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Patrick Kennedy Says Resistance to Gun Ban is 'Insanity'
CNSNews.com ^ | February 09, 2005 | Jeff Johnson

Posted on 02/09/2005 4:40:27 AM PST by pop-aye

(CNSNews.com) - U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy implied Tuesday that congressional colleagues who do not share his support for a failed gun ban being reintroduced in the House are mentally ill. The Rhode Island Democrat also accused lawmakers who oppose the anti-gun legislation of not caring about police safety.

Kennedy is the son of U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and the nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy and U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy, both of whom were shot to death.

The younger Kennedy made the comments at a Capitol Hill press conference to promote the reintroduction of the "50 Caliber Sniper Rifle Reduction Act." The bill, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), would ban the manufacture of such rifles and severely limit the sale or transfer of existing .50 BMG rifles except for those owned by the military or civilian law enforcement agencies.

"Any policy maker who, on the one hand, says that they are for combating terrorism but, on the other hand, will not back this legislation, backed by Representative Moran, to me has a lot of explaining to do," Kennedy said "In fact, I think it would be the definition of insanity to say that."

In addition to challenging his opponents' mental stability, Kennedy also questioned whether his fellow lawmakers could claim to support police while opposing the gun ban.

"If we don't pass this legislation, this Congress, implicitly, is saying that they do not care about the welfare of our law enforcement community," Kennedy said.

John Burtt - chairman of the Fifty Caliber Institute, the education and advocacy arm of the Fifty Caliber Shooters Association - told Cybercast News Service that Moran, Kennedy and their colleagues are trying to create "backdoor legislation to ban all firearms in this country.

"What they're doing is using hyperbole to create anxiety on the part of the uninformed public that these guns are dangerous, that they are a threat to national security," Burtt said, "but they are not."

Burtt said there has not been a single instance of terrorists using the .50 BMG in an attack on U.S. soil. A handout provided to the media at Moran's press conference listed 12 instances in which a .50 caliber rifle was used, threatened or intended for use in a criminal act. But Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, reviewed the list and questioned the nature of the examples.

"It's usually people who were prohibited from owning any kind of firearm to begin with and, as a result, should have been prohibited from owning a .50 caliber already," Gottlieb said. "There's no need to have a new law. They ought to just enforce the existing laws."

Moran believes, however, that there is no legitimate reason for civilians to own the rifles.

"It serves no purpose for hunting, whatsoever," Moran claimed. "If you went hunting with this, you would not have any trophy. All you'd have left would be some pieces of fur and hoof."

Burtt refuted Moran's assertion.

"I know a lot of people who hunt with the .50 BMG," Burtt said, noting that many people pursue elk, bear and other large game animals with the rifles. "When a .50 caliber round hits a large animal like that, it has tremendous knock-down power. But, it does nothing more than put a half-inch hole into the animal and knock it down.

"This is just somebody who, obviously, has no knowledge, whatsoever, about the hunting capabilities of these firearms making statements that are completely inaccurate," Burtt added.

U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), whose husband was murdered and son wounded by a gunman on a Long Island commuter train in 1993, contributed to Moran's "no legitimate use" argument.

"This has nothing to do with the Second Amendment. This has nothing to do with taking away the right of someone to have a gun to protect themselves [sic]," McCarthy said.

Gottlieb disagreed.

"As far as Carolyn McCarthy is concerned, the Second Amendment doesn't protect any firearm," Gottlieb said. "If she had her wishes, she'd classify every firearm under a foot long as a 'Saturday Night Special,' and ban it, and characterize every gun over a foot long as an 'assault weapon,' and ban it also."

McCarthy and her anti-gun colleagues are using a "divide and conquer" strategy, according to Gottlieb, to disarm law-abiding Americans.

"If you pick on one type of gun at a time and say, 'the Second Amendment doesn't protect it,' most gun owners who don't own that kind of gun won't get upset and she might get her legislation passed," Gottlieb explained. "Then, lo and behold, she'll come back for another gun the next time and another gun the next time until there are no guns left."

McCarthy's comments seemed to support Gottlieb's assessment as she attempted to further demonize the .50 caliber.

"Look at this thing," McCarthy urged. "Do you want this in your home? Do you want your children to play with this?"

Burtt said McCarthy's comment betrays her ignorance of firearms and their safe handling.

"I don't want any children 'playing' with firearms, and they shouldn't even be touching them without the supervision of an adult," Burtt said. "I can't believe a representative of our Congress would make a statement like that."

Gottlieb, however, said he was not surprised by McCarthy's comments.

"Nobody said that the opponents of gun ownership are intellectually honest," Gottlieb said. "As far as these members of Congress are concerned, there's no such thing as a good gun."


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: banglist; guncontrol; politics; rats; sorelosers
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To: xcamel
I guess they should also ban golf clubs and footballs in the case of the Kennedys (or at least using the same lack of logic)

And skis, too. Didn't a Kennedy ski into a tree and die?

101 posted on 02/09/2005 10:47:27 AM PST by ELS
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To: pop-aye
U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy implied Tuesday that congressional colleagues who do not share his support for a failed gun ban being reintroduced in the House are mentally ill.

Someone should send this moron a copy of “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” Then again, DON’T – let him keep making asinine statements like this.

"If we don't pass this legislation, this Congress, implicitly, is saying that they do not care about the welfare of our law enforcement community," Kennedy said.

What about supporting the Constitutional rights of the 99.5% of us who are not law enforcement officers? Oh, and how many police officers have been shot/killed with a .50 BMG weapon? I’ll venture a guess: Zero, zip, nada.

This is all about demonizing a class of weapons based on looks and/or the possibility that someone may commit a crime with it. The arguments for such a ban, if it is enacted, will be used to ban the next lowest caliber, then the next, etc., etc., until the only thing that one can own is a single-shot .22 short rifle, and then only if it is locked up in a police armory. Banning something based on looks violates Mothers’ Commandment #4 to wit “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Banning something or some activity because it might be used in a crime is known as “prior restraint,” a concept that it abhorrent to the notion of freedom. Prior restraint is mostly a 1st Amendment concept, but it certainly applies to the 2nd, as well.

Moran believes, however, that there is no legitimate reason for civilians to own the rifles.

"It serves no purpose for hunting, whatsoever," Moran claimed. "If you went hunting with this, you would not have any trophy. All you'd have left would be some pieces of fur and hoof."

The 2nd Amendment isn’t about hunting, target shooting or even self-protection from common street thugs (as distinguished from the title-bearing, suit-wearing criminals who congregate in Washington, DC and in the various state capitals). Hunting is, from a Constitutional perspective, such a trivial activity that it is not even hinted at in the Constitution or any of the amendments. On the other hand, having a well-regulated (i.e. well-trained or well-disciplined) militia, composed of all able-bodied males in a society, is something that the Founders took for granted, and for which they provided in the Constitution. The militia is the final guardian of our liberty, against both foreign invaders and domestic tyrants. Representative MORON probably doesn’t have a clue about this, but even if he does, he clearly doesn’t give a rat’s rectum about our rights.

"This has nothing to do with the Second Amendment. This has nothing to do with taking away the right of someone to have a gun to protect themselves [sic]," McCarthy said.

Yet another ignorant/evil slug inhabiting the halls of Congress. See comment re: her fellow-traveler, MORON, above.

"As far as Carolyn McCarthy is concerned, the Second Amendment doesn't protect any firearm," Gottlieb said. "If she had her wishes, she'd classify every firearm under a foot long as a 'Saturday Night Special,' and ban it, and characterize every gun over a foot long as an 'assault weapon,' and ban it also."

That pretty much hits the nail on the head.

"Look at this thing," McCarthy urged. "Do you want this in your home?

Yeah, actually I would, along with at least 6 or 8 of its siblings and cousins that also shoot the .50 BMG. Gee, Carolyn, do you think that we could arrange for a special grant to help me pay for them?

Do you want your children to play with this?"

Play? No, but then again, I don’t want anyone to “play” with any firearm. Firearms are deadly weapons, and proper respect for them and their capabilities should ALWAYS be taught and observed. I, personally, lock my firearms away from my 3 1/2 year-old daughter and 8-month-old son, but when they get old enough to handle the responsibility they will be taught by me how to handle, clean and use firearms – including a .50 BMG if have one at that time (i.e. if I can afford to buy and feed one, which I cannot do at present).

"I don't want any children 'playing' with firearms, and they shouldn't even be touching them without the supervision of an adult," Burtt said.

Right on.

"I can't believe a representative of our Congress would make a statement like that."

Someone hasn’t been paying attention to the looney Left for the past 30 years or so.

Gottlieb, however, said he was not surprised by McCarthy's comments.

"Nobody said that the opponents of gun ownership are intellectually honest," Gottlieb said. "As far as these members of Congress are concerned, there's no such thing as a good gun."

Another nail bites the dust, the victim of a well-aimed hammer strike.

102 posted on 02/09/2005 10:52:40 AM PST by Ancesthntr
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To: fortunecookie

who keeps electing these @$$holes? Seems to me that their electorate should stand up and tell them to sit down. Friggin' Massachusetts, Rhode Island, where is it? Honest to God, what are these people thinking??

I have my hands full in Connecticut at the moment with a .50 cal ban bill on the table, as well as tighter regs on sales and transfers. We're fighting it tooth and nail at the moment. This is exhausting.


103 posted on 02/09/2005 10:57:04 AM PST by SASsySIGster (Valentine's gifts should sparkle or go BANG! really loud.)
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To: pop-aye
Kennedy is the son of U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and the nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy and U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy, both of whom were shot to death.

OK, I'll pile on the Kennedys along with the rest of you:

Kennedy is the son of U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy (Drunken Murderer-Mass.) and the nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy [Who was quite pro-gun, BTW] and U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy, both of whom were shot to death.

Listen, I can understand why any Kennedy would be anti-gun. However, I won't allow their problem to affect me, any more than I would allow a mother bear to maul me or my family despite understanding that she was only trying to protect her cubs.

104 posted on 02/09/2005 10:58:16 AM PST by Ancesthntr
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To: BurbankKarl
I thought the Kennedy's were allergic to guns. The clan is paying the sins of their patriarch

The Kennedys are not themselves averse to firearms - they just don't like US having access to such hardware. I'd wager that that the Kennedy "compound" in Hyannis has a fully stocked armory.

105 posted on 02/09/2005 11:05:21 AM PST by Charles Martel
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To: Vaquero

Ban Buicks driven by drunken Senators
_____________________________________--

Actually it was an Oldsmobile that Teddy drive off the bridge.


106 posted on 02/09/2005 11:09:16 AM PST by scottybk ("Pure democracy is 2 tigers and a lamb voting on what to eat for lunch." Benj. Franklin)
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To: pop-aye; cyborg

U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), whose husband was murdered and son wounded by a gunman on a Long Island commuter train in 1993, contributed to Moran's "no legitimate use" argument.



Stupid shanty hausfrau b-tch alert!


107 posted on 02/09/2005 11:12:17 AM PST by Clemenza (Are you going to bark all day, little doggie, or are you going to bite?)
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To: Clemenza

I dont know if I loathe what this woman stands for as much as I loathe that the idiots here on Long Island vote this waste of time in....again and again. Long Island use to be Republican...this past election it was all BLUE. Sickening


108 posted on 02/09/2005 11:18:40 AM PST by Vaquero
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To: Vaquero
The idiot voters on the South Shore vote for Carolyn because she "tawks dere language." She is not seen as a "liberal" but rather as someone who "cares about us."

Long Island was radically changed by the white flighters who poured in from Queens and Brooklyn in the 1960s and 1970s. Neither conservative or liberal, often ignorant about politics, the let the RINOs run roughshod over them. When they had enough of tax hikes, they turned out the RINOs locally. On a national level, they can't really identify with a GOP dominated by religious folks, independent businessmen and free marketeers.

109 posted on 02/09/2005 11:25:32 AM PST by Clemenza (Are you going to bark all day, little doggie, or are you going to bite?)
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To: 7.62 x 51mm
All he's got to do is look at his bloated, fat, alcoholic uncle, to see who's mentally-ill.

According to the article, the " bloated, fat alcoholic uncle" is his father.

110 posted on 02/09/2005 11:37:09 AM PST by rock58seg (The real enemy of good is perfect.)
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To: ED Basher
I got a squirrel problem in my backyard!

How can anyone consider delicious, tasty squirrels to be a problem? Sauteed with a brown gravy is best as far as I am concerned.

111 posted on 02/09/2005 11:44:24 AM PST by rock58seg (The real enemy of good is perfect.)
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To: pop-aye

"Moran believes there is no legitimate reason to own...".

Ha! People of the mental capacity of Kennedy(s), Moran, McCarthy
are reason enough to own. Their logic would make this country infinitely more citizen-scarey and perp-safe.

I am sick of the red herring of hunting being introduced.

While I feel sorry for McCarthy in the loss of her husband, that is no reason to become a one issue person.

Thinking of changing my name to ownncarry.

vaudine


112 posted on 02/09/2005 11:52:58 AM PST by vaudine
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To: rock58seg

I know, I corrected myself in an earlier post. Duh.


113 posted on 02/09/2005 12:11:08 PM PST by 7.62 x 51mm (• veni • vidi • vino • visa • "I came, I saw, I drank wine, I shopped")
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To: rock58seg

You bring back old memories,

I used to hunt'm with my 22 bolt action and go for head shots. Very tasty, but they were a royal PitA to skin. Darn things must have kevlar for a hide ...

Happy Hunting,
ED

As for our Patrick, say hello to Rhode Island's next junior senator ...


114 posted on 02/09/2005 12:59:02 PM PST by ED Basher
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Comment #115 Removed by Moderator

To: pop-aye
Insane Hunh?

Well, I've been called worse by better men than a Kennedy. That alone makes everything that comes out of his mouth suspect.

Besides, resistance is my middle name. Dr. John Resistance (is futile, you will be examined.) Zoidberg.
116 posted on 02/09/2005 1:14:12 PM PST by Dr.Zoidberg (Children classics updated for Islam, "If you're happy and you know it, go Kaboom!")
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To: pop-aye
First, they came for the 50's, and I didn't say anything, because I don't shoot long range targets.

Then they came for the 300 win mags, and I didn't say anything, because I'm not an Elk hunter.

Then they came for the Shotguns and I didn't say anything because I don't shoot skeet.

Then they came for my handgun and NOBODY SAID ANYTHING.....

117 posted on 02/09/2005 7:10:45 PM PST by ExSoldier (Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on dinner. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.)
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