Posted on 08/25/2004 2:09:41 PM PDT by yonif
Declaring "the front line of the war against terror once again involves the citizens," Republican Alan Keyes said Tuesday he believes the U.S. Constitution grants properly trained private individuals the right to own and carry machine guns.
"You're not talking about giving citizens access to atom bombs and other things," the former presidential candidate said. "That's ridiculous."
But the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate argued the founding fathers intended the Second Amendment to allow people to carry the types of weapons "customarily carried in those days by ordinary infantry soldiers."
"And, yes, does that mean that in this day and age people would have the right to have access to the kind of the weapons our ordinary infantry people have access to? With proper training and so forth to make sure that they could handle them successfully, that's exactly what was meant."
Keyes made the remarks at a news conference he called to attack the "ideological extremism" of his Democratic opponent, state Sen. Barack Obama.
The Republican lit into Obama for voting against a bill in Springfield earlier this year that would have allowed people who use handguns to fend off home invaders or attackers to argue self-defense as a possible legal defense against prosecution for violating any local anti-firearm possession ordinances.
The measure passed the Legislature with bi-partisan support, but Gov. Blagojevich vetoed it last week.
Keyes called Obama's vote against the measure an "appalling . . . lack of common sense."
"This seems to be a man who is absolutely determined to make the world safe for criminals, while making sure that law-abiding citizens have no opportunity to defend themselves against the criminals," Keyes said.
Keyes said he supports a system in which guns would be treated similarly to automobiles, with people being required to undergo different levels of training before they would be allowed to own and carry various sorts of weapons.
"I always remind -- even people who support the Second Amendment -- that it has two parts: the right to keep and bear" arms, Keyes said. " 'Bear' means to carry, to carry around. . . . I think it has been proven empirically that . . . allowing law-abiding citizens this access to conceal-carry actually reduces crime."
Keyes said he owns two firearms himself: a 9mm Glock semi-automatic pistol and a .38-caliber "six-shooter." But he said he does not keep them at his new home in Calumet City.
Keyes only indirectly answered a reporter's question about whether he would "be comfortable if the entire society was walking around with Uzis, as long as they were properly trained."
"Have you ever been to Israel?" Keyes asked the reporter. "Because if you've ever been to Israel, you wouldn't ask that question. And in the midst of terrifying dangers, you walk around the streets of Israel and you see every other person carrying arms and Uzis and so forth and so on, and believe me, you do not feel less safe on that account."
Machine guns, or fully automatic weapons, are firearms that fire multiple shots with a single pull of the trigger.
Thomas Ahern, a spokesman for the Chicago division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said private individuals can only own such weapons if they apply with the bureau and clear a series of hurdles, including a background check, fingerprinting and the OK of local law enforcement officials. Additional paperwork is required any time the weapon is to be transported.
"It is heavily regulated," Ahern said.
A spokesman for Obama defended the Democrat's record on guns.
"Certainly he believes in the Second Amendment, but he also believes in common-sense gun safety laws, such as the federal ban on military-style assault weapons." said spokesman Robert Gibbs. "If Alan Keyes truly was concerned about public safety, that would be his position, as well."
LOL!
Oh how you 'Living Constitution' crowd hate Keyes!!!!!!!!!
Keyes supports the 2nd amendment 100%. So do I.
He said the 2nd protects the citizens right to carry weapons ...customarily carried in those days by ordinary infantry soldiers
He's right. Bitch at the guy who wrote the headline. What's he suupposed to do, lie?
Here is what Keyes supports:
Keyes said he supports a system in which guns would be treated similarly to automobiles, with people being required to undergo different levels of training before they would be allowed to own and carry various sorts of weapons.
Nowhere in the Constitution does it say anything about requiring training, in order to get "Permission" to bear arms. What it say is that the right shall not be infringed.
SOunds like he supports it maybe 75 percent. (which is still more than Obama, though)
yes dear... he does.
unless you are driving around without a license with an unlicensed automobile... in your state. In mine, you gotta have both... and it involves government testing and a lot more government intrusion than the second amendment allows for in "shall not be infringed."
take it up with the NRA or GOA lobbies. it's not a conservative policy...
Yes, but the restrictions come down hard on ownership. Mostly 1 pistol, a long arm in the West Bank or Gaza. You're not talking about a tradition of gun ownership, though it's come a long way from the British model Israel started with.
Every knowledgable conservative in FReeperland scoffs at your venal suggestion.
Some of us knowledgable conservatives scoff at the notion of firearms licensing and registration, and also scoff at the notion that we need permission from the government in order to own weapons.
So you can't -or won't- read.
Who cares?
I don't remember asking you to speak for me.
What about Obama?
Do you think HE supports it?
My guess is probably not.
Do you think that means Obama will be endorsed by GOA and the NRA???
LOL! I don't think so!
So, should I have to have a license, in order to have GOVERNMENT PERMISSION to own various types of weapons?
That's what Keyes is calling for. Now, square that with "the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed"...
You're not quite there. Amelia has been suspended.
>>Declaring "the front line of the war against terror once again involves the citizens," Republican Alan Keyes said Tuesday he believes the U.S. Constitution grants properly trained private individuals the right to own and carry machine guns.
I wish the da*n Chicago paper would STOP putting words in Keyes mouth, those slimeballs!
Note they did not QUOTE the part about carrying machine guns
They paraphrased something Keyes said about gun onership
and reworded it for maximum damage.
Its called 'defining your opponent before he has a chance to define himself'
What? When did did that happen?
OK by me. The constitution says firearms. But misslies and bombs, now that's another story ;)
Good grief, we've been doing it for four decades.
If you're over 21, your state doesn't ban Class 3 weapons, you're not a felon and charges aren't pending, get youself a BATF Form 4, a letter from your police chief that no felony indictments are pending, and $200, and you too can own an automatic weapon. Alan isn't breaking new ground here.
BTW, if Alan can persuade my reenactor neighbor to stop shooting his 50's on weekends during bow season? I'd really appreciate that.
Well, you'll have to get permission from the government before you bear "various types of weapons", Libertina...
(I'm still waiting for a constitutional expert to tell me where in the constitution it says that government is in the permission-giving business)
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
No Luis. What I'm doing is mocking your ludicrous attempt to portray Keyes as being so much worse than Obama. It's so patheticly funny that I have tears of laughter blurring my vision. I can hardly see my monitor to type this reply!!!
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