... make sure it’s locked up and stored without the ammunition. In fact, make it stored where the ammunition is stored separately. We’ve made some progress in
the last several years with the Brady Bill and some of the bans on assault weapons, but we have a lot of work to do.
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Source: ABC’s “Good Morning America”
Al Gore on Gun Control
: May 16, 1999
Supports Brady Law and ban on assault weapons
Al Gore believes we must do more to get guns off the streets and out of the hands of violent criminals, without affecting the rights of sportsmen and hunters. He worked to enact a ban on deadly assault weapons, and the Brady Law, which has stopped
thousands of felons, fugitives, and stalkers from buying guns.
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Source: www.AlGore2000.com/issues/crime.html 5/16/99
John McCain on Gun Control
: May 10, 1999
Punish criminals who abuse 2nd Amendment rights
We need to focus on halting the spread of violent crime and punishing violent criminals who abuse their Second Amendment rights, while preserving those same rights for law-abiding Americans.
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Source: www.mccain2000.com/ “Press Releases”
Barack Obama on Gun Control
: Jul 2, 1998
Ban semi-automatics, and more possession restrictions
Principles that Obama supports on gun issues:- Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
- Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
-
Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.
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Source: 1998 IL State Legislative National Political Awareness Test
John McCain on Gun Control
: Jul 2, 1998
Repeal existing gun restrictions; penalize criminal use
McCain supports the following principles regarding gun issues: - Repeal federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms by law-abiding citizens.
- Favor allowing citizens to carry concealed firearms.
- McCain says, “There are
penalties for criminals who use firearms.”
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Source: Project Vote Smart, 1998, www.vote-smart.org
Ron Paul on Gun Control
: Nov 1, 1996
Ease procedures on the purchase and registration of firearms
Indicate which principles you support concerning gun issues. - Ease procedures on the purchase and registration of firearms.
- Repeal all bans and measures that restrict law-abiding citizens from owning legally-obtained firearms.
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Source: Congressional 1996 National Political Awareness Test
Ron Paul on Gun Control
: Nov 1, 1996
Allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms
Indicate which principles you support concerning gun issues. - Allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms that are legally owned and registered.
-
Repeal all bans and measures that restrict law-abiding citizens from owning legally-obtained firearms.
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Source: Congressional 1996 National Political Awareness Test
Mitt Romney on Gun Control
: Aug 1, 1994
Will support assault weapons bill and Brady Bill
The candidate reiterated his support for an assault weapons ban contained in Congress' crime bill,
and the Brady law which imposes a five-day waiting period on handgun purchases. `I don't think (the waiting period) will have a massive effect on crime but I think it will have a positive effect,' Romney said.
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Source: Joe Battenfeld in Boston Herald