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Political parties and your right to bear arms
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President Obama signed a bill into law that will permit the carry of firearms in national parks, such as the Grand Canyon, beginning in February .(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Let's play a little game called Name That Party
Choose the political party to which the following people belong:
1) The original sponsor/author of the bill that repealed Alaska’s license to carry requirements : Dem or Rep?
2) In response to the repeal of Alaska’s licensing requirement, what is the political party of the person who said the following: "I am a strong gun advocate and very concerned that every time someone misuses a gun, particularly a handgun, we lose in the court of public opinion": Dem or Rep?
3) What is the political affiliation of the group wrote the following in their DC v. Heller Amicus Brief: “the individual right guaranteed by the Second Amendment is subject to reasonable restrictions and important exceptions”: Dem or Rep?
4) What party is the state Attorney General who did the following:
i. Was the floor leader that passed a bill that ended the prohibition against concealed carry in Georgia and allowed unlicensed individuals to possess firearms in their car
ii. Signed an amicus brief in the Heller case asserting the right of Georgians to carry firearms in DC safe from arrest and harassment when the case was at the appellate court stage and only twelve other states' attorneys general participated?
5) What was the political party of a majority in Congress that for the first time repealed a gun ban?
6) The party that put Sonya Sotomayer on the Supreme Court of the United States?
The answers follow below.
Questions 1 and 2:
In 2003, Alaska repealed its requirement to have a license to carry concealed within the state. In doing so, it eliminated both its licensing and training requirements.
The author/sponsor the bill was Democrat - Rep. Eric Croft of Anchorage. He sponsored the bill out of frustration with continually fine-tuning the state’s gun laws.
Republican Sen. Con Bunde, also of Anchorage voted against the bill and explained his vote with the quote: “I am a strong gun advocate and very concerned that every time someone misuses a gun, particularly a handgun, we lose in the court of public opinion"
Question 3:
President George W. Bush’s Justice Department filed a brief in support of DC’s gun ban.
The brief made the claim that “shall not be infringed” means the right to keep and bear arms is subject to regulation and guns can be banned, then it went on to defend every federal gun law and the ability for Congress to ban guns.
Question 4:
Democrat – Thurbert Baker. Attorney General Baker has also joined in a letter to the Obama administration's attorney general, warning him that no more federal gun laws are needed and that an "assault weapons" ban serves no law enforcement purpose.
Question 5:
The Democrats the current Congress repealed the Ronald Reagan ban on carrying in National Parks. In fairness to Republicans, this was a Republican bill by Oklahoma Senator Colburn but notice that he only got traction for this bill when the Republicans were in the minority.
Also, few have noticed that this bill goes much further than the Bush administrative rule change last year that required all firearms to be concealed, all carriers to have a license, and implicated state criminal law pertaining to carry in parks. The bill that passed, and goes into effect in February, allows for openly carried firearms and does not demand a license if the park is located in a state where a license is not required to carry, which is the majority of states for openly carried firearms.
Question 6:
This was a trick question, but the answer is Republicans.
Republicans could have stopped this nomination at the committee level and on the floor of the Senate. They chose not too.
During the last two election cycles, Democrats have found victory with pro-gun candidates such as Virginia’s Senator Webb and Montana’s Senator Tester. During this time, we’ve seen Republicans argue in front of the Supreme Court that “shall not be infringed” means the government can regulate and ban guns, confirm anti-gun Supreme Court nominees, and oppose any attempt to repeal any federal gun law.
As much as Democrats want our vote, many Republicans are embarrassed by it. Over the next year, gun owners should evaluate whether their loyalty to the Republicans is being rewarded or being taken for granted, and explore ways to make sure that you select representatives that will represent your interest in liberty generally and the right to bear arms specifically. This does not always mean merely selecting the candidate with an R or a D in beside the name on the ballot.
Check out other Gun Rights Examiners:
- Atlanta: Georgia right to bear arms convention a success
- Austin: Is the Brady Campaign for the children?
- Boston: Sotomayor: Unfit to serve
- Charlotte: Dangers of gun registration: 'The Belgian Corporal'
- Cleveland: 'Shotgun Robber' is an equal opportunity bandit
- DC: Under Obamacare, where will Canadians go for medical services?
- Denver: What happens to you when you buy a gun?
- Los Angeles: SoCal Churches go concealed carry.
- Minneapolis: It takes a gun to stop a gunman
- National: Are those against nationwide concealed carry for states' rights?
- Seattle: Lautenberg’s legislation cloak’s anti-gun senator’s true intention
- St. Louis: The Brady Campaign to create 'gun crime'
- Wisconsin: Gun rights advocates make progress
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