Their View On Protecting Your Right To Keep And Bear Arms

September 3rd, 2008 · 1 Comment

From the 2008 Republican Party Platform:

We uphold the right of individual Americans to own firearms, a right which antedated the Constitution and was solemnly confirmed by the Second Amendment. We applaud the Supreme Court’s decision in Heller affirming that right, and we assert the individual responsibility to safely use and store firearms. We call on the next president to appoint judges who will similarly respect the Constitution. Gun ownership is responsible citizenship, enabling Americans to defend themselves, their property, and communities.

We call for education in constitutional rights in schools, and we support the option of firearms training in federal programs serving senior citizens and women. We urge immediate action to review the automatic denial of gun ownership to returning members of the Armed Forces who have suffered trauma during service to their country. We condemn frivolous lawsuits against firearms manufacturers, which are transparent attempts to deprive citizens of their rights. We oppose federal licensing of law-abiding gun owners and national gun registration as violations of the Second Amendment. We recognize that gun control only affects and penalizes law-abiding citizens, and that such proposals are ineffective at reducing violent crime.

From the 2004 Democratic Party Platform (no 2008 platform available on their website):

We will protect Americans’ Second Amendment right to own firearms, and we will keep guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists by fighting gun crime, reauthorizing the assault weapons ban, and closing the gun show loophole, as President Bush proposed and failed to do.

…(yawn)…

Reauthorizing the assault weapons ban will not keep guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists because they don’t use those nefarious assault weapons. Over the last 50 years no civilian has used a legally owned machine gun in any violent crime. No Uzi has ever been used to kill a police officer, no matter what you see on TV action shows. The preponderance of data currently available indicates that assault weapons, even in the hotbeds of violent crime, account for generally 0% to 3% of crime guns. In New York City, in 1992 (last data available), assault weapons made up an astounding 0.0% of all seized guns. Assault weapons are too large and too heavy to be used in practically every criminal act, so criminals don’t use assault weapons. Therefore reauthorizing the assault weapons ban will not keep guns out of the hands of criminals.

As for terrorists, I find it hard to imagine that someone, or some group of people bent on killing hundreds or thousands of innocent people, are going to be deterred in any way from not being able to purchase, at retail price, their AK-47s from Bob’s Gun Store down the street.

Closing the gun show loophole will not keep guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists. Contrary to President Clinton’s claims, there is no “gun show loophole.” Since 1938, any person “engaged in the business of selling firearms” must register with the federal government. In 1968 all such persons were required to obtain a federal firearms license. Since 1998, dealers have been required to submit all prospective gun buyers to a National Instant criminal background Check System (NICS) background check conducted by the FBI or a state agency. This requirement applies at gun shows and all other locations, all of the time. The only people exempt from them are the small number of non-commercial, non-dealer sellers, those not engaged in the business of selling firearms (person-to-person, a private citizen, like you selling a gun to me, another private citizen). According to the U.S. Department of Justice, at most 2% of guns used by criminals are purchased at gun shows, and most of those were purchased legally by people who passed background checks.

Since 1938, any person “engaged in the business of selling firearms” must register with the federal government. In 1968 all such persons were required to obtain a federal firearms license. Since 1998, dealers have been required to submit all prospective gun buyers to a National Instant criminal background Check System (NICS) background check conducted by the FBI or a state agency. This requirement applies at gun shows and all other locations, all of the time.

According to statistics criminals get their guns: 39.6% of the time from family or friends, 39.2% of the time from the street or other illegal methods, 8.3% from retail shops, 1.0% from pawn shops, and 0.7% from gun shows.

So anyone that uses the phrase “gun show loophole” is either an idiot or a liar. Therefore closing the gun show loophole will not keep guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists.

This proves that the 2004 Democratic Platform, as it relates to guns, is completely incorrect at best, or a handful of bald-faced lies at worst. You decide.

Change you can believe in.

Republican, Second Amendment, Gun, firearm, Democrat, assault weapon, gun show loophole