[CS-FSLUG] [PD] Are Democrats to Blame for Gun Control? (was They have started already... HR6257 To Reauthorize the Assault Weapon Ban)

[Timothy Butler]

>
> To me this is not about gun control, this is about placing blame for  
> gun
> control squarely on the Democrats. In your original post, you said  
> "The
> Democrats have already started",

	You and Ed are right that both parties have problems. That said, I  
think you are fighting a losing battle, David. The Democrats' party  
platform supports gun control, the Republican platform does not. So,  
as a starting point, if you don't like gun control, you obviously know  
you disagree with the Democrats on this, because their intentions  
aren't secret.

	(Disclaimer before I proceed. I have never fired a gun and I don't  
intend to, but I support the 2nd Amendment all the same.)

>
>
> If you go back in  history to 1934 When Roosevelt was president,  and
> Democrats had majority, the national firearms act of 1934 was  
> largely enacted
> to try and help keep firearms out of mobsters hands. Did Roosevelt and
> congress have bad intentions? I don't think so.

	Bad intentions really are irrelevant, bad results are what matters.  
You can't keep guns out of the hands of criminals by putting more  
restrictions on guns. Remember: criminals don't obey laws.

> Moving on up to 1986, you'll probably will not like this, but Ronald  
> Regan
> made the public law "Armed Career Criminal Act", which increased  
> penalties for
> people that fall in the categories stated in the '68 Gun Control act",

	I'd have to look into it. I'm not familiar with either act, though as  
you describe it, neither was particularly troubling. I don't think  
anyone opposes prohibiting criminals from getting legal guns.

> he also
> enacted "Firearms Owners Protection Act" Which relaxed some of the  
> laws for
> sales of guns and ammunition,

	That sounds like the opposite situation of what you are arguing? This  
one is confusing.

> Finally he enacted the "Law Enforcement Officers
> Protection Act" Which banned possession of armor piercing bullets.   
> So, If it
> were the Democrats who were at it again as you say, then why is gun  
> control
> getting support and being expanded by the Republicans? And the  
> Majority of the
> house was Republican with George Herbert Walker Bush residing as the  
> president
> of the Senate. Did they have bad intentions? I don't think so.

	Actually the Republicans did not gain a house majority until 1995.  
And, the veep does very little in the senate.
>
> Then in 1998 Republicans stopped an amendment to require trigger  
> locks be sold
> with every handgun purchase. House Majority: Republicans. Was this a  
> mistake?
> I think so, but in 1999 still with Republican majority, Al Gore  
> voted to break
> a tie in the house, in favor to require trigger locks on all newly
> manufactured guns. Good thing? YES it was!

	The VP cannot break a tie in the house. I presume you were referring  
to the senate. Now, given a 54-46 split in 1999, your argument doesn't  
work very well here. That means (most likely without looking up the  
bill) that 4 Republican senators voted with the Democrats. The tie  
breaking vote of the veep brings it to 49 GOP again and 47 Dem for  
(and 4 GOP for).

	If that was the scenario, or there abouts, for better or worse, it  
confirms that Democrats were the ones pushing gun control.

>
>
> Now Here is what your going to hate...
>
> The proposed house bill you have brought up.... "Assault Weapons Ban
> Reauthorization Act of 2008". You already know who the president is,  
> already
> know the majority, but what you probably didn't pay attention to is  
> that Mark
> Kirk is the sponsor of this bill and he has 4 co-sponsors:  Michael  
> N. Castle,
> Mike Ferguson, lleana Ros-Lehtinen, and Christopher Shays. All 5 of  
> these
> Rep's are Republican! Bad intentions? I don't think so.

	Obviously neither party's congresspeople are totally homogenous. That  
said, you can bet the majority of Republicans will likely vote against  
this bill (unless something really important gets attached to it) and  
the majority of Democrats will support it.

	Do you support gun control, it sounds like? Then you should be happy  
that the Dems support it, right? :-)

	-Tim

---
Timothy R. Butler | "He that has and a little tiny wit—
Editor, OFB.biz   | With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,—
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                                   -- Feste the Fool (Shakespeare)