🚀 go-pugleaf

"S. Smith" <scott@sludgereport.org> wrote in message 
news:uaitn0h0pc53tff8tos03vcoi75ogeecc5@4ax.com...

> Advocating some forms of gun control is not the same as "anti-gun".

Gun control means hitting your target.  Crime control is what we need. 
Unfortunately you can't have a conversation with anyone who supports "gun 
control" without realizing they want to curtail responsible, law-abiding 
private ownership of firearms to a significant extent, and don't want to 
enforce the laws on the books that ban most firearms-related crimes (at 
least not to any meaningful extent).

> Kerry strongly supports the Second Amendment.

To the extent he supports anything "strongly."  Kerry believes you should be 
able to buy a $8,000 gold-plated "deer rifle" or "bird gun", but that's 
where it ends.  He'd ban semi autos, handguns, magazine fed rifles, and 
anything scary looking, regardless of whether the un-banned firearm was 5x 
as powerful.

> Actually, yes, it does.
>
> Kerry is a hunter and believes in the Second Amendment. He owns
> guns himself, and he is not "anti-gun". He has said so on many
> occasions.

The second ammendment isn't about hunting, hunting only, or what non-gun 
owners think is appropriate for hunting "only".  And there's dozens of 
shooting sports (most much more athletic than "huntin'") that use 
high-power, magazine fed firearms, including "assault" rifles, that Kerry 
and his anti-gun cronies would pee their pants to ban.

I think the 2nd Ammendment refers to self-defense *first*.

> Many sportsmen, including myself (I have hunted deer and I fish
> regularly) also support various forms of gun control (i.e. background

Most people are in favor of limitations on things they don't use or do, 
simply because its easy.  And what does fishing have to do with firearms? 
I've seen it done with bow-and-arrow, but never with a firearm.

> checks for gun purchases, bans on automatic weapons, etc.). That

Big news, automatic weapons aren't banned!  You too can fill out the 
paperwork, pay the NFA tax and buy yourself a full-auto gun, short-barreled 
("sawed off") shotgun, or suppressor ("silencer").

What, you mean we don't have full-auto firefights in the street?

> does not mean we are "anti-gun". It just means that we understand
> that with freedom comes responsibility.

Except that it never comes with granted responsibilities, it comes with 
restrictions and restrictions, which eventually become bans that only apply 
to ordinary people, not to the wealthy or their minions.

> In addition to being a "Veteran for Kerry", I am also a
> "Sportsman for Kerry".
>
> http://www.johnkerry.com/communities/sportsmen/

Have you really *read* this?

-----
"John Kerry and John Edwards will always support the Second Amendment right 
of law-abiding American citizens to keep and bear arms, such as rifles and 
shotguns, including semi-automatic firearms used by hunters and sportsmen 
across this country. Gun rights are fundamental for the sport of hunting, 
and they will vigorously support those rights as president.

Like President Bush, and sportsmen and law enforcement officers across this 
nation, John Kerry and John Edwards also support the extension of the 
current assault weapons ban."
------

Does this mean I can't have a handgun?

>> I don't care how many wars he was in, I wouldn't vote for him
>>if he was the only guy running.
>
> That much is obvious, but don't claim that gun control is
> the only issue that helped you to form that opinion.

Sadly, gun control isn't the only issue.  Bush is so bad elsewhere, I might 
just give in and vote Kerry and hope that the Republican house and Senate 
will vote down any of the predictably draconian gun control legislation 
Kerry will be forced to back for political reasons.