Posted on 02/03/2013 1:31:34 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
Mark Kelly, husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords, spoke to Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday this week, reiterating his support for universal background checks and responding to the NRA’s anti-gun control arguments. Simply put, Kelly said, less people would die due to gun violence if the legislation were put in place.
Wallace looked to the example of Jared Loughner, the gunman who opened fire in Arizona, killing and injuring many, including Giffords. He passed a background check, Wallace noted.
Loughner clearly was mentally ill, Kelly said — and if his condition was entered into the background check system, presumably he would not pass. Arizona, he said, hadn’t entered 121,000 records into the system, and that could certainly make a difference given that 1.7 million have been rejected since 1999.
Wallace further asked what difference a limit a restriction on high-capacity magazines would be make. Kelly replied that it does matter, because the time spent reloading is time for others to restrain the person.
Next on the list was the controversial assault weapons ban, which the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre vehemently opposes. Previously, LaPierre has said, the ban didn’t work, so it’s not necessary now.
“I don’t know if it worked or not,” Kelly said. “I haven’t at all the statistics. Common sense tells me that if it is much more difficult for criminals and the mentally ill to get assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and guns in general, we will save lives.”
Having served in the military, Kelly said he knows the value of assault weapons — in when used in mass shootings, more people die. He did agree with LaPierre that many gun laws need to be better enforced, but also asserted the need to close the gun show/private seller loopholes.
“This isn’t about the Second Amendment anymore,” Kelly said. “This is about public safety.”
There isn’t sufficient legislation, he continued, leading Wallace to point out the NRA’s political clout and ask how much, realistically, can be achieved on the gun control front.
Both sides of the aisle agree we need to do something, he said. It’s not going to be easy, but we need “common sense” answers. “I know the value of an assault weapon, and it’s to kill a lot of people very quickly,” Kelly added.
Asked for his message, “man to man,” to LaPierre (who was on in the next segment), Kelly said: He’ll say background checks don’t work, but that’s not true.
“I hope Mr. LaPierre can think about what would his members want,” he said. “Seventy-four percent of NRA members think it is a very reasonable thing to do to have a background check before buying a gun. … I hope he would listen to his membership because members of the NRA tend to be very reasonable on this issue.”
“I know the value of an assault weapon, and it’s to kill very quickly any crazy AR-15 armed nut bent on massacreing kids about to enter a school,” I added.
Mr Gabby is in this for money and attention. His wife was shot with a pistol, not an “assault weapon”. He’s another Sara Brady, a hanger-on exploiting a personal tragedy for profit. He is scum.
Merchant Marine Academy, Naval Aviator.
In a sense, he’s right. It is, first and foremost in the minds of the obamas, feinsteins, schumers and so on, about their inexorable march toward absolute power, through the creation of a massive imbalance of force between the government and its employers. Very similar to a cabal of capos conspiring to overthrow and assassinate the don in order to split all the goodies among themselves.
Less people would be killed on the street if we were all marched to a gulag. I decline!
He was an A-6 pilot on the USS Midway in Japan. Except for the Seals and EOD guys, the Navy isn't crazy about shipboard people having personal firearms. There is very little firearms training in flight school.
Do you mean something like the brady gang?
“This is about public safety.”
I have some health problems and the only I can keep my wife safe is with a firearm of my choice. I guess mr kelly was to big a wuss to protect his wife.
How long would it take before every non-communist in the country was classified as having an “anti-social personality disorder”?
Mr Gabby = space cadet
Mark Kelly’s had nothing original to say.
He simply regurgitated all the same talking points we have heard over and over again and that have been debunked over and over again.
This man is a puppet who once wore a spacesuit.
That’s the impression I get...This is all the predicate to his own political aspirations. Just like Sandra Fluck. I foudn him rather unimpressive in the Wallace interview. He got all soft and disoriented when asked about any legislation’s chance for passage.
Not 'Less people would die'.
But 'less people would die due to gun violence'.
See, stabbings, strangulations, poisonings, bludgeonings, suffocations, drownings, death by fire, crashing into victims with cars, all these are FINE. It's *gun* violence. *THAT'S* the problem.
Y'see.
I despise Kelly, but this is unfair, and a heinous comment. Almost wondering if it should be flagged for removal.
...”Wonder how much Kelly is making on this tour.”...
It is difficult not to wonder about those things, isn’t it? I watched the softball interview done by liberal Chris Wallace and I was not impressed with him or with Kelly.
...”Wonder how much Kelly is making on this tour.”...
It is difficult not to wonder about those things, isn’t it? I watched the softball interview done by liberal Chris Wallace and I was not impressed with him or with Kelly.
Gloria Bunker: “Daddy don’t you know 10,000 people a year are killed by handguns!’’. Archie Bunker: “Little girl, would ya feel any better if dey wuz pushed outta windows?’’.
Says you.
...”Mr Gabby is in this for money and attention. His wife was shot with a pistol, not an “assault weapon”. He’s another Sara Brady, a hanger-on exploiting a personal tragedy for profit. He is scum.”...
I agree with you.
I’d say your experience would have been different on a Cruiser, Destroyer or Frigate. We trained the whole crew often on everything from 50 cal MGs and smaller. We had a privately owned sniper rifle on the bridge because Surf-Pac wouldn’t give us one.
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