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Republicans and gun laws
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Most members of the Republican Party – elected and electors alike – enjoy puffing out their chests and pretending there is no bigger champion of the Second Amendment than the folks with the “R” next to their names.
But for all the red state (and red statesman) bluster, let’s add a little perspective.
In 1967, then governor Ronald Reagan – the shining republican on the GOP hill – signed the “Mulford Act” into law. Mulford “prohibited the carrying of firearms on one's person or in a vehicle, in any public place or on any public street.”
Reagan’s rationale was a disarming of the militant Black Panther group, but the law affected every legal gun owner.
Twenty-four years later, President Reagan (who was then out of office) announced that he was in support of the Brady Bill and encouraged congress to “enact it without further delay.”
Richard Nixon, years before his second term and the Watergate scandal, told journalist William Safire that, “Guns are an abomination,” and that “Free from fear of gun owners’ retaliation at the polls, he favored making handguns illegal and requiring licenses for hunting rifles.”
President George H.W. Bush banned the import of “assault weapons” in 1989 (adding that Americans should be allowed to own weapons suitable for sporting purposes), and New York mayor Rudy Giuliani’s administration not only sued 26 gun manufacturers, but also supported a police commissioner – Howard Safir – who proposed a nationwide plan for gun licensing.
New York State Governor George Pataki – yet another republican - signed into law a program that mandated trigger locks and background checks at gun shows. Ballistic fingerprinting of every gun sold in the state and a minimum purchase age (of 21) were also a part of the law, one that The New York Times called “the nation’s strictest gun controls.”
On the local level, however, is where the republicans accuse democrats and anti-gun lobbyists of focusing their second amendment attack. Municipal actions are at the forefront of the grass-roots, anti-gun owner agendas, and some of the methods include regulations passed by city councils, anti-gun ballot measures and firearm confiscation by police.
Prior to last spring’s Supreme Court ruling that the second amendment guaranteed an individual’s right to bear arms, the residents of Washington, D.C., were subjected to the most strict gun regulations in the country.
The 1976 Firearms Control Regulations Act prohibited any handgun ownership, and essentially disarmed law-abiding citizens and eliminated their ability to protect themselves in their homes. The law required registration of all privately owned firearms – including hunting weapons – and mandated that they be unloaded, dissembled and trigger locked.
The result? The District of Columbia has the highest rate of gun violence in the nation. Following the passage of the 1976 law, the District’s murder rate rose significantly. Between 1976 and 1991, the murder rate climbed 200% at a time when the overall U.S. murder rate rose only 9%.
Gun control, opponents claim, meets its greatest success in keeping guns out of the hands of everyone but criminals.
But just like other ‘issues’ relevant to the American voter, the second amendment camp has been fractured and diluted.
A cursory glance at the National Rifle Association’s “grade sheet” for federal, state, and local candidates in the 2008 election finds plenty of “D” and “F” grades for republican office seekers.
A closer look at the districts in which these republicans are running offers the best clue as to their position – either they stand little chance of winning their contest and are simply pandering or they’ve fallen victim to the “see which way the political wind is blowing” brand of ‘leadership.’
The same can be said for democrats seeking office in rural areas and other gun-friendly jurisdictions. There are dozens of democratic candidates that receive high marks from the NRA in their defense of the second amendment.
Pro gun voters played a large role in the 2000 election, when Al Gore's call for gun registration cost him votes in rural America and dampened the democratic party’s fire for taking on the gun lobby.
The voting block had very little impact on the 2004 campaign (save for the collective “ha-ha” offered toward John Kerry’s absurd pheasant hunting photo-op), and aside from Hillary’s Pennsylvania primary tour and Obama’s ‘bitter gun-clinger’ sound bite, second amendment rights have received very little attention in the 2008 presidential election.
But there is another issue bubbling beneath the surface, and it can be traced to post-Katrina New Orleans.
In the aftermath of the hurricane and in the midst of the looting and general breakdown of civilized society, New Orleans law enforcement exercised their “Emergency Powers” authority and ordered the confiscation of all firearms.
When the citizens of this country needed protection the most – in the midst of rapes, robbery, murders, arsons and home/business invasions, the police superintendent said, “No one will be able to be armed… Guns will be taken. Only law enforcement will be allowed to have guns.”
This municipally enforced suspension of second amendment rights led the Louisiana legislature to pass the Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act, a law that prohibits confiscation of legal firearms from law-abiding citizens during states of emergency and protects the right of citizens to bear arms.
So while constitutional gun rights are not a topic of conversation between our two presidential nominees, advocacy at the local level has never been more important.
It is estimated that some 40% of American households exercise the right to bear arms. If yours is one of them, please use the resources linked throughout this article to raise your awareness regarding gun control laws and pending legislation in your area.
The Candidates and the Second Amendment
Barack Obama
Ok for states & cities to determine local gun laws. (Apr 2008)
Obama endorsed Illinois handgun ban. (Apr 2008)
Respect 2nd Amendment, but local gun bans ok. (Feb 2008)
Cosponsored bill to limit purchases to 1 gun per month. (Oct 2007)
Concealed carry OK for retired police officers. (Aug 2007)
Stop unscrupulous gun dealers dumping guns in cities. (Jul 2007)
Keep guns out of inner cities--but also problem of morality. (Oct 2006)
Bush erred in failing to renew assault weapons ban. (Oct 2004)
Ban semi-automatics, and more possession restrictions. (Jul 1998)
Voted NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers. (Jul 2005)
The National Rifle Association has labeled Obama as potentially being “the most anti-gun president in American history.”
One has to look hard to find any reference to Obama’s stance on his website, it’s buried under an “additional issues” tab under the heading of “Sportsmen”.
See Obama’s Second Amendment stance here
Joe Biden
Keep assault weapons ban; close gun show loophole. (Apr 2007)
Voted NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers. (Jul 2005)
Voted NO on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence. (Mar 2004)
Voted YES on background checks at gun shows. (May 1999)
Voted NO on more penalties for gun & drug violations. (May 1999)
Voted NO on loosening license & background checks at gun shows. (May 1999)
Voted NO on maintaining current law: guns sold without trigger locks. (Jul 1998)
Rated F by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun control voting record. (Dec 2003)
John McCain
Prosecute criminals, not citizens for gun ownership. (Sep 2007)
Don't hold gun manufacturers liable for crimes. (Sep 2007)
Opposes restrictions on assault weapons and ammunition types. (Sep 2007)
Calls for GOP "tolerance" of closing gun show loopholes. (May 2002)
Ban cheap guns; require safety locks; for gun show checks. (Aug 1999)
Supports ban on certain assault weapons. (Aug 1999)
Voted against Brady Bill & assault weapon ban. (Aug 1999)
Guns are a problem, but so are violent web sites & videos. (Aug 1999)
Punish criminals who abuse 2nd Amendment rights. (May 1999)
Youth Violence Prevention Act restricts guns for kids. (May 1999)
Repeal existing gun restrictions; penalize criminal use. (Jul 1998)
Voted YES on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers. (Jul 2005)
Voted YES on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence. (Mar 2004)
Voted NO on background checks at gun shows. (May 1999)
Voted YES on more penalties for gun & drug violations. (May 1999)
Voted YES on loosening license & background checks at gun shows. (May 1999)
Voted YES on maintaining current law: guns sold without trigger locks. (Jul 1998)
Ban gun registration & trigger lock law in Washington DC. (Mar 2007)
Allow firearms in National Parks. (Feb 2008)
John McCain earns only a C+ from the NRA
See McCain’s Second Amendment stance here
Sarah Palin
Supports ending D.C.'s 32-year-old ban on handguns. (Jun 2008)
Lifelong NRA member & champion of right to bear arms. (Feb 2008)
Supports Constitutional right to bear arms. (Nov 2006)
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