Posted on 02/07/2007 2:40:44 PM PST by Jim Robinson
HANNITY: Let me move on. And the issue of guns has come up a lot. When people talk about Mayor Giuliani, New York City had some of the toughest gun laws in the entire country. Do you support the right of people to carry handguns?
GIULIANI: I understand the Second Amendment. I support it. People have the right to bear arms. When I was mayor of New York, I took over at a very, very difficult time. We were averaging about 2,000 murders a year, 10,000...
HANNITY: You inherited those laws, the gun laws in New York?
GIULIANI: Yes, and I used them. I used them to help bring down homicide. We reduced homicide, I think, by 65-70 percent. And some of it was by taking guns out of the streets of New York City.
So if you're talking about a city like New York, a densely populated area like New York, I think it's appropriate. You might have different laws other places, and maybe a lot of this gets resolved based on different states, different communities making decisions. After all, we do have a federal system of government in which you have the ability to accomplish that.
HANNITY: So you would support the state's rights to choose on specific gun laws?
GIULIANI: Yes, I mean, a place like New York that is densely populated, or maybe a place that is experiencing a serious crime problem, like a few cities are now, kind of coming back, thank goodness not New York, but some other cities, maybe you have one solution there and in another place, more rural, more suburban, other issues, you have a different set of rules.
HANNITY: But generally speaking, do you think it's acceptable if citizens have the right to carry a handgun?
GIULIANI: It's not only -- I mean, it's part of the Constitution. People have the right to bear arms. Then the restrictions of it have to be reasonable and sensible. You can't just remove that right. You've got to regulate, consistent with the Second Amendment.
HANNITY: How do you feel about the Brady bill and assault ban?
GIULIANI: I was in favor of that as part of the crime bill. I was in favor of it because I thought that it was necessary both to get the crime bill passed and also necessary with the 2,000 murders or so that we were looking at, 1,800, 1,900, to 2,000 murders, that I could use that in a tactical way to reduce crime. And I did.
What question is that and who they hell do you think you are to tell me what I have to do. I have to work. Maybe that is a concept foreign to you but think.
3/5ths. What does that have to do with anything?
How do you think a bunch of rag-tag farmers would stack up against the finest professional soldiers in the world?
I wouldn't think very well, myself--but it seemed to work out pretty well for the American colonies against Great Britain, didn't it?
The great thing about guns is that they are wonderfully meritocratic, Dave.
It's at the end of #1236.
Polite and interesting discussion warrants answering questions. He has an excellent point, and I'd like to see your response.
Ad-hominems don't help your position.
You have mail.
No I dont encourage anyone who doesnt agree with me to leave.
So far I havent notice anyone on the socially conservative side requesting anyone leave.
We did however have a Rudy supporter on another thread flat out say that they wanted ALL prolife conervatives to leave and form thier own party.
SO my question to you is, even though they arent prolife or whatever, would you still consider this person a whackjob or does your criteria only apply to non Rudy supporters, or social conservatives?
BTW, im no dude. though when excited about something my son will say "but DUDE....." LOL Im a dudette:)
I hope any future assailants you encounter aren't wearing body armor. Chances are they won't be, but if they are, that would suck for you.
I understand where you are coming from and respect everyones right to decide what to do in the general election and the primaries.
If it came down to Rudy or Hillary in the end we will have already lost in a landslide long before you pull the lever.
I would have to vote CP or write someone in, but I'm only one vote. There are millions that will never vote for Rudy no matter who is on the rat ticket.
How would those in the grassroots that work the phones, put up signs, bring out the conservative vote, sell Rudy? They can't and they wont! I couldn't sell him to the voters that turn out on the issues if I wanted to.
Many don't believe it but its true. Its best for everyone to think long and hard about it now before it ever gets to that.
IMHO If Rudy is the nominee we will lose and he will drag everyone in congress with him if they are running.
Hence my choice of .223!
Somehow I dont think placing a howitzer in my back pocket is going to help.
I know. But it's interesting to see how he deals with reasonable questions.
Assuming you are NOT a law enforcement officer, I dare you to walk into any of the aforementioned places with your weapon clearly visible. See how many rights you have to do whatever you damn well please then. Remember if you do, I'm not responsible for your stupidity.
If someone is adjudged to be too dangerous to be loose in society with a firearm, is he any less dangerous with a knife? With a car? With a functioning set of hands?
Keep violent felons in prison, where they belong, and make it easier for the dangerously mentally ill to be confined against their will, and suddenly the "need" for "common sense" gun laws is less obvious.
Maybe not a howitzer in your pocket, but how about leaning a short suppressed AR15 against the bed? perfectly reasonable for home defense, but a felony four times over in NY. Doesn't the 2nd Amendment forbid NY from punishing someone, especially so severely, for merely having a suitable tool for home defense?
"How would those in the grassroots that work the phones, put up signs, bring out the conservative vote, sell Rudy? They can't and they wont!"
That's a perfect description of the 1996 Dole campaign - in dissatisfaction with the candidate, the grassroots withered.
Hope it doesn't come to that or have the same results, 'cause the only reason I want to see "Hillary" and "White House" in the same sentence is if she's bringing back the stolen silverware.
Lastly, thanks for a good conversation in the midst of this contentious issue.
And it didnt work out very well for those rag tag farmers until the French fleet, with their big cannon, blockaded Cornwallis at Yorktown. With only a few exceptions, our founding fathers lost most of the battles they fought for most of a very long war. We won at Fort Ticonderoga which was defended by two drunk soldiers. We won in NJ after the famous crossing because the Hessians were drunk from Christmas or New Years celebrating, cant remember which. We also won early in the war in Boston where the Americans were able to capture high ground and the british had to leave because of the American cannon.
Wasn't long ago you could do all of that legally and without raising concerns. The recently-developed prohibitions haven't helped; actually it seems they've only caused more problems.
Actually, I check weapons regularly. Most frequent response is a compliment, even if it is the silent one of noticing that a knife is backwards in its sheath.
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