Follow the Logic on Obama's Gun Control

"While there is no law, or set of laws, that can prevent every senseless act of violence completely, no piece of legislation that will prevent every tragedy, every act of evil, if there’s even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there’s even one life that can be saved, then we’ve got an obligation to try," Obama said in his rollout of his gun control proposals. However, laws restricting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens should be enacted anyway because they might save "even one life," according to Obama.


So, Obama wants a ban on scary-looking guns, so-called "assault weapons" (which are not true assault weapons because he shot requires a trigger pull). He wants a limit on the capacity of gun clips to ten bullets as well as universal background checks. He admitted these measures, had they been in effect, might not have prevented the Newtown, Columbine or Aurora tragedies. He ignored the fact that the weapon used in Newtown was legally owned by the shooter's mother in a state with an assault weapon ban. The national assault rifle and magazine capacity limitations were in effect at the time of the Columbine High School shootings. The Aurora shooter would have passed a background check since he had no criminal record and had never been adjudicated as mentally incompetent before the theater shooting.

Okay, so let's apply Obama's same logic to another right -- the First Amendment -- and see how far it flies with the liberal gun-hating crowd. Let's address violent video games and movies. Granted, researchers differ on whether or not these cause increased violence or aggression. But, since they might for at least some mentally ill individuals, we should go after them because we might be able to save at least one life.

Let's just outright ban the production and sale of the most graphic, scariest violent video games or movies. Nobody to see them to be entertained; they serve no useful purpose. Let's require background checks on all purchases of permitted video games and movie DVD's or Blu-Rays, including any transfers from one owner to another. And, certainly, we need to restrict the length of such games or movies. Let's issue movie attendance licenses to be allowed to buy violent movie tickets after a thorough background check. Of course, we would need to restrict television viewing of these movies, too, so let's require cable companies to do background checks of their customers. Then, require the cable companies to restrict violent shows to certain stations and only customers who passed the background checks could subscribe to those stations.

Sure, these measures restrict the free exercise of the First Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. But, if we could save just one life by enacting them, wouldn't it be worth it? If it isn't, then neither is it reasonable or right to restrict the free exercise of our Second Amendment rights. What is fair for one is fair for the other.

Cling to Your Guns: Obama Lies about Gun Control

Few politicians have the gall to blatantly lie in their television ads. Barack Hussein Obama has plowed new ground in his audacity of deceit to run a political ad in which he claims he is pro-gun rights. When I heard it, I laughed out loud after I picked my jaw up off the floor.

With friends like Obama, who needs enemies? As a Life Member of the National Rifle Association (NRA), I know Obama is no friend of my Second Amendment rights. He has an “F” from the NRA. Any gun owner needs to pay close attention to Obama’s words and, more importantly, his actions. Despite his few years as a politician, he has a long string of anti-gun votes.

Obama served on the board of the Joyce Foundation, which has given millions of dollars to anti-gun groups, from 1994-2001. He wrote in his own handwriting on a candidate questionnaire in 1996, when he first ran for the Illinois Senate, that he would like to “ban the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns.” Similarly, in 1998, he supported a ban on the sale or transfer of all semi-automatic weapons. (NRA-ILA Staff, “Obama: Issue by Issue,” America’s 1st Freedom, Nov. 2008, p. 36) Back in 1999, Obama proposed increasing taxes on firearms and ammunition by 500 percent. He also called for a federal ban on gun stores within five miles of any park or school. A study of these “Obama Exclusion Zones” determined that over ninety percent of all gun stores would be forced to close and “most major metropolitan areas and their suburbs, and even small towns, would become ‘gun store-free zones’.” (Ibid. p. 39)

As an Illinois State Senator, he voted to limit handgun purchases to one per month in 2003. He supported S.B. 1195, another 2003 anti-gun bill, which would have banned “all single-shot and double-barreled shotguns 28 gauge or larger, and many semi-auto shotguns…along with hundreds of models of rifles and handguns.” (Ibid. p. 38) Any Illinois resident found in possession of one of these guns ninety days after passage would have been charged with a felony. Fortunately, the bill did not pass.

Obama voted ‘no” four times on S.B. 2165 in 2004. This bill would protect citizens from prosecution who used a gun in self-defense in their home against an intruder or attacker. He also said in 2004, “I am consistently on record and will continue to be on record as opposing concealed carry.” He proposed “federal legislation that would ban citizens from carrying weapons, except for law enforcement.” He continues to oppose citizens’ right-to-carry laws, stating in April 2008, “I am not in favor of concealed weapons.” (Ibid. p. 39)

More recently in 2005, Obama supported Sen. Edward Kennedy’s ban on center-fire rifle ammunition used in hunting and sport shooting. Even the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) opposed it. Fortunately, this Kennedy amendment to the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act failed. He voted “yea” on S.397 in the U.S. Senate in 2005. This terrible bill would have made firearms’ manufacturers responsible for illegal use of their products after sale. It would also have outlawed most types of rifle ammunition. (www.gunbanobama.com) Both Obama and his running mate Sen. Joseph Biden voted against the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. This bill protects legal firearm manufacturers from lawsuits resulting from the illegal acts of armed criminals. Obama supports Biden’s bill (S.2237) that would reinstate Brady Bill bans on “roughly 200 makes and models of semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and handguns on the basis of things like the shape of their grips, and on ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.” (“Joe Biden: The Voice of Anti-gun Experience,” America’s 1st Freedom, Nov. 2008, p. 41)

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the handgun ban in Washington, D.C. recently in District of Columbia v. Heller. Over 300 members of Congress joined in a brief asking the court to uphold the Second Amendment rights of individuals. Neither Obama nor Biden joined them. This decision was decided 5-4. Key to this landmark decision in defense of your individual right to keep and bear arms was Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. and Justice Samuel Alito. Both Obama and Biden voted against confirming these justices and expressed strong disagreement with the Court’s decision. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the decision. At an August 2008 candidate’s forum, Obama stated he would not have nominated him or Justice Clarence Thomas who voted with the majority.

Biden, during a speech to the N.A.A.C.P. convention during the presidential primary, predicted: “The next president is likely to name at least one, if not three new Supreme Court justices.” (Wayne LaPierre, “Vote for the Second Amendment,” America’s 1st Freedom, Nov. 2008, p. 9) If you own guns of any type or believe you should have the right to do so, then you do not want Obama to be the one nominating Supreme Court Justices and hundreds of lower-level federal judges. If you, like the Founding Fathers, believe the Second Amendment is essential to freedom from government tyranny, then McCain-Palin is the ticket to support.

Obama would like to ban all handguns and semi-automatic firearms, revoke state Right-to-Carry laws, ration purchases of other firearms, and impose gun licensing and registration. (www.nrapvf.org) As NRA President John C. Sigler warned, “Taken together, Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden constitute the most anti-gun ticket ever to run for the White House.” (John c. Sigler, “Obama-Biden a Clear and Present Danger,” America’s 1st Freedom, Nov. 2008, p. 10)

The divide between Democratic and Republican views of the Second Amendment is clear in their party platforms. The 2008 Democratic Party platform says, “We believe that the right to own firearms is subject to reasonable regulation, but we know that what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne.” This new concept that Constitutional protections are subject to regional differences has been dubbed “geo-constitutionalism.” It flies in the face of our Founding Fathers’ intent and the concept of equal protection under the law.

In contrast, the Republican Party platform states, “We uphold the right of individual Americans to own firearms, a right which antedated the Constitution and was solemnly confirmed by the Second Amendment. Gun ownership is responsible citizenship, enabling Americans to defend themselves, their property and communities.” Voters, cling to those guns! Vote for McCain-Palin.

Republican Presidential Candidates on the Confederate Flag or Why Mike Huckabee Gets My Vote

Mitt Romney

"That flag frankly, is divisive and shouldn't be shown. Right now with the kinds of issues we've got in this country, I'm not going to get involved with a flag like that."
"That's not a flag that I would recognize so that I would hold it up in my room."
"The people of our country have decided not to fly that flag. I think that's the right thing."

Mike Huckabee

"You don't like people from outside the state coming in and telling you what to do with your flag," In fact, if somebody came to Arkansas and told us what to do with our flag, we'd tell 'em what to do with the pole, that's what we'd do."
"It is not an issue the president of the United States needs to weigh in on."
"I know what would happen if somebody comes to my state in Arkansas and tells us what to do, it doesn't matter what it is, tell us how to run our schools, tell us how to raise our kids, tell us what to do with our flag — you want to come tell us what to do with the flag, we'd tell them what to do with the pole."

Fred Thompson

"For a great many Americans, it’s a symbol of racism."
"As far as a public place is concerned, I am glad that people have made the decision not to display it as a prominent flag, symbolic of something, at a state capital."
"As a part of a group of flags or something of that nature, you know, honoring various service people at different times in different parts of the country, I think that's different."

John McCain

"My answer, sir, is that I could not be more proud that the overwhelming majority of the people of this state joined together taking that flag off the top of the...." (end of comment drowned out by cheers of McCain's supporters)
"a symbol of racism"
"a symbol of heritage"
"I really don't think it's a good idea to fly the confederate Flag."
"I said it was strictly a state issue and clearly knowing it wasn't. I feared that if I answered honestly, I could not win the South Carolina primary. So I chose to compromise my principles."
"My answer to that is I can’t be more proud of the overwhelming majority of the people of this state who came together in taking that flag off the top of the Capitol."

Rudy Giuliani

"One of the great beauties of the kind of government we have, which is a national/federal government, is that we can make - on a broad range of issues - we can make different decisions in different parts of the country. We have different sensitivities, and at different times we are going to come to different decisions, and I think that is best left up to the states."
"That's a good thing to be left on a state-by-state basis."

Ron Paul

I could find no direct quotes by Ron Paul on the subject of the Confederate flag, despite extensive research online. However, given his strong defense of states' rights against federal coercion, it is reasonable to presume that he would not object to a state choosing to honor the Confederate flag. If anyone can cite any direct quotes on the subject by Ron Paul, please forward the URLs.

As a Florida voter, I’ve been fluctuating between voting for Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee. They are the candidates that most closely match my own positions on the issues. I cannot give either my unqualified endorsement. I have concerns about Huckabee's positions and past history in dealing with illegal immigrants. I like the fact that the Republican establishment opposes him since I do not like the neo-cons or economic conservatives/social liberals that currently control our party. Romney's support from them raises red flags as does his past support for abortion rights. One thing that does not cause me any hesitation is Romney's Mormonism. A Mormon approach to social welfare would be a great plus in the White House.

When I read what Mitt Romney said about the Confederate flag, I was sickened. Then, I heard Mike Huckabee say how Arkansans would tell outsiders (carpetbaggers) what to do with the flag pole if they came to take down their flag. Hallelujah! He won my vote. I get to vote for a real, authentic Southerner who understands states’ rights and Southern heritage. Yes!

If Huckabee does not win the Republican presidential nomination, who will I support in November? That is an easy answer for me. I can support any of the other Republican candidates except Rudy Giuliani. I have severe doubts on a couple (Paul on foreign policy and McCain on immigration), but I would prefer them to any the Democrats will nominate.

Rudy Giuliani, however, is nothing but a Democrat-in-drag. He will never get my vote because he is wrong on all the issues that matter most to me. He is wrong on abortion, the Second Amendment, and illegal immigration. Worse, he has the morals of a tomcat. Any candidate who cannot be faithful to his marriage vows to his wife cannot be trusted to be faithful to his inaugural vows to the people. Giuliani is a non-starter for me. If the Republican party makes the mistake of nominating him for President, then I will vote third party in protest even if it means the election of a Democrat.