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4.12.2004
Its Official! camedwards.com: Here It Is Its official, Cam has gone from being an unofficial mouthpiece for the GOP with at least some semblance of impartiality (even if he rarely used it) to an official, paid to say, mouthpiece for the NRA. psst... its a special interest group. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the NRA, not because I want to take away people's guns, as one person so succinctly told me I wanted to, but rather because they have been a primary driver in polarizing the debate about gun ownership. I'll write more about this when I have more time, but suffice it to say there is a huge area for compromise regarding gun issues, but the NRA, like any other interest lobby that gets its support by soliciting money, thrives on selling what is in effect rhetoric based on lies. My interpretation of their position, and please tell me if I'm wrong here, is that since the second amendment guarantees the "right to bear arms" so we cannot have ANY legislation that would regulate that right. To promote this position they scare people into believing that liberals want to "take our guns". I'll admit, some people might want to take your guns, but the majority of people want SENSIBLE GUN LAWS!!!!! Last time I checked we all had the right to vote, but we rescind that right for criminals, which I think is wrong but few make a stink about. So it seems the right to bear a deadly weapon is more valuable than the right to decide your representative. I'll admit right now, I haven't given much thought to gun issues, because to sum up my position: If you want to own a handgun or a hunting rifle, that's fine by me. If you commit a crime with that weapon you should and will go to jail. If you have committed a previous crime you should lose your right to own another weapon. I see no problem with checking to see if a person is a criminal before giving them a weapon. I also feel that your right to bear arms should not extend to weapons that have the ability to kills dozens, hundreds or even thousands of people in a matter of a few minutes, namely tanks, cruise missiles, ICBM's and assault rifles. Personal protection like handguns and sporting guns aside I don't feel like an individual should be allowed to brandish such deadly force. There's a line we have to draw, nobody argues that we should all have access to germ weapons, even though you could make an argument that those are "arms" as well, but a case can be made to allow for a weapon for reasons of self defense and recreational use. Sadly, we cannot have a rational discussion about this because of people like the NRA and the aforementioned "gun taker awayers". The NRA is lined up squarely behind the GOP and their rhetoric is intended to spur support for that party in return for support from the GOP on gun related issues. I think they're all fighting ghosts if you ask me. I once had a few guys I worked with, avid hunters all, tell me that the liberals wanted to take away their guns and that's why they would vote for the Republicans. I was a bit bewildered, I, an avowed liberal, couldn't care less if they wanted to go out with their guns and shoot at animals. As long as they aren't committing a crime I don't mind so much what they do with their guns. Myself, I don't hunt, but I understand its a big thing for some people. I also understand that many people in urban environments are being terrorized by gun violence and they want something done about it. Let's talk people. I remember one night in Dallas I actually heard a driveby shooting happen less than a mile away. I heard it! Some little boy got killed because some thugs drove by with their guns and shot the place up. I can understand the anger and fear. Let's talk about this without using it as a political wedge. | |
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