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Ask candidates why military guns OK'd for public, advocate urges (Barf Alert)
The Altoona Herald ^ | December 7, 2007 | Tony Leys and Jason Clayworth

Posted on 12/07/2007 6:03:10 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

Iowans should press presidential candidates for their views on assault weapons in light of Wednesday's shopping-mall massacre in Omaha, a national gun-control advocate said Thursday.

Most Democratic candidates support reinstating a federal assault-weapons ban that expired in 2004.

Most Republican candidates oppose reinstating the ban, saying it was ineffective.

Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said Thursday that the 30-round ammunition clips Robert Hawkins reportedly used in Wednesday's shootings in Omaha would have been illegal to purchase under the assault-weapons ban.

Helmke said it was not clear whether the gun itself, described as an AK-47-style assault rifle, would have been covered by the ban. But it should be illegal, he said.

"If this is something that can take a 30-round clip and fire them off quickly, it should be banned. This is a weapon of mass murder," he said.

Hawkins used the rifle to kill eight people and wound five before killing himself, police said. He reportedly stole the gun from his stepfather.

The assault-weapons ban was passed in 1994 and allowed to lapse a decade later. It covered purchases of specific models of guns and certain accessories, including clips that held more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

Helmke said Iowans should demand responses from the presidential candidates campaigning before the caucuses. He said they should ask why Americans are allowed to buy guns designed for the military.

"Basically, should the public be able to get the types of guns we use in Iraq?" he said.

State Rep. Clel Baudler, R-Greenfield, who is a board member of the National Rifle Association, urged people not to rush to judgment while police investigate the Omaha shootings.

Baudler said every time such a tragedy happens, NRA supporters expect to hear calls to toughen gun-control laws.

But he contended that if the killers didn't have guns, they would use another type of weapon.

"When you have a lunatic that's bent on becoming famous and wants to be remembered, you're going to have problems, whether it's a gasoline bomb or any type of device. ... It comes back to the lunatic," he said.

Baudler added that the 30-round clips reportedly used in Omaha take less than two seconds to replace, so a smaller-capacity clip would not have slowed the shooter very much on Wednesday.

Earlier this fall, The Des Moines Register surveyed presidential candidates about their stances on gun control.

Democrats Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich and Barack Obama said they would support reinstating the assault-weapons ban.

Democrat Bill Richardson and Republicans Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Tom Tancredo and Fred Thompson said they would not support reinstating the ban.

Several of them said they opposed the ban because they thought it was ineffective.

Republican Rudy Giuliani's campaign declined to specifically answer the question, but Giuliani supported the ban when it was enacted in 1994.

Helmke, the gun-control advocate, said the Republican candidates appear to have more differences over the issue than their Democratic counterparts.

Although they do not talk much about it as candidates, he said, Romney and Giuliani were relatively supportive of gun control in their previous jobs as governor of Massachusetts and mayor of New York City. McCain also has been relatively moderate on some gun-control issues, Helmke added.

He said it was not clear whether other restrictions, such as bans on sales of guns to mentally ill people, would have affected the outcome of Wednesday's shooting.

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Reporter Tony Leys can be reached at (515) 284-8449 or tleys@dmreg.com


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2ndamendment; banglist; bradybill; concealedcarry; electionpresident; elections; gop; guncontrol; gungrabbers; omahashooting; republicans; rkba
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Typical!
1 posted on 12/07/2007 6:03:15 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
"...assault weapons"
like a frying pan, baseball bat, fists, pencil, car, etc.?
2 posted on 12/07/2007 6:05:07 PM PST by robomatik
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Typical bed-wetting lib, with the mentality of a 6 year old.


3 posted on 12/07/2007 6:10:01 PM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Simple. The constitutution doesn’t specify type of arms.


4 posted on 12/07/2007 6:13:28 PM PST by cripplecreek (Only one consistent conservative in this race and his name is Hunter.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
“described as an AK-47-**style** assault rifle,”

Is this like banning pistol grips on rifles because they supposedly allow criminals to spray a room with bullets like in a Hollywood movie?

Ask anti-gun nuts why they don’t know anything about guns.

Also, “assault rifle” as used in the USA today is an invented term.

5 posted on 12/07/2007 6:14:50 PM PST by Aglooka
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I went to high school with Paul Helmke. He is an ass.

Steve Zweig
North Side HS ‘67


6 posted on 12/07/2007 6:14:51 PM PST by szweig (Had it up to here)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Semi-automatics are NOT military weapons. Stupid liberals can't seem to differentiate between a semi and and automatic. The latter has been banned in the civilian market in this country since 1934.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

7 posted on 12/07/2007 6:15:22 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: Aglooka
Ask anti-gun nuts why they don’t know anything about guns.

A while back I saw a newsbimbo say "Semi automatic weapons can't be used for hunting" as if it were fact.
8 posted on 12/07/2007 6:17:16 PM PST by cripplecreek (Only one consistent conservative in this race and his name is Hunter.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
"Republican Rudy Giuliani's campaign declined to specifically answer the question"

LOL! Same old Julieannie.

9 posted on 12/07/2007 6:18:10 PM PST by spunkets ("Freedom is about authority", Rudy Giuliani, gun grabber)
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To: goldstategop

only production thereof i believe. you can still get an fbi class 3 tag if your record is clean.


10 posted on 12/07/2007 6:19:09 PM PST by robomatik
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To: goldstategop
“Semi-automatics are NOT military weapons. Stupid liberals can’t seem to differentiate between a semi and and automatic. The latter has been banned in the civilian market in this country since 1934. “

Libs know. Propagandists such as helmke use this misinformation to further their goal of banning all guns. Advocacy groups such as this openly admit that they want and intend to do to the US what was done to the UK.

Hand them in Mr and Mrs America

11 posted on 12/07/2007 6:21:29 PM PST by Aglooka
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To: potlatch; PhilDragoo; MeekOneGOP; ntnychik; Travis McGee; 2ndDivisionVet

.

Obviously a 12 gauge pump would not have been dangerous at all


12 posted on 12/07/2007 6:22:00 PM PST by devolve (---- - Hey Boone! - My bonus check is late again! -)
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To: cripplecreek
The second amendment isn't about hunting, anyway.
13 posted on 12/07/2007 6:25:53 PM PST by fhayek
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Same crap as here in Virgina after Va, Tech. But not one word about tightening up on the whack jobs that let mental cases run the streets.

How come the punk cop gunning down six with his m16 did not get the same type of attention.

14 posted on 12/07/2007 6:26:03 PM PST by org.whodat (What's the difference between a Democrat and a republican????)
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To: Travis McGee

I suspect that a person in that mall that had the right to carry a gun could have ended that shooting spree after one or two shots were fired.


15 posted on 12/07/2007 6:30:26 PM PST by ANGGAPO (LayteGulfBeachClub)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Here we go... Prices will rise some more as the run-up on more gun purchases increases and continues with these liberal whack-jobs threatening another ban.
16 posted on 12/07/2007 6:33:04 PM PST by Cobra64 (www.BulletBras.net)
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To: org.whodat

“Same crap as here in Virgina after Va, Tech. But not one word about tightening up on the whack jobs that let mental cases run the streets.”

And still no mention of the mall being a “gun free zone” (for law abiding citizens)in a state that allows it’s citizens to cary concealed weapons. Had there been even one capable armed private citizen within range of this animal the story would have a happy ending.


17 posted on 12/07/2007 6:33:54 PM PST by Constitutional Patriot (Socialism is the cancer of humanity.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“Democrat Bill Richardson and Republicans Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Tom Tancredo and Fred Thompson said they would not support reinstating the ban.”

Mitt Romney caught in another lie!

Check the transcript of the 2nd debate. Romney clearly states he supports an AWB!


18 posted on 12/07/2007 6:34:15 PM PST by Beagle8U (FreeRepublic -- One stop shopping ....... Its the Conservative Super WalMart for news .)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Civilians have ALWAYS in the past had beter firearms than the Military.

In the 1700’s, the military used the smooth bore flintlock musket. Civilians used super accurate flintlock rifles.

When the miitary adopted a flintlock rifle the civilians were using percussion cap rifles that didn’t misfire.

When the military adopted a percussion cap rifle civilians were already using breech loading cartridge rifles.

During the Civil War the military used anything that would shoot but afterward they adopted a single shot breechloading cartridge rifle. Civilians were using rapid fire lever action rifles, pumps, bolt actions and were experimenting with self-loading rifles and machineguns.

Wehn the military adopted a really good bolt action rifle many civilians were already using European versions as their hunting rifle.

When the military adopted a really good self loading rifle many civilians clammered for one also, even though they had better bolt actions.

When the military adopted the m-14 and later the m-16 they r then surpassed civilians in what they could own.
Civilians had to settle with semi-auto versions and in some retarded states even those were banned.

In all that time the Military and police NEVER claimed to be “outgunned” till the last few years.

I always remember Harry Tracy who piled up dead lawmen like cordwood with only a 30-30 Winchester and a Colt single action pistol.


19 posted on 12/07/2007 6:34:18 PM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar (Only infidel blood can quench Muslim thirst-- Abdul-Jalil Nazeer al-Karouri)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Robert Hawkins reportedly used in Wednesday's shootings in Omaha would have been illegal to purchase under the assault-weapons ban.

yeah and I bet that would have stopped the mentally ill guy who was hell bent on KILLING...he probably would have said: "wow there's a ban on this weapon, I better not use it". I mean if there had been a law he wouldn't have broke it.(he probably didn't know that killing people is against the law or that the mall was a gun free zone) sure.
20 posted on 12/07/2007 6:34:52 PM PST by socialismisinsidious ( The socialist income tax system turns US citizens into beggars or quitters!)
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