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October 17, 2012
#gunvote: Back to the Future?
During the second presidential debate, President Obama stated in a clear answer to a questioner that “…what I’m trying to do is to get a broader conversation about how do we reduce the violence generally. Part of it is seeing if we can get an assault weapons ban reintroduced. But part of it is also looking at other sources of the violence. Because frankly, in my hometown of Chicago, there’s an awful lot of violence and they’re not using AK-47s. They’re using cheap handguns.”
So Barack Obama now envisions not only a sweeping ban on rifles and shotguns – but is also considering new restrictions on handguns. Of course, as a state Senator, Obama endorsed a total ban on the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns. Is Obama looking to travel back to the future in a potential second term? If so, there is far more under his hat than a handgun ban. Barack Obama also supported a proposal to ban gun stores within 5 miles of a school or park, which would eliminate almost every gun store in America. And he has endorsed a 500 percent increase in the federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition. And those are just the low-lights. There’s more – much more.
Mitt Romney, by contrast, took the opportunity to reaffirm his continued support for the Second Amendment by clearly stating that he was “… not in favor of new pieces of legislation on guns and taking guns away or making certain guns illegal.” In a separate announcement on the day of the debate, Romney went further, saying “It is the sportsmen and women of America who keep safe that natural wealth for this generation and many more to come. Hunters, fishermen, sports-shooters, and outdoor enthusiasts not only create millions of jobs and pump billions of dollars into our economy, they stand on the forefront of defending our Second Amendment rights and protecting the natural wonder of our nation. If I am fortunate enough to become president, they will have a friend in the White House.”
The difference between the candidates couldn’t be more stark. Gun owners, sportsmen, and hunters should take heed from the revelation of Obama’s true second term agenda. The stakes of this election now go far beyond the typical debate over incremental restrictions on our rights. The exchange from the debate has put a fine point on the stark contrast between the respective tickets for the presidency. Elections matter and last night’s debate illustrated that the stakes are still tremendous in the battle for our 2nd Amendment rights in the 21st century. Don’t risk your rights this November — #gunvote!
Categories: Government Relations
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