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."
Is there no limit to stupid Kennedys? It must be the alcohol and drug use in the genes. As though terrorists couldn't get any weapons they choose to use through our pathetically unguarded borders...it boggles the mind. Why doesn't some Republican with stones tell him to sit down and shut up?
While tragic, had the anti-gun nut in New York not vilified Bernie Goetz, her husband might be alive today.
Anybody who would vote for
ANY Kennedy is mentally ill.
Yes, yes, by all means. Let more and more Dems go on record for gun control. Then come election day, they pay the price.
And I use to cal the Republicans the "stupid party."
Kennedy is doubtless a believer of the 'man is born good' doctrine and thinks that if we could just get rid of the external sources of evil, like guns, for instance, then we would all live happily ever-after. Of course he doesn't want to get into a discussion regarding how guns came into existence, since doing so would blow holes in his fairytale belief system.
I really cant say this is the reason. Teds Oldsmobile was an older model when he ran it into the sea. The Kennedy's in spit of having a lot of money are some really cheap people. For Instance when Ted testified he didnt hear the rape his cousin was doing in the Palm Springs home it was because of a fan he had blowing on him, Now who do you know that is so cheap they dont have air conditioning in Palm Springs? The story that they are selling John-Johns toilet brush in one of the threads this morning should tell you something .
Patches is becoming mighty arrogant these days. His (alleged) bf must be giving him trouble.
Thanks,
Whats the big deal? You can get 50 cal muzzleloaders ...
ED
Yes. Many of them do think it's about duck hunting. Or pretend to think so.
Seems to me the Kennedy clan should work on banning golf clubs and Buicks from their family, and the world would be a safer place.
Maybe Patrick Kennedy should take McCarthy for a drive and then go skiing.
A drive, flying, skiing, and the country club. Increases the odds.
Now don't be too hard on Patty. He's the best chance this great nation has of seeing needed legislation to insure personal flotation devices mandated for official drivers while insuring they're kept out of the hands of those who could do great harm - breathing passengers.
[Thought for the Day: Considering the family tendency to float whilst things are sinking all 'round, Pop sure missed a great opportunity in not naming Patrick after his uncle Bobby.]
Oh yes, his car killed the poor woman by driving itself into the river. Ha Ha Just like guns simply jump up by themselves and start discharging spontaneously at people. These senators are the real public enemy and purveyors of crime. The logic that no one really has a need for a 50 caliber rifle is the same logic as saying no one really needs to have a spare tire in their trunk or tire tool. These people need to stop medling with this free society.
Of course, Patrick wants no resistance from his rape victims.
I won't get a 50 BMG because it would be detrimental to my health.
My wife would kill me. :)
There goes the Dems, moving further left to connect with middle America.
Just keep going left, lefties.
These people have an attitude of "I am entitled", " I am special", "I am better than the rest of the trash in the world"
To paraphrase another FReeper, which Kennedy is this?
Is it the drunk, the rapist, the druggie? I get them all confused.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.