Libertarian VP Candidate Video; Rifles are "Weapons of Mass Destruction"

Gun Watch ^ | 7 August, 2016 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

On August 3rd, 2016, the Libertarian candidate for vice president, William Weld, was interviewed on REVOLT TV. 

REVOLT TV Chief Political Correspondent Amrit Singh asked candidate Weld about legislation and his views on guns.  A short video clip of the relevant section has been posted on Youtube by occupy the media.  The gun segment starts right away in the clip.

William Weld:

"The five shot rifle, that is a standard military rifle, the problem is if you attach a clip to it that holds more shells and if you remove the pin so that it becomes an automatic weapon, and those are independent criminal offences.  That is when they  become, essentially, a weapon of mass destruction.  The problem with handguns probably is even worse than the problem of the AR15."

 Amrit Singh:

"What can you do to help control this flow of guns, if anything?"

William Weld:

 "You shouldn't have anybody who is on the terrorist watch list buy any gun at all."

Link to video

William Weld was United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts from 1981 to 1986. He was governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997. He should know that the ban on "high capacity magazines" is independent of them being inserted into a rifle; it only applies to magazines made after 1994, and applies to magazines with a capacity of over 10 rounds, not 5.  There is a five round limit for shotguns.  He was governor when these limitations were put in place.

Weld also opined extensively on the recent police shooting of Philando Castile in Minnesota.  He was certain that the police officer had committed a criminal offense and that the officer would be going to jail.  He misquotes what Philando Castile's girlfriend said on video; then he claims that it was Philando Castile who said it.

Weld: Having said "I have a license to carry, you do not mind if I reach for it, do you?"

As an attorney, he seems to have little care for the rule of law, due process, and the idea of "innocent until proven guilty".

The officers involved are under investigation, and are unable to give their side of the story yet.  At the minimum, it would be prudent to say that we should wait until the investigation is concluded before making innocent or guilty judgements.

Libertarians have traditionally been the party with the strongest support for Second Amendment rights, and upholding the rule of law as defined by the Constitution.

These statements seem unlikely to resonate with the Libertarian base.  

 ©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch

[rockrr]

Pretty piss-poor liberaltarian if you ask me.

[progunner]

And, shame on me,,,, I forgot to mention that that pin can be used as a spare firing pin in the event that the shoulder wigit gets jammed and bent during a fire frenzy.

[jch10]

Yes, it is and don’t you forget it! Didn’t know I agreed with the Libertarians.

Now, sit down and be quiet.

[USNBandit]

Doesn’t sound like a libertarian to me. Sounds more like a liberal republican trying to get Hillary elected.

[progunner]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but smokeless propellant does not explode. If it did, the projectile wouldn’t exit the barrel.

[Chewbarkah]

Weld : Libertarian as Hillary : Playmate of the Year.

This interview needs to be promulgated far and wide. How could anyone outside of Massachusetts support this idiot? Evidently Gary Johnson does, and this should drive away any third party voters except those to the left of Hillary.

Meanwhile, where do I get one of those rifles where you pull out a pin and it becomes full auto?

[Renegade]

He should stick one up his azz and pull the trigger.

[VietVet]

Back in the early ‘70’s, when I was in the NG, there was a policy to reduce the ammunition expenditure of the Guards and Reserves by converting their issue full auto/select-fire M-16s to semi-auto. This was done by installing a stamped sheet metal part that blocked the safety/select-fire switch from the full-auto position. It could be removed by any competent armorer (or by most knowledgeable soldiers), and in an emergency simply broken off. This is not, of course, the same thing as converting a semi-auto to full auto.

[Gaffer]

You will note the discussion was about gunpowder (I’m assuming in the classical sense). And to say that a force is not created by igniting the powder within a compressed space with one avenue of release (bullet down the barrel) isn’t an explosion is wrong.

[ThunderSleeps]

Exactly. I have some libertarian leanings on many issues. (*) However, if this is the kind of example they hold up as a "leader" for the party - no way. Not only is he obviously ill informed, he's not smart enough or humble enough to realize and acknowledge when he doesn't know what the {expletive} he's talking about. Agenda driven nonsense, and I hate the agenda. This kind of idiocy by the libertarians puts me off their message and candidates at all levels. Way to go guys, way to alienate a fair percentage of your supporters.

(*) Note, I had no intention of voting libertarian, at least not in the Presidential election. Clinton must be defeated for the good of America. Trump can win, no third party candidate stands a chance.

[Red Badger]

That’s not a very ‘libertarian’ view....................

[OldMissileer]

The pin can be found under the highcall, which is next to the sling ring which is in close proximity to the non adjustable adjuster, which is on the opposite side of the warning label that’s above the doodad controller. Any questions????

Remember, it is just left of the Thing That Goes Up.

[Aarchaeus]

This was published in the Onion, right? Surely wouldn’t be printed anywhere else.

[Celerity]

He’s just another masshole.

Being from the NE US I’ve found that everyone who calls themselves freedom-loving, patriotic, and republican or libertarian always follows up with the “But....”

This is what Libertarian looks like in Assachusetts.

[showme_the_Glory]

if you remove the pin so that it becomes an automatic weapon

Hmmmmmm, now where did I put that pin?

[N. Theknow]

Hmmmmmm, now where did I put that pin?

I keep mine right next to my spare "clips" and "shells" where it is easy to find whenever I want to switch from semi-auto to full auto.

[xzins]

and if you remove the pin so that it becomes an automatic weapon,

Just curious, but it so deceptive to say that removing a firing pin from a semi-automatic would turn it into an automatic. Remove the firing pin, and it wouldn't fire at all.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

But probably the easiest ‘bang for the buck’ is firecrackers in a cooking pot.

I learned that from a kid named Kevin. Very polite young man.

[Gaffer]

As a young boy 50 years ago, we took copper CO2 cartridges and emptied the powder into one with the neck cut off and then packed with a fuse and some wax. A hell of an explosion.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Back in the Good Old Days, they used to pack black powder too tightly. With lack of air the early siege cannons lacked much punch. Then they learned to ‘corn’ the powder so that more ‘air’ [actually oxygen] could cause it to ignite more rapidly. Much better blasts with less cost in sulfur.

Took them over a century to figure that out.